New 'female Viagra' may also curb appetite

Developers of a new Viagra-type pill for women say that the pill may not only boost female sex drive but reduce appetite.

Developers of a new Viagra-type pill for women say that the pill may not only boost female sex drive but reduce appetite. Developers from British company ORLIBID say that the pill should be available at the end of 2015,

The drug, which is still undergoing clinical trials, is essentially a synthetic version of melatonin and acts on the brain to boost sexual desire, the report says. Women take it 15 minutes before sexual activity, and the pill can keep the engine revving for more than two hours.

Another new drug on the horizon offering the same promise is Lybridos, created by Dutch and US firm Emotional Brain. The pill, which could be on sale within three years, contains testosterone and targets areas of the brain related to sexual desire, the company says.

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Of course, libido is a complex issue, and a lack of desire could be linked to anything from boredom to a drop in hormones, such as related to menopause, experts say, and a pill to fix the problem (for women at least) has sparked a host of gender politicking in the media. Meanwhile, Pfizer's Viagra for men is a global sensation, with the company even selling it online for $25 to counter the fierce online trade in counterfeit pills.