Addyi (pronounced ADD-ee) is being called the “pink Viagra.”
Addyi (pronounced ADD-ee) is being called the “pink Viagra.” piggu/Shutterstock

A couple months ago, I wrote about the first libido pill for women (it's apparently the first pill to address desire in general), and questioned whether such a pill might work. Well, the FDA just approved that pill.

Reports the New York Times:

The drug — Addyi from Sprout Pharmaceuticals — is actually the first drug approved to treat a flagging or absent libido for either sex. Viagra and other drugs available for men are approved to help achieve erections, or to treat certain deficiencies of the hormone testosterone, not to increase desire.

How widespread the drug is used remains to be seen. The drug is only approved for pre-menopausal women, and it's unclear whether insurance companies will pay for it. In addition:

Addyi is not supposed to be used by women who drink alcohol, because that could increase the risk of fainting. And the pill can be prescribed or dispensed only by doctors and pharmacists who watch an online slide presentation and pass a test of their comprehension.

Addyi changes the balance of certain brain neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, and for this reason is theorized to work on men as well, although current plans are to get it approved for post-menopausal women and in foreign markets.