• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Health

Female Viagra Might Not Be All It’s Cracked Up To Be

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 1, 2016, 5:00 PM ET
The Newly Refurbished Charles Dickens Museum Prepares To Open
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: A woman adjusts the bed linen in a bedroom inside the Charles Dickens Museum on December 7, 2012 in London, England. The museum will re-open to the public on December 10, 2012 following a major 3.1 million GBP refurbishment and expansion programme to celebrate Dickens' bicentenary year. The museum is located in Charles Dickens' house on Doughty Street where he lived from 1837 until 1839 and in which he wrote many novels including Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)Photograph by Oli Scarff—Getty Images

Call it a half-night stand?

Women looking for a libido boost may find less success with Addyi—a libido drug commonly referred to as “female Viagra”—than previously thought, according to a review of clinical trial data published Monday in the American Medical Association’s Journal of Internal Medicine. The researchers found that the recently FDA-approved drug, clinical name Flibanserin, results in a mere “one-half an additional SSE”—meaning satisfying sexual event—”per month” on average.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The study’s authors analyzed eight studies (five published, three unpublished) involving more than 5,900 women. They found, by pooling efficacy data, that the subjects experienced slightly fewer satisfying sexual events per month on average than what the original three clinical trial findings—the ones on which the FDA based its regulatory approval—had determined.

The earlier studies found that women experienced one additional satisfying sexual encounter per month on average, a supplement to their two to three regular preexisting ones, as the New York Times reports.

For more on “female Viagra,” watch:

Addyi-maker Valeant (VRX) took issue with the team’s methodology. The company sent Fortune a statement attributed to Dr. Tage Ramakrishna, Valeant’s chief medical officer, in an email. He said the new study “provided little additional context. Meta-analyses using pooled data carry less statistical weight than the prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trials used to secure FDA approval.”

The drug has struggled in terms of sales since it hit the market in Oct.

 

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Health

Legion Whey+ Protein Powder Review (2026): Nutrition Expert Approved
HealthDietary Supplements
Legion Whey+ Protein Powder Review (2026): Nutrition Expert Approved
By Christina SnyderApril 9, 2026
21 hours ago
assis
CommentaryIBM
The digital sovereignty dilemma is a false choice — here’s how enterprises can have both
By Ana Paula AssisApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
Best Maca Root Supplements of 2026: Tester and Nutrition Expert Approved
HealthDietary Supplements
Best Maca Root Supplements of 2026: Tester and Nutrition Expert Approved
By Emily PharesApril 7, 2026
3 days ago
Photo of Marc Randolph
Successlifestyle
Netflix cofounder says he stopped work at 5 p.m. every Tuesday for 30 years to stay ‘sane,’ no matter the crisis: ‘Nothing got in the way of that’
By Emma BurleighApril 5, 2026
5 days ago
Peeps in yellow dye on a conveyor belt
HealthFood and drink
‘No one is saying, ‘I want more cancer with my candy”: Why Peeps are a ‘food chemical success story’ despite RFK Jr.’s campaign to destroy their dyes
By Catherina GioinoApril 5, 2026
5 days ago
6 Best Vitamins to Boost Energy (2026): Top Recommendations From Experts
HealthDietary Supplements
6 Best Vitamins to Boost Energy (2026): Top Recommendations From Experts
By Emily PharesApril 3, 2026
7 days ago

Most Popular

The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
24 hours ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
Success
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
White-collar workers are quietly rebelling against AI as 80% outright refuse adoption mandates
AI
White-collar workers are quietly rebelling against AI as 80% outright refuse adoption mandates
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout
AI
Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout
By Fortune EditorsApril 8, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of April 9, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 9, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.