Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Premenopausal Women: Efficacy of Flibanserin in the DAISY Study

Introduction. Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is characterized by low sexual desire that causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty. Aim. To assess the efficacy and tolerability of flibanserin, a postsynaptic 5-HT1A agonist/5-HT2A antagonist, in the treatment of premenopausal women with HSDD. Methods. North American premenopausal women with HSDD (mean age 35 years) were randomized to 24 weeks' treatment with flibanserin 25 mg twice daily (N = 396), 50 mg twice daily (N = 392), 100 mg once daily at bedtime (N = 395), or placebo (N = 398). Main Outcome Measures. Co- primary endpoints were changed from baseline to study end in number of satisfying sexual events (SSE) and sexual desire score, measured daily using an eDiary. Secondary endpoints included change in Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R) total score and Item 13 score (distress due to low sexual desire), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) total and desire domain scores, and Patient's Global Impression of Improvement. Results. Flibanserin 100 mg once daily was associated with an increase in SSE (P < 0.01 vs. placebo) but the 25 mg and 50 mg twice daily doses were not. No group showed a significant increase in eDiary desire score vs. placebo. All flibanserin regimens improved FSDS-R total, FSDS-R Item 13, FSFI total, and FSFI desire domain scores vs. placebo (P < 0.05, for all). More women receiving flibanserin 50 mg twice daily and 100 mg once daily considered their HSDD to have improved than women receiving placebo (44.1% and 47.0% vs. 30.3%, respectively) (P < 0.000, 1 vs. placebo). The most frequently reported adverse events in women receiving flibanserin were somnolence (11.8%), dizziness (10.5%), and fatigue (10.3%). Conclusion. In premenopausal women with HSDD, flibanserin 100 mg once daily was well tolerated and associated with statistically significant improvements in SSE, sexual desire (FSFI desire domain score but not eDiary desire score), sexual function, and decrease in sexual distress vs. placebo. Thorp J, Simon J, Dattani D, Taylor L, Kimura T, Garcia M Jr., Lesko L, and Pyke R, on behalf of the DAISY trial investigators. Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in premenopausal women: Efficacy of flibanserin in the DAISY Study. J Sex Med 2012; 9: 793-804.