Flibanserin, or BIMT – 17, is a drug developed by the Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH pharmaceutical company and it is currently inspected as a drug for women with reduced sexual desire. This drug is a 5-HT1A serotonin receptor agonist and 5-HT2A serotonin receptor antagonist and also a dopamine D4 receptor partial agonist originally researched to serve as an anti-depressant pharmaceutical drug. The Viagra effects of the Flibanserin were accidentally discovered after being tested as an anti-depressant.

The Boehringer Ingelheim company stated on November 16, 2009, that the late-stage tests revealed the drug endorsed sexual desire and was responsible for a significantly improved number of “satisfying sexual events” of women with unusually low libido.

The final outcome of four Phase III researches involving over 2,000 pre-menopausal women with some form of HSDD – Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder were made public in Lyon, Franceat the congress of the European Society for Sexual Medicine. Women taking this drug reported that the average number of times they experienced “satisfying sexual experience” grew from 2.8 to 4.5 per month, while women taking the placebo reported the number grow to 3.7 times per month. Flibanserin has to be taken once a day and allowing up to four weeks to produce its effects. In the case of animals, the drug increases the level of noradrenalin and dopamine, and decreases the level of serotonin in their organism.

Flibanserin directly influences the chemical reactions sequence in the brain thought to activate sexual desire. The action mechanism of this drug acts differently as the Intrinsa hormone patch of Procter & Gamble that targets post-menopausal women.

Starting from November, 2009, Phase III clinical tests are evaluating safety and efficacy aspects with both pre- and post-menopausal women.