New drug to boost women's sex drive approved in US

WASHINGTON — U.S. health regulators have approved a prescription drug to boost sex drive in women.

The Food and Drug Administration OK'd the medication for premenopausal women troubled by a lack of sexual desire. The new drug is a shot that women will have to give themselves.

Friday's decision for Waltham, Massachusetts-based drugmaker Amag Pharmaceuticals marks only the second time regulators have approved a drug for the condition.

Drugmakers have been pursuing treatments for female sexual disorders since the blockbuster success of Viagra for men in the late 1990s. But drugs focusing on blood flow, sex hormones and many other targets didn't work.

The only drug previously approved is a daily pill similar to an antidepressant. But it is rarely prescribed due to serious side effects and a lack of insurance coverage.