The condition known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder is believed to affect one-third of American women.
"It is the most common sexual problem that women have," Dr. Anita Clayton, a psychiatrist with the UVa Health System, said. Clayton is the author of the 2007 book "Satisfaction: Women, Sex and the Quest for Intimacy."
The test will involve 25 women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have had both ovaries surgically removed, are currently taking an estrogen supplement and are distressed about their lack of libido. Removal of the ovaries often leads to a drop in sexual interest because ovaries produce roughly half of the testosterone in a woman's body. Testosterone plays a key role in sexual functioning for men and women.
Each subject will rub a small dot of gel into the skin of her upper arm daily. It is expected that over the next 24 hours, the gel's testosterone will seep into her bloodstream, boosting energy and libido.
Clayton said the drug is better than previous testosterone treatments because it keeps levels of the chemical constant, much like naturally occurring testosterone.
In a previous set of clinical trials at 17 institutions, LibiGel led to a 283 percent increase of satisfying sexual encounters for the women taking the drug.
"A lot of women have this problem, but unfortunately they've been largely ignored by pharmaceutical companies," BioSante chief executive Stephen M. Simes said. "It's not fair that women have no drugs, while men have many."