A DRUG that failed the [...].

A DRUG that failed the test as an antidepressant could find a new use as the female version of Viagra, scientists said. The drug, flibanserin, had a disappointing effect on mood but did wonders for women's flagging sex drive, researchers found.

Results from a series of clinical trials showed "significant improvements" in a number of measures of libido among women who had lost interest in sex.

Women taking 100mg of flibanserin once a day reported greater numbers of "satisfactory sexual encounters", higher levels of sexual desire, and reduced stress associated with sexual problems.

Prof John Thorp, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US, who led the research, said: "It's essentially a Viagra-like drug for women in that diminished desire or libido is the most common feminine sexual problem, like erectile dysfunction is in men." Viagra, which helps men overcome impotency, also began with another purpose in mind. It was designed to treat angina, the chest pain associated with heart disease.