Proctor & Gamble to test patch to restore libido.

2002 MAR 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Procter & Gamble Co. hopes a female libido patch under development will bring it billions in sales for its prescription drug subsidiary, which made its first profit last year.

P&G Pharmaceuticals said its testosterone patch could restore the sex drive in postmenopausal women.

The Cincinnati company will invest several hundred million dollars developing the patch, called Intrinsa, but it won't be available for several years.

Nearly transparent and the size of an egg, the patch is worn just below the navel and changed about twice weekly.

"I think it's a wonderful idea, but I also think that expectations need to be realistic," said Molly Katz, a gynecologist whose practice will be participating in the trials. "It isn't going to fix everybody," she said. "Unless you have that satisfactory relationship, it's not going to make that much difference."

Large-scale testing of the patch in volunteers starts this month, one of the last stages before U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.

Company researchers are emphasizing that they don't want the patch seen as a "lifestyle" drug like Viagra. They want the product reserved for women with a medically documented loss of libido.