Independent · non-commercial · publishes on a quarterly cycle|Current cycle 2026 Q3
Compound Evidence InstituteEvidence synthesis · established 2023Graded assessments of compounds, trials, methods and supply
Document set current to 30 July 2026
Indication assessment · §4

Hypoactive sexual desire and erectile dysfunction — compounds assessed

The 3 compounds the Institute assesses in hypoactive sexual desire and erectile dysfunction.

Document identifier
CEI-IN-25/4
Series
Indication assessment
Version
1.1
Published
31 Aug 2025
Last reviewed
31 Aug 2025
Next review
31 Aug 2027
Identifier
10.71829/cei.ind.25
Certainty
Not rated
Cycle
2025 Q3
ICD-11
HA00
Category
Neuropsychiatric

§4Compounds assessed

Compounds the Institute assesses in this indication, with the class of each and its overall certainty. A compound appears here whether or not the evidence supports its use, because recording that a compound has been studied and found wanting is as much part of the assessment as recording that one has not.

  • Melanocortin receptor agonist (cyclic heptapeptide)2 contributing trialsfull monograph

    Change in Female Sexual Function Index desire domain of +0.30 versus +0.06 with placebo, and improvement in the Female Sexual Distress Scale item 13 of −0.73 versus −0.41 — Two identical phase 3 trials with statistically significant but small effects on…

    Moderate
  • Endogenous decapeptide, KISS1 receptor agonist1 contributing trialfull monograph

    Small randomised crossover studies in men with hypoactive sexual desire reported changes in limbic activation on functional imaging and in behavioural measures — Mechanistically interesting, clinically preliminary.

    Low
  • Non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist (cyclic heptapeptide)0 contributing trialsfull monograph

    No adequately powered randomised trial identified for this compound — Development was discontinued. The approved compound in this family is its metabolite bremelanotide, and evidence for that compound does not transfer.

    Very low

References cited on this page

References are numbered in order of first citation in this document. Each superscript in the text links to its entry below.

  1. Clayton AH, Althof SE, Kingsberg S, DeRogatis LR, Kroll R, Goldstein I, Kaminetsky J, Spana C, Lucas J, Jordan R, Portman DJ. Bremelanotide for female sexual dysfunctions in premenopausal women: a randomized, placebo-controlled dose-finding trial. Women’s Health 2016;12(3):325–337. doi:10.2217/whe-2016-0018 · PMID 27638896

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