Efficacy and safety of visnadine in the treatment of symptoms of sexual dysfunction in heterosexual women: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials

Abstract

Objective To synthesize the primary evidence on the efficacy and safety of visnadine on symptoms of sexual dysfunction (SD) in heterosexual women. Methods We conducted a systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) with a primary search without language restriction in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and international clinical trial registries. Trials reporting the use of visnadine by any route in women with SD were eligible. We performed screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment in a double-blind approach. The primary outcomes were the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and its domains. Secondary outcomes were safety, arousal, lubrication, pleasure, orgasm, negative sensations, duration, and overall satisfaction. Results Initially, 242 records were retrieved. We selected nine papers for full-text reading and finally included two RCTs: one with a parallel design and one with a crossover design with a total of 96 patients. One study compared visnadine aerosol with a placebo, while the other compared different frequencies of visnadine aerosol use. Visnadine use showed a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.05) in overall FSFI scores, regardless of the frequency of use. A meta-analysis was not possible due to the high clinical and methodological heterogeneity between available studies. Conclusion RCTs regarding the use of visnadine for the Female SD are scarce and methodologically limited. This preliminary evidence shows visnadine as a potentially effective and safe option to alleviate some of the clinical symptoms of SD in heterosexual women. However, future better-designed randomized studies with larger sample numbers are required.