Researchers are hailing a new drug called flibanserin as a possible remedy for sexual dysfunction in women.

Originally created to treat women suffering from depression, the pill was later found to increase the number of sexual encounters and overall sexual satisfaction among women who have hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

More than 1,000 pre-menopausal women from across the U.S., Canada and parts of Europe were included in a clinical trial funded by German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim to test the drug.

The study found women who took 100 milligrams of flibanserin each day experienced an increased libido after four weeks.

Participants also reported nearly doubling the number of sexual events, which included sexual intercourse and masturbation, from about two a month to just under five by the end of the trial, said principal investigator John Thorpe.