Testosterone cream developed in WA revolutionises treatment for menopausal women but at treble the price
But the medication is not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and costs three times more than the men's version of the product.
Androfeme is the only testosterone cream in Australia approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to treat hypo-active sexual desire dysfunction — a common side effect of menopause responsible for a distressing loss of libido.
Doctors and pharmacists have labelled medication a game changer but it's inaccessible to many women as it's not listed on the PBS, costing $100 for a tube that lasts 100 days.
The equivalent treatment for men is on the PBS and costs less than a third of the price at $31.60.
When mum-of-two Jane Capelli turned 40, she experienced hot flushes, insomnia, irritability, headaches, and zero libido.
'I didnt feel like my old self, something was missing,' she said.
Her hormone levels plummeted while she was in the midst of perimenopause.
Her doctor prescribed hormone replacement therapy but it was the testosterone cream, Androfeme, that made the biggest difference.
'I feel like my old self again, energy and clarity have improved, the fog feels like its lifting,' she said.
Doctors hope Androfeme will be added to the PBS this year to help women like Ms Capelli.
Lawley Pharmaceuticals pharmacist Michael Buckley said the product was a 'game changer' for women.
'Up until then women didn't have a female specific testosterone treatment and if they were going to be treated they were forced to use male products that couldn't be measured easily,' she said.
General practitioner Lucy Caratti said testosterone had a huge impact on women's health.
'Testosterone is a huge player in women and it's been very much overlooked, been thought of as very much a male hormone, but we know its effects on the brain, heart, bones and of course the libido,' she said.
'Women are already paying quite a lot for their estrogen and progesterone so being able to subsidise some of the testosterone will make a really big difference for people to be able to afford it.'
The company behind Androfeme is conducting trials to measure the impact of testosterone cream on other common menopause side effects including bone loss, loss of muscle strength and brain fog.
If the results are positive, the cream could eventually be used to treat those symptoms.
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