A birth control pill designed for men that temporarily pauses the production of sperm, with no hormones required, has passed its first safety trial. The landmark birth control pill is spurring optimism that it could soon be ready to launch a new era of contraception.
“Studies and surveys continue to show that men want to share the burden of pregnancy prevention with their partners,” said Akash Bakshi, CEO of YourChoice Therapeutics, which is working with the University of Minnesota on the research. “But they have just one nonpermanent contraceptive option — condoms — and it’s 170 years old.”
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Why does it matter?
Nationwide, studies show that the rate of accidental pregnancy is nearly 50%. While women have access to various forms of contraception, like implants, injections, devices and drugs, men currently have only one federally approved reversible birth control method: vasectomies.
The operation involves cutting and plugging the tubes that transport sperm from the testicles. However, the results of vasectomies vary significantly for each individual, and the longer it has been since the procedure, the less effective the procedure becomes. Additionally, while condoms are abundant, recent research shows that men are increasingly abandoning the use of condoms.
A number of reversible male birth control options with signs of positive results are only available with hormones, which carry a greater risk of side effects, and are still undergoing testing.
A new pill offers hope
This new treatment represents hope for a better alternative. It comes in the form of a pill called YCT-529 that is now part of a larger clinical trial that health professionals hope will be ready for the market within a matter of a few years.
“A safe and effective male pill will provide more options for couples for birth control,” said Gunda Georg, a chemist and pharmacist at the University of Minnesota. “It will allow a more equitable sharing of responsibility for family planning and provide reproductive autonomy for men.”
How did researchers test the medication?
The study of the drug involved testing male mice. Researchers said that giving the mice the pill had a 99% success rate in preventing pregnancy. Researchers discovered similar findings in male primates, revealing that their sperm counts fell within a couple of weeks after taking the pill.
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Only 20.9% of men said they used condoms during their last sexual encounter, according to the National Survey of Family Growth.
The first human trial, meanwhile, involved 16 healthy men between the ages of 32 and 59 who had all undergone vasectomies in the past.
Researchers required this added layer of protection because they had never tested a hormone-free contraceptive drug on humans until now. Scientists didn’t want to permanently stop fertility in men who may want to have children later in life, according to researchers.
The trial’s ultimate goal aimed to assess how well the body tolerates the drug and how it processes the pill, rather than evaluating the drug’s success.
So far, no side effects
Following multiple doses of the pill in the subjects, scientists failed to find any notable adverse side effects, noting no changes in heart rate, hormones, inflammation, sexual performance or mood. Researchers said it was a groundbreaking discovery because hormonal contraceptives have previously been associated with negative side effects like mood swings, loss of sex drive, weight gain and acne outbreaks.
They also note that the pill remained active in the body without breaking down too quickly.
When might it be ready?
YourChoice is currently testing the pill in a larger clinical trial involving men over the age of 50 who have either had vasectomies or have decided they don’t want to be fathers.
Subjects take a pill daily for 28 and 90 days at different doses as scientists track safety and monitor the effectiveness of it halting sperm production.
The trial is slated to finish up by the middle of next year. If all goes to plan, the first male birth control drug may be just a few years away from being available to patients.
