Mouse testing of a new male non-hormonal contraceptive tablet found it to be 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy with no adverse effects. Due to the scarcity of contraceptive alternatives for men, breakthrough medicine could help balance the contraceptive burden. Studies on humans are in progress, but some experts are worried that safety concerns may prevent the medicine from reaching the market.
Despite numerous attempts, no effective and safe male contraception has been discovered in human clinical trials. ‘The majority use hormones, but non-hormonal contraceptives’, according to Md Abdullah al Noman of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, have fewer negative effects.
Researchers gave male mice a daily dose of a chemical called YCT529 for four weeks and found that their sperm count decreased. Between four and six weeks after the medications were stopped, the mice began reproducing normally again with no apparent side effects.
There are several molecules in clinical trials, but all of them target testosterone, the male sex hormone, which has been linked to weight gain, depression, and other side effects. ‘Safety is very important for birth control pills since people do not take them to treat disease, so they are less tolerant of side effects,’ says Noman. According to the team, human clinical studies will begin in the second half of this year.
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