Researchers recently reported that they are close to developing a male control birth pill that is 99 percent effective in mice. The study presented at the American Chemical Society spring meeting also reported that the recently developed birth control pill causes no side effects, and its human trials may start by the end of this year.
There are only a few effective male contraception: the use of abstinence, condoms, or vasectomy. The recent oral male birth control pill findings present a milestone in expanding men's contraceptive options. It also helps share the burden of birth control with women, Euronews reports.
Nonhormonal birth control pill for men
According to Abdullah al Noman, researcher and graduate student at the University of Minnesota, scientists have been trying to develop an effective male oral contraceptive for years. However, there is no available male nonhormonal birth control pill in the market. Norman said they wanted to create a nonhormonal male contraceptive to avoid side effects.
The nonhormonal male contraceptive is YCT529, and it successfully made mice sterile without side effects. The same mice could impregnate other mice four to six weeks after they stopped receiving YCT529.
The research team developed a nonhormonal drug that targets a protein called retinoic acid receptor (RAR) alpha.
Vitamin A is converted into retinoic acid, nutrients essential in cell growth, sperm formation, and embryo development. Retinoic acid needs to interact with RAR-alpha to perform these functions. Removing the RAR-α gene in male mice makes them sterile without significant side effects. Scientists working on this male oral pill developed a compound to block the RAR-alpha actions. The molecular structure was designed utilizing a computer model.
The chemical, YCT529, was designed to interact with RAR-alpha but not the two other related receptors to minimize the potential side effects.
Dr. Jesse Mills, Director of the Men's Clinic at UCLA, told Healthline that part of the reason a male oral contraceptive is not available yet is because of side effects and the motivation from men to take it. The main barrier for men to find an effective pill with minimal side effects is the willingness of men to take such a pill.
Clinical trials for male contraceptive options currently target testosterone, the male sex hormone. Targeting testosterone causes various side effects such as depression, weight gain, and increased cholesterol levels.
Mills said that while it may be impossible to ask the mice the possible side effects of the pill such as moodiness, or fatigue, these may manifest in human trials.
Male contraceptives
There may be various options for women to control the menstrual cycle, but there are only two effective ways to prevent male contraception: condoms and vasectomies.
However, condoms are disposable, and vasectomies are challenging to reverse. To find a birth control pill similar to women, researchers spent decades looking for a male contraceptive that is effective, long-lasting, and reversible.
Despite the promising result of YCT529 on mice, there are no guarantees that the drug could be safe in humans. The American Chemical Society wrote that the research team partnered with YourChoice Therapeutics, which aims to start human trials by the third or fourth quarter of 2022.
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