According to recent study, the non-hormonal pill was 99% successful in
preventing conception in mice.
The first non-condom or non-surgical male contraception is still being
developed by scientists. According to recent early study, a group has
created a non-hormonal method of male birth control that reportedly had no
negative effects while keeping lab mice infertile for four to six weeks. By
the end of the year, early human trials of the drug are anticipated to
start.
The University of Minnesota researchers that created the suggested
contraception claim that it functions by focusing on how our bodies interact
with vitamin A, which is known to be crucial for mammalian reproduction. For
instance, sterility has been associated with diets low in vitamin A. They
spent a lot of time looking before discovering an experimental substance
that inhibits retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-), a protein that binds to
retinoic acid, a type of vitamin A, in human cells. It is hoped that RAR-,
one of three proteins with a related function, would be sufficiently blocked
selectively to result in long-lasting but reversible sterility with minimal
to no off-target consequences.
Though it's been a long and challenging path to get there, some possible
male birth control medications are already closer to realization in clinical
studies. The majority of these suggested solutions target testosterone,
which may have undesirable side effects like elevated cholesterol or
decreased sex desire. According to lead researcher Md Abdullah Al Noman, a
graduate student in medicinal chemistry at the university, the UMN team
believes their medication might avoid these issues, which may make it a more
alluring alternative.
Noman wrote in an email to Gizmodo, "Since males do not have to experience
the repercussions of pregnancy, the threshold for adverse effects from birth
control tablets is relatively low." "To prevent hormonal side effects, we're
working to produce non-hormonal birth control tablets."
The substance, known as GPHR-529, appears to function as anticipated thus
far. The scientists discovered that male mice dosed with the medication for
four weeks regularly had a dramatic decline in sperm count and were
infertile, according to fresh findings presented on Wednesday at the spring
meeting of the American Chemical Society. With no discernible negative
effects, GPHR-529 was shown to be generally 99% efficient in preventing
pregnancy. The male mice ceased becoming infertile approximately four to six
weeks after they stopped ingesting it. Similar findings from their other
animal studies suggest that temporarily producing male sterility by
suppressing RAR- should be both safe and effective.
"Thus far, everything seems positive. Clinical trials, however, serve as
the gold standard for evaluating a medication candidate's safety, according
to Noman.
In order to continue its research, the team has recently licensed GPHR-529
to the business YourChoice Therapeutics. If all goes according to plan, they
intend to begin early-stage clinical studies in humans by the second half of
the year. In addition, the UMN team is continuing searching for alternative
potential possibilities in case GPHR529 doesn't work out as well as to
improve on their current approach in order to achieve the same contraceptive
effect at a lower dose.
The male conceptive gel NES/T, which reduces sperm and natural testosterone
levels while supplementing its own testosterone to lessen negative effects,
is nearing completion in other areas. Although further tests will be
required before the FDA approves the gel, a bigger size Phase IIb study of
the gel is anticipated to be finished in early 2023.
