Male birth control pill could enter human trials in just two months

A male birth control pill could be tested in humans in just two months, scientists say – after it showed promise in mouse trials.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota, who invented the drug, say it could enter clinical trials as early as July.

The non-hormonal pill, medically called YCT529, blocked 99% of pregnancies in mice in tests, putting it on par with the female contraceptive drug.

It also did not trigger any visible side effects, such as weight gain, and male mice were able to father offspring four to six weeks after dosing was stopped.

Dr. Gunda Georg, a chemist at the Minneapolis school, told Vice that the drug could enter human trials in the “second half of this year.”

She said previous trials had shown it had the ‘desired effect’ in mice, while ensuring they remained ‘viable and healthy’.

“Of course you have to be careful with this analysis because they are mice and not humans, but nevertheless the effect was very, very promising,” he said.

YourChoice Therapeutics – the maker that says it aims to “revolutionize” contraception – will apply to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to begin trials.

The number of participants recruited and their ages were not disclosed.

Scientists have been trying since the 1950s to develop an effective male oral contraceptive, including pills, gels and injections.

None have been approved, and even the most promising options are still years away from being widely available.

A major obstacle is that the female contraceptive works by preventing ovulation, which occurs once a month.

Any male contraceptive would have to interrupt the production of millions of sperm produced by men every day.

Most drugs in clinical trials target testosterone, preventing the male sex hormone from producing healthy sperm.

Doctors say, however, that the blocking action of testosterone can trigger weight gain, depression, and increased cholesterol.

“We wanted to develop a non-hormonal male contraceptive to avoid these side effects,” said Abdullah Al Noman, who helped create YCT529.

YCT529 targets the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-a), a protein strongly involved in cell development, including sperm formation.

When they gave the drug orally to mice for four weeks, it “significantly reduced” their sperm count, the researchers said.

It was also 99% effective in preventing pregnancy and worked “without any observable side effects”.

“The mice could again father pups four to six weeks after they stopped receiving the compound,” the scientists said.

Condoms, which are “prone to failure”, and a vasectomy – a surgical procedure that permanently prevents pregnancy – are the only effective contraceptive options for men.

Men need “an effective, long-lasting but reversible contraceptive, similar to the birth control pill for women,” they said.