New contraceptive pill for men is safe, study suggests
Oral female contraceptive tablets have been available for 60 years but there has never been an authorised male version.
Female tablets work by altering hormone levels to reduce the risk of conception but this approach has proven difficult in men because of severe side effects such as infertility and mood swings. These side effects are common in female versions.
A third of men say they would take a contraceptive pill if one was available to them.
YourChoice Therapeutics has developed the first non-hormonal contraceptive for men which works by blocking the production of a protein, which is needed to produce sperm, and not meddling with hormones.
The drug stops production of retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-alpha) in the body and this prevents it binding to vitamin A compounds and subsequently prevents sperm production.
Animal studies showed this mechanism to be 99 per cent effective and also found that sperm levels returned to normal after the medication was stopped, showing the contraceptive to be temporary and reversible.
Human trials began in 2023 when 16 healthy men who had already had a vasectomy were recruited to test the safety of the drug in people.
Data, published this week, show it to be safe and well-tolerated with no clinically relevant side effects in a significant step forward for the prospects of the drug, known as YCT-529.
The trial of 16 British men gave participants either the tablet or a placebo and conducted analysis on the participants to measure their blood, urine, mood and overall health.
Four different dosages were tested and all were found to be well-tolerated. The highest dose was the same as what was shown to be effective as a contraceptive in animal trials.
'Positive results'
There was no reduction in testosterone levels, sex drive or any other hormonal imbalance, the scientists found.
'The positive results from this first clinical trial laid the groundwork for a second trial, where men receive YCT-529 for 28 days and 90 days, to study safety and changes in sperm parameters,' the study authors write in their peer-reviewed study in the journal Communications Medicine.
Further trials will now gather more data on the long-term safety profile of the drugs and if this is found to be acceptable, the next stage of clinical trials will begin to determine its precise effectiveness in humans.
The data are needed before regulators can make a decision on whether a drug is safe and effective enough to be approved for human use.
The study authors add that the safety bar for contraceptives is much higher and harder to reach than it is for drugs designed to cure or treat a disease because it is preventative and used by healthy people daily for a long period of time.
'More attractive to men'
Akash Bakshi, a co-founder and the chief executive of YourChoice, has previously suggested the medicine, if approved, could be sent out alongside at-home testing kits for men to check their sperm levels are too low to cause pregnancy.
He said: 'YCT-529 blocks a protein – not hormones – to prevent sperm production. We believe this will be more attractive to men, most of whom view pregnancy prevention as a shared responsibility even despite today's limited contraceptive options, which are permanent or only moderately effective.
'The dearth of options reinforces the centuries-old view that pregnancy prevention is 'a woman's responsibility'. It's not, and we're committed to advancing the first hormone-free birth control pill for men that's effective, convenient, and temporary.'
While non-hormonal male contraceptives are in trials and at the early stage of development and testing, other hormone-powered alternatives are also in the works.
A gel which is rubbed into the shoulders of a man every day is one such medicine and contains Nestorone (segesterone acetate) and testosterone.
This lowers sperm counts in around eight weeks and is in testing currently on more than 200 men in the US.
The gel is rubbed into the shoulders or shoulder blades because it is easy to reach for the user and it is also unlikely a child or woman would come into direct contact with the gel in this location.
The hormones soak into the skin and are absorbed by the bloodstream. But accidental exposure to the gel could cause premature puberty in children and acne or excessive hair growth in women.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Nottingham maternity families 'cross' after meeting with NHS leaders
Families involved in the biggest independent inquiry into NHS maternity services say they still want answers after meeting with local leaders. On Wednesday, parents of children who were harmed or died following failings in care at two hospitals in Nottingham met with officials from the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) for the first said they were "very surprised" to have had to request to meet a statement after the meeting, the ICB said it was "humbled and saddened by the experiences shared by the families". Hundreds of babies have died or been injured while under the care of Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, which runs the departments at City Hospital and Queen's Medical 2,500 cases are currently being examined in a review chaired by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, who also presided over Wednesday's were created in July 2022, taking over the role of managing budgets and local services from clinical commissioning groups, which were established in and Dr Jack Hawkins, whose daughter Harriet was stillborn in 2016 following maternity failings at Nottingham City Hospital, were among those at the meeting."We are very surprised that they have not reached out to us before - in fact we asked for this meeting," said Dr Hawkins added: "This meeting has demonstrated basically how horrific it is, their lack of awareness."Families have left the meeting cross, and questioning their competency."ICB chief executive Amanda Sullivan said the board has "committed to supporting and challenging the trust to drive improvements to maternity care"."We welcome the questions the families raised and commit to answering these at a follow-up meeting soon," she said.
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
Brother of woman who refused chemotherapy says mother ‘sacrificed' her daughter
The brother of a woman who died after refusing chemotherapy told an inquest his conspiracy theorist mother 'sacrificed' his sister 'for her own principles' by advising her not to seek treatment. Paloma Shemirani, 23, died at Royal Sussex County Hospital on July 24 last year after declining the treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Her mother, Kay 'Kate' Shemirani – who rose to prominence on social media while sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories, is alleged to have been 'abusive' to her children and was involved in Paloma's alternative 'treatment programme'. Paloma's twin brother, Gabriel Shemirani, told the inquest at Kent and Medway Coroners Court, in Maidstone: 'I blame my mother entirely for my sister's death', by 'obstructing' his sister from receiving treatment. 'In short I believe that she sacrificed Paloma's life for her own principles, I believe that she should be held accountable for Paloma's death,' said Mr Shemirani. Ms Shemirani was struck off as a nurse in 2021, and a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) committee found she had spread Covid-19 misinformation that 'put the public at a significant risk of harm'. Mr Shemirani's parents split in 2014 after a relationship which had involved domestic abuse 'both ways', he told the court. He alleged that he and his siblings 'felt unsafe' around their mother and that she had been 'emotionally distant' and physically abusive to them as children. He further alleged during his evidence that his father, Doctor Faramarz Shemirani, was also physically abusive to him and his brother. At the time of Paloma's cancer diagnosis in autumn 2023, she was estranged from her mother, who then advised her against conventional medicine, the court heard. Mr Shemirani said: 'Paloma had a complicated relationship with our mother, maybe it is because she had a complicated relationship that she decided to rekindle that relationship when she became ill. 'In my opinion, Kay Shemirani directed her resentment that she held towards my other siblings and I towards Paloma.' Mr Shemirani brought a High Court case to assess his sister's ability to exert her capacity to take medical decisions while living with her mother in April 2024. He claimed that when Paloma was first diagnosed, she was considering chemotherapy, before their parents started to pressure her against it. Her father sent a message to his daughter saying 'don't consent to anything from the doctors they try and kill you' and that Ms Shemirani had said 'I'm the only one that can help you, don't bite the hand that feeds', the inquest heard. 'There was no disagreement from her that this was cancer, she never expressed that to me and she never expressed it to doctors either,' said Mr Shemirani. His parents asked questions as interested persons which alleged that Mr Shemirani was influenced and funded by others to bring the High Court case and that his actions were a factor in Paloma's death during his evidence. 'My sister didn't die from stress from the court case, my sister died from cancer and I think that's clear,' said Mr Shemirani. Before the High Court case, Mr Shemirani also referred the situation to social services but he felt they were 'slow moving', the court heard. He added that his younger sister had been taken away from their mother when she was 16 and that the case was 'only driven by my love and concern for my twin sister'. Dr Shemirani claimed his son was an 'irrational' and 'unreliable witness', and that his actions had been a 'major contributing' factor to her death. 'This is not a public forum to air grievances,' Coroner Catherine Wood said. 'I don't have any aggrievances, I don't have any aggrievances,' Dr Shemirani said. 'Sounds like it,' Mr Shemirani responded. When his questions concluded, Dr Shemirani said: 'Finally may our lord almighty exercise you from the demons that possess you amen.' Previously, Dr Ali Ajaz, a forensic psychiatrist, provided an assessment of Paloma during High Court proceedings which read: 'I have no concerns that Ms Shemirani has been coerced or unduly influenced by any individual when making a decision about her own medical treatment.' Mr Shemirani asserted that Dr Ajaz's sessions with his sister were 'coloured by my mother's control', which the doctor said was speculation. On Wednesday afternoon, Mr Shemirani told the court that his sister was terrified of cancer, but used gallows humour as a defence mechanism. 'Are you a psychologist Gabriel?' his mother asked him. 'Are you a nurse?' he replied. The inquest continues.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Covid Inquiry: NI family never saw dad again after lockdown
A County Antrim man whose father died during the Covid-19 pandemic has told the Covid-19 Inquiry that he never saw his dad again after lockdown as the care home his father was in closed without notice to McQuitty, 84, died in May 2020 in hospital from Covid. He also had dementia and was profoundly deaf in both publicly for the first time about his father's death, Gregory McQuitty described his father as the most honest, hardworking and best man whom he models his life five weeks, The Covid-19 Inquiry, sitting in London, has been hearing testimony from the care sector, including residents and families, about how they were supported during the pandemic. Counsel for the NI Covid Bereaved Families Group said the "removal of contact with loved ones is for many a price too great to pay, it was too cruel, painful and must never be repeated".Mr McQuitty said after lockdown the care home didn't contact the family to provide an update on their father and any contact was triggered by Mr McQuitty's McQuitty said his father's death certificate said he died from Covid and secondly by heart failure."There are so many unanswered questions around my father's death... we just don't know what happened," he told the inquiry. Emotional evidence Before his father passed away a ward sister used an iPad to allow the family to communicate with their dad but as he was profoundly deaf, Gregory said it was "too distressing". He told the inquiry his father's funeral was clinical and "nothing about it was near normal" with only 11 people allowed to attend."We were able to carry the coffin about 10 metres, there was no wake no stories for the grandchildren no handshakes. The open book has not been closed."After his father's death, medical records revealed he had attended hospital 19 times due to falls but the family was only notified on four of those McQuitty said he wrote to the health minister at the time, Robin Swann, three times following his father's death but didn't receive a reply. Mr McQuitty, who was emotional throughout his evidence, said while he was extremely nervous it was important that he spoke up for his moved by the evidence, The Chair of the Inquiry Baroness Hallett told Mr mcQuitty: "Think how your father benefited from such a close and loving family." She went on to thank him for travelling to 18 days of evidence, in its closing submissions, counsel for the bereaved families in the UK said while the fragility of the care sector was widely known before the pandemic the inquiry has uncovered that the situation is no added that the lack of parity between health and social care continues to manifest itself in poorer wages among social care staff and the recognition of their work and expertise. Call for care home system reform The NI bereaved families for justice (NIBFFJ) said reform of the system needs to start now and recommendations for the social care sector should be robust and applied as soon as also said care homes were not a government priority during the pandemic with "residents' rights undermined and oversight mechanisms withdrawn at a time of urgent need".According to NICBFG withdrawing regulatory inspection by the RQIA "removed critical oversight from care homes during a time of crisis". Brenda Campbell KC asked why "so many in social care had to endure so much suffering, for so long" and who so many had to die along?She added that the fragility of the social care sector before the pandemic was well-documented, and she said governments and civil servants had been told before and during the pandemic that those reliant on the social care service required special Campbell said too often during the inquiry they heard the refrain accompanied by "a shrug of the shoulders" as though it was the answer and not the problem that the social care sector was "the Cinderella service".She said when it comes to bolstering the care sector for the future there is a need to "collaborate and consult" and a need for "parity" between health and social care so that each receives the necessary respect and investment.
