Latest news with #malepill
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Health
- Gizmodo
Non-Hormonal Male Birth Control Pill Passes Key Test
For many couples, the numerous options for birth control still come with plenty of hassles. But scientists are working on an alternative approach that might be more appealing for some: a non-hormonal male birth control pill with possibly very few side effects. The drug is codenamed YCT-529, and it's being developed by the company YourChoice Therapeutics, in conjunction with researchers from the University of Minnesota and others. In early human trial results published this week, YCT-529 appeared to be safe and tolerable. The drug is now being tested in larger-scale studies. Injectable Male Birth Control Effective for at Least 2 Years, Says Biotech Startup YCT-529 (previously known as GPHR-529) targets how the body interacts with vitamin A, which helps maintain fertility in mammals. It blocks a protein that binds to a form of vitamin A (retinoic acid) in our cells, known as retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-α). By selectively blocking RAR-α and not other similar proteins, the hope is that YCT-529 will reduce sperm production to zero without causing any major side effects. Importantly, this process is also meant to be reversible once people stop taking the drug. The company began its first clinical trial of YCT-529 in late 2023, and the findings of the trial were published this week in Communications Medicine. It involved 16 healthy men who received either a daily placebo or varying doses of YCT-529; some were also given the drug in combination with food. Phase I trials are primarily intended to test a drug's safety, and YCT-529 seemed to pass with flying colors. Compared to controls, the men on YCT-529 experienced no changes in their heart rate, sex drive, mood, or levels of fertility-related hormones. In fact, no adverse events likely related to the drug were documented at all, the researchers found. There was some evidence that food might slow people's absorption of the drug, though more study is needed to know for sure. 'These results warrant further clinical development of YCT-529,' the study authors wrote. With a New Gel, the Future of Male Birth Control Looks Bright As promising as this data looks, it is still very early days. That said, YourChoice Therapeutics has already forged ahead with a larger Phase II study of YCT-529. And the race to create the world's first reversible male birth control is only heating up. Other research teams and companies have developed contraceptive gels and implants that have also shown promise in human trials so far. Soon enough, men will hopefully have several birth control options to pick from, just like women.
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Breakthrough for MALE birth control pill: Experimental hormone–free tablet passes its first safety test in men
For decades, the responsibility of taking a birth control pill has been placed firmly on the shoulders of women. But that could soon change – as an experimental pill for men that works by blocking sperm production has just passed its first safety test in humans. The hormone–free contraceptive tablet, called YCT–529, has already been found to prevent 99 per cent of pregnancies during experiments in mice. It works by blocking access to vitamin A in the testes, preventing sperm production without affecting testosterone levels – meaning libido is not impacted. The male pill, which experts hope will be available this decade, is the only one currently being tested in humans. For the latest trial, researchers recruited 16 men who were put on different doses of the pill across several days. Instead of testing how effective it was in humans – all of the men had undergone vasectomies – the aim was to discover if there were any side–effects. Analysis revealed there were no concerning changes in heart rate, hormone function, inflammation, mood or sexual function. Next, the team will test the pill in larger trials that will look at how effective it is in preventing sperm production in humans. The results of the safety trial, published in the journal Communications Medicine, are a critical first step toward getting the pill approved, experts said. 'We really need more reversible contraceptive methods for men,' Dr Stephanie Page, an endocrinologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine and who wasn't involved in the study, told Scientific American. Currently, the other male birth control options are vasectomies – a surgical procedure that involves cutting and sealing the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles – or condoms. Vasectomies, also known as 'the snip', can be reversed but the success rate of reversal procedures vary widely. Earlier tests in male primates also found the drug lowered sperm counts within just two weeks. Crucially, both mice and non–human primates fully regained fertility after stopping the drug and no side effects were detected in either species. Mice regained fertility within six weeks, while non–human primates fully recovered their sperm count in 10 to 15 weeks. How does it work? Researchers have understood for decades that vitamin A is essential for male fertility. YCT–529 is a retinoic acid receptor–alpha (RAR–a) inhibitor that prevents production of sperm cells in the testes as well as their release. It does this by blocking RAR–alpha – one of three nuclear receptors that bind retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A. YCT–529 is being worked on as part of a collaboration between University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Columbia University in New York and San Francisco–based firm YourChoice Therapeutics. 'A safe and effective male pill will provide more options to couples for birth control,' Gunda Georg, chemist and pharmacist at the University of Minnesota, said earlier this year. 'It will allow a more equitable sharing of responsibility for family planning and provide reproductive autonomy for men.' Both the animal studies and the human trial results suggest that the approved pill would likely be taken once a day, but further trials will confirm that dosing. '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 wrote in their paper, published in the journal Communications Medicine. Currently, around a quarter of women who use contraception take an oral birth control pill, but there are no equivalent methods available for men. If the male pill proves to be as effective in humans as it is in mice, it would be on a par with the female birth control medication. Lead author and YourChoice Therapeutics' Chief Science Officer Nadja Mannowetz said: 'A peer–reviewed publication for our first–in–human study reinforces YCT–529's strong safety profile. 'It also shows "the Pill for men" had no effect on sexual desire or mood.' Nearly half of all pregnancies globally are unintended, suggesting an urgent need for more male contraceptive options. There is also high demand for new methods. A recent study showed men are very interested in using new male contraceptive options and women are confident they'll take them correctly. 'Studies and surveys continue to show that men want to share the burden of pregnancy prevention with their partners,' Akash Bakshi, CEO of YourChoice Therapeutics, said. 'But they have just one non–permanent contraceptive option—condoms—and it's 170 years old. Innovation is long overdue. 'Data show men favour an oral contraceptive and one that's hormone–free, positioning YCT–529 as potentially transformative for a healthcare segment that's been stagnant for more than a century and a half.' Women have several birth control options available including short–term rapid methods like birth control pills and patches and a contraceptive cap or diaphragm. They also have long–term options such as implants, which produce hormones that stop the release of an egg. Some opt for an intrauterine device – a T–shaped device placed into the uterus to prevent an egg from implanting. The birth control pill or patches are about 93 per cent effective at preventing pregnancies. However long–term devices like the intrauterine device are more than 99 per cent effective. There have been few changes in male contraception compared with the range of options available to women. Although there's ongoing research into a male contraceptive pill, there is not one available yet. At the moment, the 2 contraceptive methods available to men are: Condoms – a barrier form of contraception that stops sperm from reaching and fertilizing an egg Vasectomy – a minor, usually permanent, surgical procedure that stops sperm from reaching the semen ejaculated from the penis The withdrawal method of taking your penis out of your partner's vagina before ejaculating is not a method of contraception. This is because sperm can be released before ejaculation and cause pregnancy.
