Scientists has revealed that they had developed a male oral contraceptive that is expected to enter human trials by the end of this year.
The researchers who are from the University of Minnesota presented the results of their trial on Wednesday at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
According to Gunda Georg, head of the medicinal chemistry department at the university of Minnesota, the pill, — YCT529 — is said to be 99 percent effective in mice and will soon be used in human clinical trials in the third or fourth quarter of 2022.
Abdullah Al Noman, a Ph.D student at the University of Minnesota who who led the presentation told AFP that since the female birth control pill was first approved in the 1960s, researchers have been interested in a male equivalent.
He said that there have been only two effective male contraceptive available which are condoms and vasectomies. Vasectomies are surgical procedures which can potentially be reversed, but are generally considered a permanent form of male sterilisation.
“Multiple studies showed that men are interested in sharing the responsibility of birth control with their partners,” he said.
Dr. Norman said the reversal surgery is “expensive and not always successful”, the researchers said, showing the need for “an effective, long-lasting but reversible contraceptive, similar to the birth control pill for women”.
“Scientists have been trying for decades to develop an effective male oral contraceptive, but there are still no approved pills on the market,” he added.
There are several compounds undergoing clinical trials but they target the male sex hormone testosterone, which could cause weight gain, depression and other side-effects.
“We wanted to develop a non-hormonal male contraceptive to avoid these side effects”.
When administered orally to male mice for four weeks, YCT529 drastically reduced sperm counts and was 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, without any observed adverse events.
The mice could once more sire pups four to six weeks after they were taken off the drug.
