Clinical trial of male contraceptive pill

A safe and effective male contraceptive pill would give couples more options for family planning - Photo: FREEPIK

A contraceptive drug called YCT-529 has shown impressive effectiveness in limiting sperm production in mice and non-human primates, while causing very few side effects.

Contraceptive pills with few side effects

In male mice, this special contraceptive began working after just one month of use, almost completely reducing the chances of pregnancy in female partners.

Male macaques required higher doses of YCT-529, but the drug also caused a sharp drop in sperm counts without causing serious side effects. Remarkably, the animals' fertility quickly recovered after stopping the drug.

The drug also did not cause any significant changes in three important hormones involved in sperm production: testosterone, FSH, or inhibin B.

Similar to female hormonal contraceptives, male birth control pills affect sex hormones, which can cause unwanted side effects such as weight gain, depression, or increased levels of “bad” cholesterol.

In the past, these unforeseen consequences have prevented some effective contraceptive methods from moving forward into human trials. This has prompted scientists to turn their research to non-hormonal methods, and so far, the new directions are showing promise.

The research is progressing smoothly.

The Phase 1 clinical trial of YCT-529 has been completed. Although the results have not been published, the initial information is positive enough for the drug to move on to Phase 2 to evaluate its safety and effectiveness. The trial is set to begin in New Zealand in September 2024.

“A safe and effective male contraceptive pill would provide couples with more options for family planning,” said pharmaceutical chemist Gunda Georg of the University of Minnesota. “This would allow for a more equitable sharing of responsibility for childbearing and give men reproductive autonomy.”

The current research was funded by the US National Institutes of Health and is a collaboration between scientists from Columbia University, the University of Minnesota and the pharmaceutical company YourChoice Therapeutics.

Years ago, Georg and his colleagues said they would launch clinical trials in 2022. While the research has been slower than expected, it is still moving in a positive direction.

Animal studies have “laid the groundwork for human clinical trials with YCT-529, and things are now moving along smoothly,” said YourChoice Therapeutics chief scientific officer and founder Nadja Mannowetz.

“With an unintended pregnancy rate approaching 50 percent in the United States and around the world, we need more contraceptive options, especially for men,” she added.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications .

More changes needed

YCT-529 isn’t the only non-hormonal contraceptive being studied. A 2024 study led by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine tested another compound called CDD-2807, which when injected into male mice prevented them from reproducing. However, this compound has not yet entered clinical trials.

The last time a male contraceptive was approved for marketing was in the 1980s, when scientists developed a less invasive sterilization technique. A 2023 study of more than 2,000 men found that more than three-quarters of them were open to using new contraceptive methods.

“Women have shouldered the burden of contraception for too long,” Mannowetz said in a recent press release. “Data consistently shows that men want to be part of this, and they are willing to try new contraceptive options. After nearly two centuries of no innovation in the field of male contraception, it is time for a change.”

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thu-nghiem-lam-sang-thuoc-tranh-thai-cho-nam-gioi-2025040513595064.htm