Trials for male birth-control pill likely this year – report

 

Trials for male birth-control pill likely this year

Scientists at the University of Minnesota have developed a birth control pill for men and hope to begin human trials later this year, according to a statement from the American Chemical Society (ACS).

‘Women have many choices for birth control, ranging from pills to patches to intrauterine devices, and partly as a result, they bear most of the burden of preventing pregnancy,’ said researcher Abdullah Al Noman, who will be presenting the results of the study at a meeting of the ACS in March.

Al Noman added: ‘But men’s birth control options – and, therefore, responsibilities – could soon be expanding. Today, scientists report a non-hormonal male contraceptive that effectively prevents pregnancy in mice, without obvious side effects.’

Condoms and vasectomies are currently the only two effective birth control options for men. Both have their flaws: condoms are single-use and sometimes prone to failure, whereas vasectomies are usually considered permanent, barring expensive reversal surgery.

‘Scientists have been trying for decades to develop an effective oral contraceptive, but there are still no approved pills on the market,’ explained Noman.

Previous attempts at developing male birth control pills have resulted in a number of side effects such as depression, weight gain and decreased libido, as they worked by blocking testosterone.

By contrast, the pill developed by scientists at the University of Minnesota is non-hormonal and contains a compound that blocks proteins from binding to Vitamin A, which is known to be vital for fertility in mammals. Scientists have shown the pill to be 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy in mice and it appears to have no observable side effects.

According to the ACS, the mice were given the compound orally for four weeks and became sterile as a result. Once the team of scientists ceased doping the animals, normal virility resumed after four to six weeks.

Although researchers are optimistic about the results being replicated in human subjects, there is no guarantee of success. Regarding the lack of observable side effects in mice, Jesse Mills, a reproductive scientist at UCLA told Healthline: ‘It’s hard to ask a mouse about moodiness or fatigue or other side effects that may manifest in human studies.’

Gunda George, head of the research lab at the University of Minnesota, said that her team would begin human trials in the third or fourth quarter of 2022.

https://dailyfriend.co.za/2022/03/29/trials-for-male-birth-control-pill-likely-this-year-report/