When it comes to birth control, a woman’s uterus is always the first thing that comes to mind, leaving men having difficulties having this option. On Wednesday, March 23, a team of scientists is reported to be working on developing a non-hormonal birth control pill for men. Results have shown that the drug has prevented pregnancy for mice without side effects.

Unlike women, men only have two options for birth control: male condoms and vasectomy. However, both options are not as effective and long-lasting similar to women’s birth control options. “Therefore, men need an effective, long-lasting but reversible contraceptive, similar to the birth control pill for women.” the scientists said in a press release from the American Chemical Society (ACS).

According to the research presented at the annual ACS meeting, the team of scientists from the University of Minnesota created a male birth control pill that blocks proteins from binding to Vitamin A, which plays a vital role in cell growth and reproduction. The drug showed 99 percent effectiveness in preventing pregnancy in mice, bearing no side effects.

The team gave the pill to the mice to take for four weeks and eventually caused sterility for male mice. After stopping the take of the drug, the male mice’s virility went back to normal levels after four to six weeks.

“Scientists have been trying for decades to develop an effective male oral contraceptive, but there are still no approved pills on the market,” said Md Abdullah Al Noman, a graduate student in the lab of Gunda Georg, Ph.D., at the University of Minnesota.

However, the press release also stated that most compounds undergoing clinical trials target the male sex hormone testosterone, leading to side effects such as weight gain, depression, and increased cholesterol levels. “We wanted to develop a non-hormonal male contraceptive to avoid these side effects,” Noman added.

According to Gunda Georg, a scientist at the University of Minnesota, human trials are expected to begin in the third or fourth quarter of 2022. Georg said that it is difficult to predict if a compound that looks good in animal studies will pan out in human trials, so the team is still exploring other compounds. The scientists also said they modified the existing compound and tested new structural scaffolds.

The scientists also hope that their efforts will finally develop an effective and long-lasting oral male contraceptive.

Source: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2022/march/non-hormonal-pill-could-soon-expand-mens-birth-control-options.html