Researchers in California have launched the first human trial for a hormone-free male birth control pill.
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Researchers in the United Kingdom have initiated the first-ever clinical trial for a non-hormonal male birth control pill.
Quotient Sciences, a Nottingham-based drug development company, has commenced the phase I trial for its groundbreaking male contraceptive, YCT-529, involving 16 British men.
Diverging from traditional hormonal methods, YCT-529 operates without hormones and inhibits sperm production by blocking access to vitamin A. Historical studies spanning over 90 years have revealed that depriving mice, rats, and monkeys of vitamin A can induce infertility, forming the basis for this pioneering approach.
Quotient Sciences, a Nottingham-based drug development company, has commenced the phase I trial for its groundbreaking male contraceptive, YCT-529, involving 16 British men.
Diverging from traditional hormonal methods, YCT-529 operates without hormones and inhibits sperm production by blocking access to vitamin A. Historical studies spanning over 90 years have revealed that depriving mice, rats, and monkeys of vitamin A can induce infertility, forming the basis for this pioneering approach.
Unlike traditional female birth control pills, YCT-529 operates without hormones, acting to block access to vitamin A and thereby hindering sperm production. Past studies spanning over 90 years have indicated that infertility can be induced in mice, rats, and monkeys by depriving them of vitamin A.
The researchers explain this method is a ‘well-established pathway first discovered in the 1930s when researchers found that depriving mice, rats, and monkeys of vitamin A caused infertility’.
The development of this hormone-free male contraceptive aims to offer men more control over family planning, challenging the longstanding notion that preventing pregnancy is solely a woman’s responsibility. Currently, male contraceptive options are limited to withdrawal, condoms, and vasectomy, while women have a range of choices, including the pill, coil, contraceptive injection, and female condoms or diaphragms.
Pre-clinical studies conducted by YourChoice Therapeutics, the San Francisco-based manufacturer of YCT-529, report impressive effectiveness. The pill is claimed to be 99 per cent effective and 100 per cent reversible, with no discernible side effects. The method involves blocking a specific protein, diverging from the conventional hormonal approach, with the aim of making contraception more appealing and shared between partners.
The clinical trial for YCT-529 is expected to conclude in June 2024, according to Forbes. This groundbreaking endeavor holds promise for reshaping societal norms surrounding contraceptive responsibilities and providing couples with a broader range of choices for family planning.