The first male contraceptive that isn't a condom or surgery is still being created. A new form of male birth control that keeps lab mice sterile for four to six weeks has been developed by a team of researchers. The pill is expected to begin human trials by the end of the year.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota claim that the contraceptive works by targeting how our bodies interact with vitamins A and C, which are important for fertility in mammals. Diets that are deficient in vitamins have been linked to sterility. They found an experimental compound that blocks the retinoic acid receptor alpha from binding to a form of vitamins A and C in our cells. The hope is that the blocking of RAR-α will induce long- lasting but reversible sterility while causing little to no off-target effects elsewhere.
It has been a long and difficult road to get to this point, but there are other male birth control treatments that are close to being implemented in clinical trials. Most of the proposed options work by targeting testosterone, which can cause unwanted side effects like higher cholesterol or lower sex drive. The UMN team thinks their treatment could skate past these concerns, which could make it a more appealing option, according to lead researcher Md Abdullah Al Noman.
The threshold for side effects from birth control pills is low because men don't have to suffer the consequences of pregnancies.
GPHR-529 seems to work as intended so far. The team presented new data at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society, showing that male mice dosed with the treatment for four weeks experienced a sharp drop in sperm count and became sterile. GPHR-529 was estimated to be 99% effective in preventing pregnancies, with no noticeable side effects. The male mice were sterile after about four to six weeks after they stopped taking it. In other research, it has been shown that the use of RAR-α should be safe and effective at inducing temporary male sterility.
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