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A breakthrough, hormone-free male birth control pill is reportedly undergoing clinical testing for the first time, ScienceAlert.com reports.
YCT-529 is reported to have limited the production of sperm in mice and non-human primates with very limited side effects through previous trials. The contraceptive was reported to have began working within mice within a month of initial use and reduced pregnancies in female mates by around 100%, according to the website. Male macaques, the primate species tested, were reported to have needed a higher dosage of YCT-529, but also saw a significant drop in sperm count without experiencing severe side effects.
Additionally, the animals tested regained their fertility soon after they stopped taking the medicine, while the drug was reported to have not caused significant changes in three hormones crucial to sperm production: testosterone, FSH, or inhibin B. The side effects of hormonal male birth control was reportedly similar to female hormonal birth control in that it can lead to weight gain, depression, or increased levels of "bad" cholesterol, which had previously led to the ceasing of some similar effective forms from continuing in human trials, which led to scientists attempting to try non-hormonal methods, which are proving hopeful.
A phase 1 clinical trial of YCT-529 has already completed, though the results have not yet been revealed publicly, and the drug is now entering phase 2, which will test its safety and efficacy.
"A safe and effective male pill will provide more options to couples for birth control," said Gunda Georg, a medical chemist from the University of Minnesota. "It will allow a more equitable sharing of responsibility for family planning and provide reproductive autonomy for men."