The Development of a Fast-Acting Male Birth Control That Immobilizes Sperm

Introduction

Weill Cornell Medicine pharmacologists have unveiled a groundbreaking breakthrough: the development of a fast-acting, non-hormonal male contraceptive that immobilizes sperm, preventing pregnancy in mice. This novel drug represents a significant advance in the field of birth control.

The Need for Better Birth Control

With more than 50% of pregnancies in the United States being unplanned, it is essential to develop better birth control techniques. While female contraceptives are nearly 100% effective, they require constant upkeep and can cause unwanted side effects. Additionally, it is often the responsibility of women to use these contraceptives, leading to unequal distribution of the burden of contraception.

Fast-Acting, On-Demand Birth Control

Weill Cornell Medicine pharmacologists Lonny Levin and Jochen Buck aimed to develop a fast-acting, orally ingested birth control that could be taken only when needed, thereby avoiding the side effects seen in chronic hormonal methods and only temporarily limiting fertility. While other male birth control drugs in development aim to limit sperm production, Levin and Buck decided to target the function of sperm rather than the amount.

The Functioning of the Male Contraceptive

The scientists partnered with drug company TDI Therapeutics to test nearly 350 different soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) inhibitor cell lines on several different animal species, looking for ones that were both safe and effective. They then had to manipulate the molecular structure of the compound to ensure it would be potent and “sticky” enough to adhere to the correct binding site, even after entering the female reproductive tract.

Testing the Male Contraceptive

The team put their new sticky compound to the test both in vitro and in vivo. In the lab, they incubated human and mouse sperm in media that contained or lacked the inhibitor compound, finding that sperm exposed to the inhibitor displayed significantly lower flagellar beat frequencies. The scientists then injected the compound into 50 male mice and waited 30 minutes before placing them in containers with fertile females. After a few hours, the scientists removed the female mice and waited to see which of them got pregnant. Not one female mouse that mated with a treated male became pregnant, and the male mice’s fertility returned to normal levels by the next day. The scientists also tried administering the drug orally and found the same decrease in the flagellar beat frequency in the animals’ sperm as when they were injected with it.

Potential for Human Use

The researchers believe that their method holds significant potential, particularly the short period of time it takes to work in comparison to other methods that take several weeks. However, the drug will not enter clinical trials for at least a couple of years, as researchers need to make further tweaks to the compound itself to strengthen its survival in the bloodstream and make it a better candidate for oral ingestion. This is an exciting advancement that could benefit groups like teenagers who may not have access to, or feel comfortable asking for, long-term hormonal methods, or people who have more casual relationships.

Conclusion

This innovative development in male contraceptives could potentially revolutionize the field of birth control. It is hoped that there will be more awareness of the importance of contraceptives, particularly in these times, and that advancements like these will be made accessible to those who need them the most. With the potential for a fast-acting, non-hormonal male contraceptive, we are one step closer to achieving equitable distribution of the burden of contraception.