A pill Non-hormonal contraceptives for men could soon be a reality. A US study on mice recently showed that a prototype male pill can block sperm for a few hours.
While men are increasingly willing to share the burden of contraception with their partners, male contraception is currently limited to condom use and the ability to undergo a vasectomy, the effects of which may be irreversible.
The male pill has remained an unattainable goal for decades, for complex reasons including lack of interest from the pharmaceutical industry and physiological challenges, explains the journal Nature Communications hosting the research.
However, several projects have achieved interesting results after human testing.However, these results have yet to be confirmed with further analysis and in larger samples.
Research is at an early stage
The research is in its infancy as it was conducted on mice. However, it has the advantage of opening a new path as it is a contraceptive to be used when necessary and not like the female pill, that is, a treatment that must be taken regularly over time to ensure its effect.
The molecule studied is an inhibitor that blocks the action of an enzyme, soluble adenylate cyclase, which plays a central role in sperm mobility. In the presence of this inhibitor the sperm are then blocked for several hours.
In the mice studied, the molecule prevented all pregnancies when sexual intercourse occurred within two hours of administration. On the other hand, it no longer had any effect 24 hours later, with no side effects reported.However, it is not yet known whether this treatment would work the same way in humans: the researchers plan to start the trial within three years.
One of the scientists, Melanie Balbach, from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, told the BBC: «This product holds promise as a reversible contraceptive and easy to use.» If it eventually proves effective in humans, they may only be able to take it when needed and as often as needed. They could decide their fertility day by day.»
There is an urgent need for an effective male oral contraceptive
Allan Pacey, lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield, who was not involved in the study, told the BBC: «There is an urgent need for an effective and reversible oral contraceptive for men and, although many different approaches have been tried over the years, No one has been placed on the market yet.»
He continues: «The approach described here, which involves neutralizing a key enzyme in sperm cells, which is essential for their movement, is a truly innovative idea.The fact that it can work and be reversed so quickly is really exciting. If experiments on mice can be replicated in humans with the same degree of effectiveness, then this could be the male contraceptive approach we are looking for.»
When will this method be commercialized?
Other researchers who did not participate in the study, however, remain skeptical. These include British researcher Susan Walker who is hesitant about the possibility that the method will ever be commercialized.
However, while remaining cautious in light of the failure of many attempts, Walker acknowledges a «considerable advantage» to this potential treatment: the promise of immediate efficacy. In everyday life, Walker notes, this could reassure a woman that she can see her partner taking the pill in front of her.
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Source — https://www.univadis.it/viewarticle/una-pillola-contraccettiva-gli-uomini-2023a10003y9