< p>The male equivalent prevents sperm production by blocking access to vitamin A.
A group of British men became the first in the world to experience a new hormone-free male birth control pill.
Sky News writes about this.
Unlike the female pill, the male version YCT-529 does not contain hormones and prevents sperm production by blocking access to vitamin A.
It is hoped that if the trial is successful, the daily pill could pave the way for a fair distribution of responsibility for contraception between the sexes.
Previous versions of male contraceptives tried to suppress testosterone to stop sperm production, but this was not completely effective and led to complications.
Research conducted nearly 100 years ago, showed that depriving mice, rats and monkeys of vitamin A can lead to infertility – a fact that inspired the creation of a new hormone-free pill. Manufacturers say the new method may be more effective than condoms.
Preclinical studies have shown that YCT-529 is “99% effective and 100% free of side effects,” according to experts at San Francisco-based manufacturer YourChoice Therapeutics.
A new hormone-free drug is being tested on 16 British men, with the initial phase of trials being carried out by Nottingham-based drug development company Quotient Sciences.
Men limited to condom use or a vasectomy to prevent unwanted pregnancy, while women can choose between the pill, the IUD, birth control injections and female condoms or diaphragms.
The male pill, taken every day, provides greater contraceptive effectiveness than condoms, according to YourChoice Therapeutics.
YCT-529 was developed by Gunda Georg, a professor at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. She said: “The last innovation in contraception was the female contraceptive pill, more than 60 years ago. The world is ready for a male contraceptive and a hormone-free product – it's simply the right thing to do given what we know.” about the side effects women experience for decades after taking the pill. We deliberately chose to inhibit the vitamin A signaling pathway in the testicles because nearly 100 years of research have validated this pathway and shown that infertility can be easily reversed”
Preclinical data showed the drug was 99% effective in preventing pregnancy in mice and reducing sperm counts in monkeys after two weeks of use, Georg said.
YourChoice Therapeutics co-founder and CEO Akash Bakshi added: “YCT-529 blocks protein rather than hormones to prevent sperm production. We believe this will be more attractive to men, most of whom are considering pregnancy prevention as a shared responsibility, even despite today's limited contraceptive options that are consistent or only moderately effective. The lack of options reinforces the centuries-old belief that preventing pregnancy is “the woman's responsibility” This is not the case, and we are committed to promoting the first hormone-free birth control pill for men, which will be effective, convenient and temporary.”
Recall that scientists warned women about a substance that could disrupt pregnancy. Scientists have conducted a new study on the use of cannabis.
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