Male contraceptive pills may hit shelves soon
| Mar 29, 2019, 11:13 IST
Contraceptives are the modern-day miracle that has made family planning a reality. Today, we have more than a few ways of contraception. But when it comes to contraceptive pills, despite their availability for 60 long years, they’re only catered to women. Men currently do not have contraceptive pills which in the past had also been a subject of a long-standing online debate. But things may soon change. According to a team of scientists, they have discovered a unique take on the male birth control pill that has passed human safety tests in a trial that lasted for 28 days. The results are said to be solid because none of the participants have dropped out citing side effects, a problem that has stymied other male birth control attempts.
In case you’re wondering about the workings of the pills, read on. The researcher's belief that the unique active ingredient in their pill is constituted of two hormones in one – is what has helped them achieve this breakthrough. The hybrid molecule includes part progestin and part modified testosterone, which means the consumer always has matching levels of the hormones in the body.
"We want [the hormones] to come on and decrease roughly together," said Dr. Christina Wang, the associate director of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Los Angeles Biomed Research Institute (LA BioMed).
During the 28-day study, participants took a pill with either 200 or 400 milligrams of the active ingredient, or they took a placebo. However, the aim of the trial wasn’t to test the effectiveness of the drug, just how safe it was to use. Evaluating the effectiveness of the drug would require 60 to 90 days to check if the sperm count went down.
Current studies in rats and monkeys are assessing whether taking the pill for three months or longer would have health effects, and once those studies are complete, a study of similar length will happen with humans, she said.
However, the ultimate aim of the study is to convert the pill into an injection. "Not all men want to take a pill every day," Wang said, adding that a chemical very similar to the one in the pill has already been shown to linger in monkeys.
In case you’re wondering about the workings of the pills, read on. The researcher's belief that the unique active ingredient in their pill is constituted of two hormones in one – is what has helped them achieve this breakthrough. The hybrid molecule includes part progestin and part modified testosterone, which means the consumer always has matching levels of the hormones in the body.
"We want [the hormones] to come on and decrease roughly together," said Dr. Christina Wang, the associate director of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Los Angeles Biomed Research Institute (LA BioMed).
During the 28-day study, participants took a pill with either 200 or 400 milligrams of the active ingredient, or they took a placebo. However, the aim of the trial wasn’t to test the effectiveness of the drug, just how safe it was to use. Evaluating the effectiveness of the drug would require 60 to 90 days to check if the sperm count went down.
Current studies in rats and monkeys are assessing whether taking the pill for three months or longer would have health effects, and once those studies are complete, a study of similar length will happen with humans, she said.
However, the ultimate aim of the study is to convert the pill into an injection. "Not all men want to take a pill every day," Wang said, adding that a chemical very similar to the one in the pill has already been shown to linger in monkeys.