Researchers Developing “The Pill” For Men

by Kevin Burton

   A birth control pill for men is one step closer to reality according to researchers at the University of Minnesota.

   That choir you hear singing “hallelujah!” has both a bass and a soprano section. I dare say everybody is happy about this one.

   But guys, don’t make space in your medicine cabinets just yet. It’s gonna be a while.

   “Commercial release of (male birth control pill) could take a decade or longer, but it’s nice to see research pursuing new treatment options that promote shared accountability for contraception,” said Tolulope Bakare, M.D.

   “While the FDA has approved more than 20 different categories of contraceptives, only two are available for men to prevent pregnancy in their partners — condoms and vasectomies,” reads a story on the University of Minnesota website. “Twenty-five percent of women who use contraception use an oral birth control pill,  but there are no equivalent methods currently available for men.”

  “ Research from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, published in Communications Medicine, laid the groundwork for the first hormone-free male birth control pill to enter clinical trials.”

   “The new drug, called YCT-529, is a first-in-class, hormone-free and orally administered male contraceptive. Developed in collaboration with Columbia University in New York and YourChoice Therapeutics, YCT-529 works as a contraceptive by stopping the production of sperm,” the article reads.

   “YCT-529 operates by inhibiting the retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR-alpha), thus blocking access to vitamin A, which is crucial for sperm production,” reads a story on Press Rundown.

   According to the University of Minnesota website, research found that:

• In male mice, the drug caused infertility and was 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancies within four weeks of use.
• In male non-human primates, the drug lowered sperm counts within two weeks of starting the drug.
• Both mice and non-human primates fully regained fertility after stopping the drug. Mice regained fertility within six weeks, and non-human primates fully recovered their sperm count in 10-15 weeks.
• No side effects from the drug were detected in either group. 

   “A safe and effective male pill will provide more options to couples for birth control,” said Gunda Georg, the corresponding author of the study and a professor in the College of Pharmacy where the drug molecule was developed. “It will allow a more equitable sharing of responsibility for family planning and provide reproductive autonomy for men.”

   The birth control pill for women was introduced on May 9, 1960, to the great joy of countless women. In 1975 Loretta Lynn celebrated the virtues of the pill in a song that reached number 70 on the hot 100.

   Next steps for the male drug are already underway, according to the University of Minnesota website. The research established that YCT-529 was suitable for human studies, and a phase 1 clinical trial for the drug was completed successfully in 2024 by YourChoice Therapeutics. The drug is currently undergoing safety and efficacy testing in a second clinical trial.

   “This study laid the groundwork for human clinical trials of YCT-529, which are progressing efficiently,” said Nadja Mannowetz, lead author, chief science officer and co-founder of YourChoice Therapeutics. “With the unintentional pregnancy rate at nearly 50 percent in the U.S. and globally, we need more contraceptive options, particularly for men.”

   “While the FDA approval process can be lengthy, researchers are optimistic about the potential for quicker approval given the clear metrics for measuring efficacy,” the Press Rundown article reads.  “There is significant interest among men to participate in the trials, reflecting a growing desire for male responsibility in birth control.”

   You may be wondering why it has taken so long for science to come up with a pill for men.  You may have  also noticed that the pill for females came in 1960, the song championing it 15 years later. 

   The answer in both cases, not enough men were properly motivated to make it happen.

   “In fact, finding effective drugs has never been the problem,” writes BBC features correspondent Zaria Gorvett.

   “Over the last half century, many possible methods for male birth control have been proposed, including some that have made it to clinical trials in humans,” Gorvett wrote.  “However, each one has eventually met a dead end – even those that are safe and effective have been written off due to undesirable side effects.”

    “Several male pills have been rejected on the grounds that they lead to symptoms that are extremely common among women taking female versions,” Gorvett wrote. “Why is it so difficult to get approval for male contraceptive pills? And are the challenges more cultural than scientific?”

    The BBC story goes on at some length to prove that yes, males, including males who were responsible for determining which scientific studies got funded and which ones did not, were the ones keeping “the pill” for men off the shelves.

   So I won’t be shocked if even this latest breakthrough touted by the University of Minnesota, gets squashed.