Male birth control pill can enter human trials in just two months –

Scientists say a male birth control pill could be tested in humans in just two months, after showing promising results in tests in mice.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota, which invented the drug, say it could begin clinical trials in July.

The non-hormonal pill, medically called YCT529, blocked 99 percent of pregnancies in mice during testing, putting it on par with female contraceptives.

It also caused no obvious side effects such as weight gain, and male mice were able to produce offspring four to six weeks after stopping the dose.

Dr. Gunda Georg, a chemist at the Minneapolis school, told an MP that the drug could be tested on humans “in the second half of this year.”

He said previous studies had shown it to have a “desired effect” in mice while also keeping them “alive and healthy.”

“Of course you have to pay attention to this analysis because it’s mice, not humans, but still the effect is very, very promising,” he said.

YourChoice Therapeutics, the manufacturer that claims to have created a “revolution” in birth control, will seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin trials.

The number of participants to be recruited and their ages were not disclosed.

Scientists have been trying to develop an effective oral contraceptive for men since the 1950s, including pills, gels, and injections.

None have been confirmed, and even the most promising options are thought to be years away from being widely available.

The biggest obstacle is that the contraceptive method works for women by preventing the monthly ovulation.

All male contraceptives are expected to stop the production of the millions of sperm produced by men every day.

Most drugs in clinical trials target testosterone, which inhibits the male sex hormone from producing healthy sperm.

But doctors claim that its testosterone-blocking effect can lead to weight gain, depression, and elevated cholesterol levels.

“We wanted to develop a non-hormonal male birth control method to avoid these side effects,” said Abdullah Al Noman, who helped create YCT529.

YCT529 targets retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-a), a protein heavily involved in cell development, including sperm formation.

When the researchers gave the drug orally to mice for four weeks, they “significantly reduced sperm count,” he said.

It was also 99% effective at preventing pregnancy and worked “with no noticeable side effects”.

“The mice were able to reproduce offspring four to six weeks after they stopped taking the drug,” the scientists said.

Condoms are prone to failure and vasectomy, a surgical procedure that permanently prevents pregnancy, is the only effective birth control option for men.

They said men needed “an effective, long-lasting but reversible method of contraception similar to the female birth control pill.”