You’re one step closer to giving Men Pills! –

Today, the decades-old passion to create a male contraceptive pill is one step closer to reality.

Because experts claim to have developed a 99% effective contraceptive tablet, putting it on par with the real female version.

Tests in mice showed that the non-hormonal drug, labeled YCT529, caused no visible side effects.

The team said the rodents were able to produce offspring again four to six weeks after they stopped using contraceptives.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota are planning human trials of a protein-blocking drug to prevent sperm formation later this year.

There are other candidates, including those who have been tried with men in the UK for the past few years.

But Professor Gunda Georg, who led the study, said the YCT529 was “the most advanced of all male contraceptive methods.”

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.

By comparison, the combined female birth control pill containing synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone has been associated with similar mental health side effects.

The NHS says it can raise blood pressure and slightly increase the risk of blood clots and breast cancer.

“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 to the mice orally for four weeks, they “drastically reduced their 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.”

YCT529 will be tested in human clinical trials in the second half of 2022.

Professor Georg, head of medicinal chemistry at the university, said: “We are currently working on other compounds as well, as it can be difficult to predict whether a compound that appears well in animal studies will perform well in human trials.”

He told the American news site The Daily Beast: “YCT529 is the most advanced of all male contraceptive methods.”

Al Noman told the website: “Contraception is a critical issue in the healthcare industry. More than half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintentional pregnancies.

“And that can have dire consequences, whether it’s the baby’s health, the mothers’ health, or even women’s financial and professional development.

“We need to invest more in male contraceptive research and development.”