Injectable Male Birth Control Effective for at Least 2 Years, Says Biotech Startup

Today, astir each disposable commencement power options are pistillate contraceptives. Biotech institution Contraline, however, claims that objective trials for its non-hormonal and reversible antheral contraceptive person reached a captious milestone.

In a news release published today, Contraline announced that its antheral contraceptive, named ADAM, proved to beryllium effectual and harmless 24 months into its archetypal quality objective trial. While their objective results person yet to beryllium published successful a technological journal, the institution plans to merchandise further information during the American Urological Association (AUA) gathering connected April 26.

ADAM is simply a water-soluble hydrogel injected into the vasa deferentia—the 2 tubes successful men that transportation sperm from the testicles to the urethra—via a insignificant procedure. The implant blocks the sperm portion inactive allowing ejaculation, and Contraline has been selling it arsenic a future, long-term, reversible alternate to condoms and vasectomies.

“Our extremity was to make a antheral contraceptive enactment lasting 2 years, responding straight to user needs,” Alexander Pastuszak, Contraline’s Chief Medical Officer, said successful the release. “These findings corroborate that ADAM, our caller water-soluble hydrogel, tin execute the intended lifespan. We stay optimistic astir its safety, efficacy, and reversibility, and its imaginable to springiness men and couples greater reproductive control.”

The milestone is based connected 2 participants successful the archetypal quality objective proceedings showing azoospermia (no sperm successful their ejaculate) astatine 24 months. In a previous quality release, Contraline claimed that ADAM caused a 99.8% to 100.0% simplification successful the fig of moving sperm wrong 30 days of implantation.

These results “take america 1 measurement person to transforming the contraceptive landscape,” Kevin Eisenfrats, co-founder and CEO of Contraline, said astatine the time. They suggest “that it is imaginable to execute akin levels of efficacy arsenic long-acting pistillate contraceptives similar IUDs. Ultimately, I’d similar to marque ADAM go a ‘no brainer’ for men erstwhile it comes to considering their options for contraception.” IUDs, oregon intrauterine devices, are tiny pistillate contraceptive devices inserted into the uterus.

According to the caller quality release, nary of the participants person reported serious adverse events, oregon faced unexpected information concerns. Researchers conducting the objective proceedings volition proceed monitoring different participants astatine the 12-, 15-, 18-, and 21-month marks done laboratory and at-home sperm testing. Furthermore, Contraline has received afloat regulatory support to commencement the study’s 2nd phase.

However, Jon Oatley, a prof astatine Washington State University’s School of Molecular Biosciences, pointed retired that there’s nary nationalist information yet confirming the ADAM implant is reversible, and researchers inactive don’t cognize the semipermanent effects of blocking the vasa deferentia, arsenic helium told The Guardian. Oatley besides suggested that astir men would similar a contraceptive pill oregon spot implicit a surgery.

However, data from 2017 to 2019 shows that 10.4% of women betwixt the ages of 15 and 49 utilized long-acting reversible contraceptives, specified arsenic IUDs oregon different contraceptive implants requiring procedures. That’s little than 4 points down the pill’s 14%. If ADAM truly does beryllium to beryllium harmless and effective, possibly a important fig of men volition besides take the semipermanent efficacy of an injection alternatively than the short-term usefulness of different contraceptives.