Contraceptive for men could hit the market in 2017

According to a press release from Parsemus Fondation, a nonprofit organization focused on developing cost-effective medical approaches, a new male contraceptive drug has been successful in testing and could hit the market in 2017.

According to information from the organization, the drug, called Vasalgel, is a non-hormonal polymer that blocks the vas deferens, which are the pathways through which sperm passes. For testing, the drug was injected into three male baboons with unrestricted sexual access to 10 or 15 females each. The results showed that, six months later, none of them became pregnant.

With the success of this animal study and new funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Parsemus Fondation plans to begin human trials next year with the expectation that everything will go well in 2017.

How it works

Vasalgel is essentially a rereading of a medical technology called RISUG (reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance), which was developed by a doctor named Sujoy Guha over 15 years ago in India where There have been clinical trials since then.

In addition to being an efficient method, Vasalgel has an added advantage over the contraceptive forms that women need to use today: the treatment is non-hormonal and only requires one injection and is effective over a very long period.

This is great news for couples who want to avoid children without hormones, sharing the responsibility for birth control with men who can use the drug.

The most common procedure to prevent men from releasing sperm besides condoms is vasectomy, which cuts the vas deferens, which can cause pain and discomfort for a few days. Vasalgel, on the other hand, acts by blocking the channels through the injection that is applied on site without the need for interventions or adverse effects of pain or swelling.

Another advantage is that at any time the individual wishes, the polymer action can be reversed with a second injection if the man wants to have children.