STAT+: Male birth control gets another shot with small new trial of non-hormonal pill

From several types of hormonal pills to implants, IUDs, and vaginal rings, women have a lot of birth control choices that are both non-surgical and reversible. Men have just one: Condoms, which are 87% effective in preventing pregnancy, and thus less reliable than many other methods.

Attempts to change the status quo have been scarce and unsuccessful. In 2016, a trial for a hormonal male birth control pill was halted after men reported side effects including acne and mood swings — though such side effects are also experienced by women on various hormonal contraceptives. One man in the trial developed severe depression and another attempted suicide, developments that have been recorded, but are not typical for, women on birth control pills.

But there may be hope on the horizon for men who want to have more agency over birth control, and for women who would rather share the responsibility of contraception with male partners: YCT-529, a drug candidate that aims to be the first non-hormonal contraceptive pill for men. The pill entered its Phase 1 clinical trial today in the U.K., testing safety, tolerability, and functioning of oral doses of the drug in a small trial of 16 participants.

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