BRITISH men have become the first in the world to enter early trials of a “holy grail” contraceptive pill for blokes.
The pill, named YCT-529, works by blocking the vitamin A supply to the testicles to halt sperm production.
AlamyThere are currently no contraceptive drugs for men – only condoms and vasectomies[/caption]
There are currently no male contraceptive drugs so inventors hope this will one day be a popular alternative to the female pill and condoms.
It is the first candidate not to contain hormones and was found to be 99 per cent effective and 100 per cent reversible in experiments on mice and monkeys.
Experts are now testing its safety in humans for the first time, on a group of 16 men enrolled at a clinic in Nottingham.
Inventor Dr Gunda Georg, from the University of Minnesota, said: “This could be a historic moment.
“The last innovation in contraception was the birth control pill for women, and that was more than 60 years ago.
“The world is ready for a male contraceptive.
“Our preclinical data is strong and I feel confident in its safety.”
Most attempts at making male contraceptives have worked by reducing the sex hormone testosterone but have risked side effects like mood swings and weight gain.
This method uses a drug called an inhibitor to block a protein that absorbs the vitamin A needed to make sperm.
The researchers believe that blocking a specific vitamin receptor will mean sperm temporarily stops being made – without affecting the patient’s health.
This safety trial only involves men who have already had a vasectomy.
Akash Bakshi, CEO of developer YourChoice Therapeutics, said: “We believe this will be more attractive to men, most of whom view pregnancy prevention as a shared responsibility with women.”
Investor Maryanna Saenko, of Future Ventures, added: “A male birth control pill has been the holy grail of contraceptive research and development for decades.”
Polls suggest that between three and five out of 10 British men would consider taking a contraceptive pill if one was available.