March 29, 2024

Male Birth Control Pill: Natural Compound Discovered With “Ideal” Contraceptive Effects

Dr. Wei Yan discovered a natural substance that exhibits almost perfect male contraceptive results in pre-clinical studies.
In a paper published by Nature Communications, The Lundquist Institute (TLI) Investigator Wei Yan, MD, PhD, and his research study coworkers spell out an innovative technique that has caused the discovery of a natural substance as a safe, efficient, and reversible male contraceptive agent in pre-clinical animal models. Regardless of incredible efforts over the previous years, the progress in establishing non-hormonal male contraceptives has been extremely restricted.

Single daily oral doses of triptonide induce altered sperm having very little or no forward motility with close to 100% penetrance and consequently male infertility in 3-4 and 5-6 weeks. All of their information recommend that triptonide is a highly promising non-hormonal male contraceptive agent for guys since it appears to meet all of the requirements for a viable contraceptive drug candidate, consisting of bioavailability, efficacy, reversibility, and security. “We are really thrilled that the brand-new idea worked and that this compound appears to be a perfect male contraceptive. Hopefully, we will be able to start human clinical trials soon to make the non-hormonal male contraceptive a truth.”

Dr. Wei Yan, Investigator, The Lundquist Institute Credit: The Lundquist Institute.
The substance is triptonide, which can be either purified from a Chinese herb called Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F, or produced through chemical synthesis. Single everyday oral dosages of triptonide cause transformed sperm having minimal or no forward motility with close to 100% penetrance and subsequently male infertility in 3-4 and 5-6 weeks. Once the treatment is stopped, the males become fertile once again in ~ 4-6 weeks, and can produce healthy offspring. No discernable poisonous effects were found in either short- or long-term triptonide treatment. All of their information suggest that triptonide is an extremely appealing non-hormonal male contraceptive representative for males because it appears to fulfill all of the criteria for a practical contraceptive drug prospect, including bioavailability, security, reversibility, and effectiveness. A battery of biochemical analyses recommend that triptonide targets one of the last steps during sperm assembly, causing the production of altered sperm without vigorous motility required for fertilization.
“We are really delighted that the new concept worked and that this substance appears to be a perfect male contraceptive. Ideally, we will be able to start human scientific trials soon to make the non-hormonal male contraceptive a truth.”
” Dr. Yans discovery represents a major leap forward in the field,” said Drs. Christina Wang and Ronald Swerdloff, who are TLI co-Principal Investigators helping lead NIH-supported innovative scientific trials on hormone-based birth control techniques. “The more contraceptive approaches offered, the better, as we will desire a family of pharmaceutical products to safely and effectively fulfill the household preparation needs of men and couples at various stages of their reproductive lives, with varying ethnic, cultural, and spiritual backgrounds and economic methods,” highlighted Wang and Swerdloff.
Recommendation: “Triptonide is a reversible non-hormonal male contraceptive agent in mice and non-human primates” by Zongliang Chang, Weibing Qin, Huili Zheng, Kathleen Schegg, Lu Han, Xiaohua Liu, Yue Wang, Zhuqing Wang, Hayden McSwiggin, Hongying Peng, Shuiqiao Yuan, Jiabao Wu, Yongxia Wang, Shenghui Zhu, Yanjia Jiang, Hua Nie, Yuan Tang, Yu Zhou, Michael J. M. Hitchcock, Yunge Tang and Wei Yan, 23 February 2021, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/ s41467-021-21517-5.
About The Lundquist Institute: Research with reach.
The Lundquist Institute is an engine of development with an international reach and a 69-year credibility of improving and conserving lives. With its new medical research study building, its modern incubator, “BioLabs at The Lundquist,” existing lab and assistance infrastructure, and the development of a brand-new 15-acre business tech park, the Lundquist Institute works as a hub for the Los Angeles locations growing biotech scene. The research study institute has more than 100 principal detectives (MD/PhDs, phds, and mds) working on more than 600 research studies, including therapies for many, and frequently fatal orphan diseases.