For the first time contraceptive drugs for the man even without side effects?

Will it soon give the pill for the man?

Unfortunately, contraception is still often a task for women today. Of course, men also use options such as condoms, but mostly prevent women by taking the contraceptive pill. For some years there have been attempts to produce a contraceptive pill for men. Researchers now found that a compound called EP055 significantly slows overall sperm mobility without affecting hormones.

The researchers from the University of North Carolina and the Oregon National Primate Research Center found in their current research that the compound EP055 could be used as a male contraceptive pill. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "PLOS ONE".

Many women use contraceptives for so-called hormonal contraception. Researchers have been trying for years to develop a type of contraceptive pill for the man, which leads to no side effects. (Image: rosifan19 / fotolia.com)

EP055 is ideal for non-hormonal contraception in men

To describe the effect in simple terms, compound EP055 eliminates the sperm's ability to move in a floating manner, significantly reducing its ability to fertilize, explains study author Professor Dr. Michael O'Rand from the University of North Carolina. This makes EP055 an ideal candidate for non-hormonal contraception in men, the expert adds.

Safe forms of birth control in men?

Currently, condoms and surgical vasectomies are the only safe forms of birth control available to men. There are hormonal drugs in clinical trials that target the production of sperm, but these affect the natural hormones in men as well as female contraceptives that affect women's hormones, explain the physicians.

EP055 produced no physical side effects

During the study, it was found that no indication of normal sperm motility was found in male rhesus macaques even after 30 hours of high-dose intravenous infusion of EP055. In addition, no physical side effects were observed, explain the doctors.

Effect of EP055 is reversible

At 18 days after infusion, all of the macaques in the study showed signs of complete recovery. This suggests that the compound EP055 is indeed reversible, the researchers say. The scientists point out that more research is needed before EP055 becomes available for human use.

Further research is needed

The experts have already begun in other studies to test the compound in the form of a pill. Thus, it should be determined whether such a pill is capable of maintaining the efficacy of EP055 and thus of protecting it from pregnancy. So maybe it will not be long before men, too, are able to provide reliable contraception by taking a pill regularly. Until then, the doctors will continue to work on their concept of contraception to bring as soon as possible successfully the pill for men on the market. (As)