Hormone-free male contraceptive pill moves closer to reality

For decades, contraceptive responsibility has largely rested with women, with men having only two reliable options-condoms or vasectomy. That imbalance may now be on the verge of change. A hormone-free male contraceptive pill called YCT-529 has successfully completed its first human safety trial, marking an important milestone in the global effort to expand birth-control options for men.
The pill is being developed by YourChoice Therapeutics, a San Francisco-based biotechnology company focused on non-hormonal contraceptive solutions.
The scientific work behind YCT-529 emerged from years of academic research led by Professor Gunda Georg at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, with contributions from researchers at Columbia University.
YourChoice Therapeutics was formed to translate this university-led research into a viable contraceptive product for men-something scientists have long struggled to achieve safely.
The company’s stated aim is to expand contraceptive choice by offering a reversible, oral, non-hormonal option for men, comparable in convenience to the female contraceptive pill.
YCT-529 is an oral, non-hormonal male contraceptive designed for daily use.
Unlike earlier experimental male contraceptives that attempted to suppress testosterone and were often associated with side effects such as mood changes, weight gain and reduced libido, this pill avoids altering male sex hormone levels.
Instead, it targets a biological pathway that is essential for sperm production and is largely specific to the testes.
Sperm production depends on retinoic acid, a metabolite of vitamin A that plays a critical role in initiating and sustaining spermatogenesis.
Retinoic acid functions by binding to a protein known as retinoic acid receptor alpha, or RAR-a, in the testes, which then activates genes required for sperm development.