Male contraceptive pill is 99% effective, show tests in mice

A new male non-hormonal contraceptive tablet was shown to be 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy with no side effects in mouse testing.

With significantly fewer alternatives available to men, the breakthrough medicine could help to balance the contraceptive burden.

Human studies are in the works, but some experts are concerned that safety problems may prevent the medicine from reaching the market.

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"Despite numerous attempts, no effective and safe male contraception has made it through human clinical trials.Most have been based on hormones, but non-hormonal contraceptives," according to Md Abdullah al Noman of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, have less negative effects.

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Over the course of four weeks, scientists gave male mice a daily dose of a chemical called YCT529 and discovered that their sperm count fell.The mice were able to reproduce properly again between four and six weeks after the medication was stopped, with no noticeable negative effects.

There are various molecules in clinical trials, but they all target testosterone, the male sex hormone, which has been linked to weight gain, depression, and other negative effects.

"Safety is very important for birth control pills because people are not taking them for a disease, so they are less tolerant of side effects," says Noman.

Human clinical studies are expected to begin in the second half of this year, according to the team.

(With inputs from agencies)