via ExpressNewsline
A new birth control pill for men appears to be safe when used daily for a month, with hormone responses consistent with effective contraception, study researchers say.
Their study results, in 83 men, will be presented Sunday at ENDO 2018, the Endocrine Society’s 100th annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.
Like the pill for women, the experimental male oral contraceptive—called dimethandrolone undecanoate, or DMAU—combines activity of an androgen (male hormone) like testosterone, and a progestin, and is taken once a day, said the study’s senior investigator, Stephanie Page, M.D., PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
“DMAU is a major step forward in the development of a once-daily ‘male pill’,” Page said. “Many men say they would prefer a daily pill as a reversible contraceptive, rather than long-acting injections or topical gels, which are also in development.”
Progress toward a male birth control pill has been stymied because, according to Page, available oral forms of testosterone may cause liver inflammation, and they clear the body too quickly for once-daily dosing, thus requiring two doses a day. However, DMAU contains undecanoate, a long-chain fatty acid, which Page said slows this clearance. DMAU is being developed by the National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded this study.
The study included 100 healthy men, ages 18 to 50 years, and took place at the University of Washington Medical Center and at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, CA (led by co-author Christina Wang, M.D.). The investigators tested three different doses of DMAU (100, 200, and 400 milligrams, or mg) and two different formulations inside the capsules (castor oil and powder). Each dose group included five subjects who were randomly assigned to receive an inactive placebo and another 12 to 15 men who received DMAU. Subjects took the drug or placebo for 28 days once daily with food. DMAU must be taken with food to be effective, Page noted.
A total of 83 men completed the study, including giving blood samples, for hormone and cholesterol testing, on the first and last days of the study.
At the highest dose of DMAU tested, 400 mg, subjects showed “marked suppression” of levels of their testosterone and two hormones required for sperm production. The low levels, Page said, are consistent with effective male contraception shown in longer-term studies.
“Despite having low levels of circulating testosterone, very few subjects reported symptoms consistent with testosterone deficiency or excess,” Page said.
All groups taking DMAU did have weight gain and decreases in HDL (“good”) cholesterol, both of which Page said were mild. All subjects passed safety tests, including markers of liver and kidney function.
“These promising results are unprecedented in the development of a prototype male pill,” Page said. “Longer term studies are currently under way to confirm that DMAU taken every day blocks sperm production.”
Learn more: Dimethandrolone undecanoate shows promise as a male birth control pill
The Latest on: Male birth control pill
via Google News
The Latest on: Male birth control pill
- Could birth control pills ease concussion symptoms in female athletes?on April 19, 2021 at 10:00 am
CHICAGO - Could birth control pills help young female athletes recover faster from concussions and reduce their symptoms?A new Northwestern Medicine pilot study has shown when a female athlete has ...
- New Forms of Male Birth Control Are Coming, But Will Men Use Them?on April 18, 2021 at 10:44 am
Part I: Current Birth Control Methods for Men Part II: Current Male Birth Control Methods Being Researched Part III: Hurdles in the Development of Male Birth Control Part IV: Future of Male Birth ...
- Everything You Need to Know About Phexxi, the New Hormone-Free Birth Controlon April 15, 2021 at 2:05 pm
Birth control has come a long way since it was first introduced in the 1960s. From the pill to the IUD to the patch to the Depo-shot, there are so many options available, including the latest to hit ...
- Over 35? The Best Birth Control Options for Youon April 13, 2021 at 5:00 pm
In addition to the pill, ring, or patch, your options also include an IUD, an implant, shots, or even male or female sterilization. If you have insurance, the cost of birth control usually isn’t ...
- To Choose the Right Birth Control, Know Yourselfon April 2, 2021 at 3:33 pm
Some hormonal birth control, like pills, can cause mood changes ... But, this side effect can be a shared experience: 9.8% of male partners reported some, mostly mild discomfort. Trial participants ...
- A New Form of Male Birth Control Just Had a Major Breakthroughon March 30, 2021 at 9:24 am
Would you take male contraception? What if wasn't a pill? If a new trial by the University of Edinburgh continues to be successful, the most promising — and, perhaps, most marketable — type of ...
- Male fertility: Is the ‘pill’ for men finally here?on March 29, 2021 at 5:29 am
A test project run by the University of Edinburgh has tasked over 100 men to use a breakthrough male contraceptive as the sole method of birth control in their relationships. However, the “pill ...
- New male birth control pill passes safety tests, and it might be released soonon March 27, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Now, researchers presenting their work at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in New Orleans have revealed that a new male birth control pill is showing promise, and it’s already passed ...
- Male contraceptive pill shown to be safe and tolerable in phase I trialon March 25, 2021 at 5:00 pm
All we have shown so far is that it shuts down the hormones that control the function of the testes.” Stephanie Wang, Lead Researcher The researchers say it could be a decade before a male pill ...
via Bing News