Gel-based male contraception is safe and effective, scientists report

In the palm of your hand, it looks like a drop of hair gel. But this substance could one day revolutionize the reproductive health landscape by becoming the first male contraceptive to hit the market.

On Sunday, we took another step towards this reality. Scientists with the National Institutes of Health Contraceptive Development Program announced encouraging results from a Phase 2 trial demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of the drug.

“The development of a safe, highly effective and reliable reversible contraceptive method for men is an unmet need,” said principal investigator Diana Blithe, Ph.D., head of the Contraceptive Development Program, in a statement . “Although studies have shown that some hormonal agents can be effective for male contraception, slow spermatogenic suppression is a limitation.”

During the trial, more than 220 participants aged 18 to 50 successfully reduced their sperm production with minimal side effects. The Phase 2b trial aimed to reduce sperm production in patients to as low as 1 million per milliliter, putting it well below the threshold of 15 to 200 million thought necessary for a man to be fertile. The product – which reduces sperm count through a combination of testosterone and a synthetic hormone called Nestorone (segesterone acetate) – was successful for 86% of trial participants. The patients applied 5 milliliters of the drug combination between their shoulder blades daily for a year and a half.

The research, which was presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Boston, has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a journal. More research is needed before the drug is finally approved and becomes available on the market.

There are currently no male contraceptives approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Indeed, because it is difficult for pharmaceutical companies to receive funding for this research, only a handful of earlier drugs have even reached the clinical trial phase. Experts hope the latest advances will move things forward.

“We’ve been pushing for male hormonal contraceptives for 50 years, but there’s not enough money available to really run something through a very large phase 3 trial,” Daniel Johnston, the state’s head of contraception. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Research Directorate, told NBC News. Now that this research has been successful, they believe it will be easier to convince other investors to trust them. “We’ve been looking for this for a long time. I hope we are entering new territory,” Johnston added.