It’s not quite as simple or noninvasive as swallowing a pill, but a new form of male birth control is on target to begin human clinical trials next year, according to its developers.
It’s called Vasalgel, and it’s a non-hormonal contraceptive that’s similar to a vasectomy, except without any cutting involved. Instead, the technique involves injecting a polymer gel into a man’s vas deferens, the tube that sperm swim through. The gel clings to the tissue and blocks sperm flow.
The good news is, it’s also expected to be completely reversible. In animal tests, researchers have been able to flush out the polymer with another injection. The bad news is, it won’t protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
So far Vasalgel, which is being developed by the Parsemus Foundation, has only been tested in animals. Right now it’s being studied in a group of baboons in the last phase of preclinical trials. But it’s based on a polymer contraceptive that was developed over the last 30 years in India and is now in advanced human trials.
Parsemus licensed rights to develop the injection for use outside of India in 2010. The foundation’s mission is to support development of low-cost solutions to issues “neglected by the pharmaceutical industry.” (Long-term contraceptives aren’t big money makers like a pill you take every day, so it’s not a very appealing idea to pharma companies, the foundation says.)
In its latest update on Vasalgel, Parsemus said it’s anticipating the start of small human trials next year, with larger trials following. If all goes well, the organization thinks Vasalgel could be on the market in 2016-2017. But that’s a big if. The technique will have to prove it can at least match the high effectiveness of vasectomy.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Parsemus plans to use crowdfunding to support clinical trials.
[Image credit: Vasalgel Facebook page]
