It is applied to the shoulder blade and is used to surprise
A New contraceptive gel For men, this has come as a surprise. This option for male birth control may be even more attractive than expected. This is what preliminary research presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrinology Society (ENDO 2024) in Boston on Sunday suggests. The first thing that surprises about this gel is this Apply on shoulders once a day. The other thing that has caught the industry’s attention is that it suppresses sperm production in just a few weeks. This is much faster than other similar hormone-based methods.
The gel is being developed with the help of several organizations, some of which rely on the United States government. For now, it is being tested in a multicenter Phase 2b clinical trial, which includes approximately 400 sexual partners. Although the study is ongoing, the scientific team leading it has already begun making public its first findings, which are providing encouraging results.
New contraceptive gel for men It’s called NES/Tgel And its name comes from the combination of two hormones: Nestorone and testosterone. Testosterone alone reduces sperm production. The secret is to add Nestorone, which is a synthetic version of progesterone and an ingredient in some vaginal contraceptive rings.
Additionally, progesterone is a hormone that plays an important role in regulating pregnancy, the female menstrual cycle, and is used in contraceptives for women. Also, according to this study, Results are faster in men.This means that less testosterone needs to be used.
“Development of a method Safe, highly effective and reversible contraception There’s an unmet need for men to be able to do this reliably,” said Dr. Diana Blithe, head of the Contraceptive Development Program at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland and the trial’s principal investigator. Of all the family planning options available on the market, sonly for two men: Condoms and male sterilisation. There is no male contraceptive pill or gel yet.
“Although studies have shown that some hormonal agents can be effective for male contraception, the slow onset of spermatogenic suppression is a limitation.” Previous studies on male hormonal contraceptives administered by injection showed an average duration of Between 9 and 15 weeks to suppress production Of sperm.
Better than hormonal options for women
In contrast, “the efficacy rate of NES/TGEL is equal to or Better than hormonal contraceptive options for women» declared Blithe. 222 men took part in the study and completed at least 3 weeks of daily treatment with the gel Contraceptive. The gel contained 8 milligrams (mg) of segesterone acetate (Nestorone) and 74 mg of testosterone. The men applied the gel once a day to each shoulder blade. Blithe said the threshold for contraception to be considered effective was one million or fewer sperm per milliliter of semen.
Most study participants (86%) reached this sperm count by 15 weeks. In those men, sperm production was suppressed by an average less than 8 weeks of treatment with norethisterone-testosterone. The researcher states, “The quicker withdrawal time may increase the attractiveness and acceptability of this drug to potential users.”
Testosterone treatment alone decreases sperm production, with an average time of 15 weeks, but the addition of segesterone acetate accelerates the time and decreases the dose of testosterone needed to suppress sperm production relative to testosterone alone. Additionally, in a daily regimen of segesterone-testosterone gel, The level of testosterone in the blood remains within the physiological range To maintain normal sexual function and other androgen-dependent activities.
“I think a lot has happened Misinformation about hormonal methods for men Which makes people’s expectations quite scary, but it may benefit us because people sign up for our trial and realize nothing bad happened. “It’s great,” Blithe confirms, pleased with the limited side effects seen. The contraception continues to be tested for its effectiveness, safety, acceptability and reversibility after stopping treatment. Next year they hope to begin the third phase of clinical trials.