Scientists accidentally created a contraceptive drug for men: it slows down spermatozoa

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine announced that they have developed the male contraceptive drug TDI-11861, which "temporarily stops the movement of sperm and prevents pregnancy," reports New York Post.

Photo: IStock

Like penicillin, the drug was discovered by accident in 2018 when Dr. Melanie Balbach was researching a protein called soluble adenylate cyclase, or sAC, to treat eye conditions. When the drug was given to mice, Balbach observed its ability to stop spermatozoa.

“She showed a video of these sperm not moving, but just twitching,” Weill Cornell pharmacology professor Lonnie Levin said in an interview about the sAC inhibitor. “I said, ‘Oh my God. This is the Holy Grail. It's a male contraceptive."

TDI-11861 was administered to male mice, 52 different mating attempts with the opposite sex did not result in any pregnancy, while a third of the control group of mice became pregnant.

Their spermatozoa became immobile for up to two and a half hours—inside and outside the female genital tract—before moving normally at the three-hour mark. Within 24 hours, their movement was completely "restored".

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Thanks to the overwhelming success of the drug, Levin said, "scientists are already working to make sAC inhibitors more suitable for use in humans."

Along with the team showing off the TDI-11861's performance, Balbach also noted how quickly it can take effect.

“Our inhibitor starts working in 30 minutes to an hour,” she said. “Every other experimental hormonal or non-hormonal contraceptive for men takes several weeks to reduce sperm counts or render them unable to fertilize eggs.”

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This adds an "exciting" element to the drug, according to University of Minnesota professor of medicinal chemistry Gunda Georg, as it can be used by men right before they enter the bedroom.

"You can just take a pill right before intercourse and be protected," she said.

The next step is to repeat the experiment on another organism. Once this "foundation" is in place, human clinical trials can begin.

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