NIH Gives U of Kansas 5-Year, $7.9M Grant to Develop Nonhormonal Male Contraceptive Pill

Main Category: Men's health
Article Date: 23 Jun 2005 - 11:00 PDT

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NIH on Monday announced it will give the... University of Kansas a five-year, $7.9 million grant to develop a nonhormonal male contraceptive pill, the Wichita Eagle reports (Leal Unmuth, Wichita Eagle, 6/20). KU researchers in Lawrence and Kansas City have identified a compound called Gamendazole, which temporarily causes infertility in male rats by stopping sperm production. The scientists have filed for a patent on the compound and aim to begin clinical trials in the next five years, the Lawrence Journal-World reports. The grant also will allow the researchers to study about 500,000 additional compounds to find chemicals that affect sperm-specific enzymes by disrupting sperm development or mobility (Rombeck, Lawrence Journal-World, 6/21). Once promising compounds have been identified, researchers will test them on mice or rats to determine their safety, effectiveness and whether the animals regain their fertility after discontinuing administration of the substances. The goal is to develop a safe, 100% effective pill that men could take weekly or monthly, according to the Kansas City Star. Although some people have questioned the practicality of a male contraceptive pill, including whether men would use it and whether women would trust men to use it, lead researcher Gunda Georg said, "I think some couples would like to have that option. There's been a shift in attitude. Some men would like to share more in that responsibility" (Bavley, Kansas City Star, 6/20).

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