New male birth control works in monkey, humans next? Dont get your hopes up

Veterinarians at the California National Primate Research Center need birth control male rhesus monkeys breed like, well, monkeys, and vasectomies have undesirable side effects. So, last year researchers tried Vasogel , a gel injected into the vas deferens to block sperm passage. To their surprise, it worked : sixteen monkeys went through one entire breeding season in close captivity with females and no babies are forthcoming. Their results were published in early February.

Of course, male birth control for humans is the ultimate goal of the research, backed by the Parsemus foundation in Berkeley. Human testes are very similar to monkeys and the foundation is making plans for clinical trials soon. If successful, it would be a birth control method unlike any currently on the market: its non-hormonal, lasts 10 years, has fewer side effects than a vasectomy in monkeys, and has been shown to be reversible in rabbits. It could be like the male version of those little copper IUDs for women.

But, who knows when it might come to market. A similar gel called RISUG was developed 20 years ago in India, and clinical trials have been ongoing for 15 years. But, they cant find enough male volunteers to make the studies very robust and so that drug is still not on the market either. In the US, the FDA doesnt recognize foreign clinical trials so the Parsemus foundation has to start over again.

One thing that would make it all go faster is if big pharma got involved. The Parsemus foundation and the research team in India have limited funds, which is another thing slowing them down. Big pharma would have enough resources to push it through quickly. But, they probably wont after all, theyre the ones selling female birth control. If couples switched to Vasogel, theyd lose money.

So, well see what happens, how the clinical trials go, and if the Parsemus foundation comes up with the money to bring it all the way to market. The next 5 years will tell.

Casey Rentz is a science writer whose essays have appeared in New Scientist, Scientific American, Smithsonian.com, The Guardian, and Best Science Writing Online book series. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two kiddos. Find her at www.caseyrentz.com . Follow her at Facebook , Twitter .