Emerging approaches to male contraception

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• Pharmacology
• Urology

Background:

• Current male contraception options are limited to vasectomy and condoms.
• Existing hormonal methods face challenges like adverse effects, delivery methods, and user acceptance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advances in both hormonal and nonhormonal male contraceptive research.
• To highlight novel compounds and approaches with potential for clinical utility.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on male contraceptive development.
• Focus on novel hormonal agents (oral androgens, topical combinations) and nonhormonal strategies (sperm motility inhibitors, vas deferens obstruction).

Main Results:

• Development of orally bioavailable androgens like dimethandrolone undecanoate and 11β-methyl-19-nor-testosterone.
• Promising clinical trial results for topical testosterone gel combined with segesterone acetate.
• Preclinical progress in nonhormonal methods targeting sperm motility (eppin) and retinoic acid pathways, as well as reversible vas deferens obstruction.

Conclusions:

• Significant progress is being made in developing new male contraceptive methods.
• Continued research is crucial to expand the range of contraceptive choices for men and couples.
• Novel hormonal and nonhormonal approaches show promise for future clinical application.