Male contraceptive pill ‘available in five years’

New drug works by disabling a gene crucial in sperm production. Photo / AP

A male contraceptive pill which disables a gene crucial for producing sperm may be available in five years, a scientist behind the discovery has said.

Researchers at Washington State University say the development of safe and reversible contraception for men is on the horizon after the breakthrough discovery of a gene, called Arrdc5, which renders sperm infertile.

Arrdc5, which is discovered in the testicles of mammals, produces a key protein which plays a role in the last stages of sperm formation.

Scientists are now searching for a drug molecule to inhibit the protein, which will see sperm lose the ability to propel towards an egg to fertilise it.

The new pill would have no hormonal side effects and could be used on animals to tackle overpopulation, researchers said.

Previous hormone-based pills for men have resulted in severe side effects such as mood disorders and shrinking testicles.

‘Pill could be available in five years’

Dr Jon Oatley said a male contraceptive could be just as seismic as the first female birth control pill in 1960 and would work as a switch, meaning infertility can be reversed.

He told Radio 4′s Today programme: “Given the sufficient resources including funding and tools then I think we could be there in five to seven years.

“I think the impacts that developing a non-hormonal male contraceptive can have on the world are huge. I liken it to the development of the female birth control pill in the 1960s. I think the next frontier is male contraceptive development.

Experiments carried out on mice showed disabling the gene had a significant impact on their fertility.

Researchers at Washington State University found male mice lacking the gene produced 28 per cent less sperm which moved almost three times slower than in normal mice.

‘Important for the human race’

Nearly all of the sperm in mice lacking the Arrdc5 gene were also deformed. The results of the study appear to indicate the protein encoded by Arrdc5 is essential for sperm production.

The study was published in Nature Communications.

“Developing a way to curb population growth and stop unwanted pregnancies is really important for the future of the human race,” Oatley told the study.

“Right now, we don’t really have anything on the male side for contraception other than surgery, and only a small percentage of men choose vasectomies.

“If we can develop this discovery into a solution for contraception, it could have far-ranging impacts.”