First Male Birth Control Injection Is Ready, Remains Effective For 13 Years

The Indian Council of Medical Research, a government-funded biomedical research agency, has successfully completed a clinical trial on an injectable male contraceptive the Hindustan Times reports.

“The product is ready, with only regulatory approvals pending [from the government],” Dr. R.S. Sharma, senior scientist with ICMR, told the local news outlet. “The trials are over, including extended, Phase 3 clinical trials for which 303 candidates were recruited with a 97.3% success rate and no reported side effects. The product can safely be called the world’s first male contraceptive.”

The contraception lasts approximately 13 years and involves injecting a polymer (Styrene maleic anhydride) into the vas deferens, effectively blocking sperm from leaving the testicles. The shot, preceded by a dose of local anesthesia and is designed to supplant a traditional vasectomy.

Researchers in the US have also developed a similar contraceptive, Vasalgel.  A male birth control pill also exists, though researchers say it’ll take about 10 years before the drug makes it to market.

“The polymer was developed by Professor S.K. Guha from the Indian Institute of Technology in the 1970s. ICMR has been researching on it to turn it into a product for mass use since 1984, and the final product is ready after exhaustive trials,” said Sharma.

The Drugs Controller General of India V.G. Somani told the Hindustan that because of the pending regulatory approval, it “will still take about six to seven months … before the product can be manufactured.”

Would you endure a shot in your penis to prevent pregnancy? Leave a comment down below.