Scientists reveal groundbreaking results of male birth control pill test as they explain how it works

YCT-529 is a new hormone-free contraceptive pill for men currently in trial and the results have been released.

Technology and science are continuously evolving, and a new trial that is a hormone-free male contraceptive pill has just been added to this pile.

However, the reason why this pill is particularly groundbreaking is that it differs in that most traditional birth control pills disrupt hormones.

However, this pill from YourChoice Therapeutics actually temporarily stops the production of sperm without it affecting testosterone levels.

To get into the science of how it all works, essentially, it functions by blocking a protein by the name of retinoic acid receptor alpha. This is what plays a vital part in how sperm are made.

YCT-529 is a new male contraceptive pill one trial (Jackyenjoyphotography / Getty)

Early evidence of this hormone-free pill trial is that it is reversible. The tests have been carried out on male mice, and the results from this highlighted that the YCT-529 drug significantly reduced sperm production and caused reversible infertility in the space of four weeks.

The results are particularly encouraging as the tests showed to have a 99% success rate in preventing pregnancy among the male mice mating with female mice.

The drug has also gone onto to test human males, and the results also reflect a promising outcome. The first trial tested 16 healthy men in the age group of 32 to 59. However, the point of this test was a little different from when testing the mice.

The tests of the men was to test how well tolerated the drug was, rather than effectiveness, according to Nadja Mannowetz, co-founder and chief science officer of YourChoice Therapeutics, told Scientific American.

As a result, all of the men in the group had previously undergone vasectomies as researchers wanted to avoid the risk of the trial causing permanent infertility.

The researchers found no concerning side-effects from the test, which is worth noting due to previous hormonal contraceptives that having been linked to mood swings, libido loss, weight gain and acne.

Studies reveal men want to share the contraceptive burden (Jackyenjoyphotography / Getty)

Mannowetz noted they 'saw good and quick bioavailability,' meaning YCT-529 stayed active in the body without breaking down fast.

The reason this birth control pill for men is particularly groundbreaking, Akash Bakshi, CEO of YourChoice Therapeutic, explains is because: “Studies and surveys continue to show that men want to share the burden of pregnancy prevention with their partners... But they have just one nonpermanent contraceptive option — condoms — and it’s 170 years old.”