Safe and highly effective injectable male contraceptive passes clinical trials | Fusion - WeRIndia

In a groundbreaking development, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has successfully concluded the clinical trials for the world’s first injectable male contraceptive.

It demonstrated its remarkable safety and efficacy without significant side effects.

The results of this phase-III clinical trial, involving 303 candidates aged 25-40 years, were recently published in the open-access Andrology journal.

This open-label, non-randomized, multi-center phase-III clinical trial spanned different centers across India under the coordination of ICMR, New Delhi.

The Drugs Controller General India (DCGI) granted authorization for the phase-III clinical trial. The institutional ethical committees of the respective centers approved this.

During the study, 303 healthy, sexually active, and married men, along with their spouses, who sought family planning services or vasectomy were identified.

These men received a 60 mg injection of Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance (RISUG).

The results were nothing short of impressive. The study reported an overall efficacy of RISUG, with a 97.3% success rate in achieving azoospermia (no sperm in the semen).

Besides, it showed a remarkable 99.02% success rate in preventing pregnancy. All these results were achieved without any serious side effects.

With the global population steadily rising, the urgent need for modern methods of male contraception to aid in population control has become apparent.

While vasectomy is effective, certain limitations necessitate the development of improved techniques.

An ideal male contraceptive should be minimally invasive and require a one-time injection. Also, it should offer long-term effectiveness with minimal side effects and have a reversible option.

In response to these criteria, RISUG was developed as a novel approach to male contraception.

It boasts the potential for mass use as a once-injectable and reversible male contraceptive method.

An important feature of RISUG is its localized injection, ensuring no detectable interaction with other body parts, unlike hormonal injectable contraceptives.

This groundbreaking development in male contraception offers a promising solution to address the global need for effective and reversible contraceptive methods.

The success of the ICMR’s clinical trials signifies a significant milestone in the field of contraception and family planning. It heralds a new era of safe and highly efficacious male contraceptives.

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