Non-hormonal Contraceptive for Men Shows Promising Results in Non-Human Primates

ACCESS Newswire
10 May 2022, 00:31 GMT+10

Findings shared at the American Society of Andrology 47^th Annual Conference in La Jolla, Calif

BERKELEY, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2022 / YourChoice Therapeutics, a startup based in Berkeley, California, presented data demonstrating the efficacy of YCT-529 as a novel non-hormonal male contraceptive in non-human primates, rats and dogs. Additional data were presented from safety studies conducted in rats and dogs. Based on this promising animal data, the company is planning to initiate clinical trials in men as early as late 2022.

YourChoice Therapeutics is developing a novel, orally-available small molecule, YCT-529, that inhibits a protein called retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR-alpha). This protein is one of a family of three nuclear receptors that bind retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A that plays important, and well understood, roles in cell growth and differentiation including sperm cell development. The routine administration of YCT-529 halts sperm production without any side effects in the animals studied.

In late March, researchers at The University of Minnesota, presented a poster at the Annual Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) summarizing that YCT-529 was 99% effective as a contraceptive in male mice with a return to full fertility once treatment ended. In early May, YourChoice Therapeutics presented data showing a reduction in sperm production in mice and every species dosed with YCT-529, including rats, dogs, and non-human primates (cynomolgus monkey).

The sperm counts of monkeys that received daily oral doses of YCT-529 fell below the threshold of fertility within two weeks. Once dosing was stopped, sperm counts returned to normal levels observed prior to dosing. Similarly, in rats and dogs, sperm production was inhibited within two weeks. Nadja Mannowetz, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at YourChoice Therapeutics, noted 'These results represent a significant milestone in the field of contraceptive research. Bringing an effective, safe, and reversible non-hormonal male method to the clinic is the next step to giving men and women more options for family planning.'

In addition to the efficacy data, the company sharedhttps://pr.report/tiRUo3Pr initial safety data indicating that rats and dogs tolerated daily dosing for 14 days at an order of magnitude greater than the therapeutic dose in mice. The company will initiate IND-enabling studies in Q2 2022 and plans to initiate clinical trials at the end of this year or early next year.

About YourChoice Therapeutics

YourChoice Therapeutics was established in 2018 with a focus on developing non-hormonal contraceptives for women leveraging a deep understanding of sperm biology. Its pipeline has evolved and currently the team is developing the small molecule YCT-529 as the first non-hormonal oral contraceptive for men. YCT-529 is a new chemical entity with an established initial safety profile and efficacy in various animal models. YCT-529 as a male contraceptive works by blocking a particular Vitamin A receptor vital for sperm development. Animal studies have demonstrated that routine administration of the compound works quickly, with dogs showing zero sperm count within two weeks and primates falling below fertile levels within the same timeframe. The company believes YCT-529 has the potential to be a convenient and discrete oral male contraceptive product with a greater contraceptive effect than condoms.

For more information visit yourchoicetx.com