That the responsibility for preventing unintended pregnancy still lies almost exclusively with women remains one of the world’s great health inequities. Beyond condom use, vasectomy, and withdrawal, there are no other male-controlled methods of contraception, even though it’s an entirely feasible option.
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[New male birth control options] include implants, gels, pills, and injections. A large Phase 2b efficacy and safety study will begin this summer on a promising option: a transparent gel a man applies once a day to his shoulders and upper arms. The gel is designed to decrease a man’s sperm production without reducing his sexual drive or enjoyment.…
Today, this work struggles forward with little or no support from the pharmaceutical industry. That needs to change. Oft-cited and assumed perceptions that men would be unwilling to use male contraception or that the field would prove to be unprofitable are not borne out by the data. If a male method managed to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the next five years, market projections predict a market of $1 billion by 2024 with annual growth of 6 percent over the following 10 years.
Bringing safe and effective male contraception options to market could revolutionize the global contraception paradigm, attract millions more customers, and prevent untold numbers of unintended pregnancies, helping couples decide whether and when to have children, and how many.
Read full, original post: Getting contraceptives for men to the market will take pharma’s help
