Vasalgel could soon replace condoms as a means of male birth control in just a few years. Tests studying the effect of the drug in baboons were successful, and human tests are due to commence at the beginning of 2015.
Birth control with the drug is not achieved using hormones, like the popular female "pill." Vasalgel is a polymer material which is injected, by a physician, into the vas deferens, a tube which carries sperm through the male reproductive system. This material blocks sperm cells from passing through to mix with semen. This same tube is cut during vasectomies, but unlike that procedure, this new technique is easily reversible.
Vasalgel could be available to consumers beginning in 2017, if tests are successful and approval is not delayed. Once implanted, the polymer is designed to last an "extended" period of time.
The Parsemus Foundation, an organization dedicated to developing low-cost health care, created the new drug.
The baboon experiment studied three of the male primates, who were each implanted with the contraceptive. They were then provided with access to between 10 and 15 females each, for a period of six months.
"And the good news? So far no pregnancies. But they will remain with the females for at least a few more weeks just to be sure. We are planning to flush out the Vasalgel - to attempt to reverse it... early next month. Then we will check to see whether sperm start to flow once again," Parsemus Foundation officials wrote in a statement.
A similar product, called RISUG, is undergoing clinical trials in India. There, some men have successfully used the contraceptive device for up to 15 years. Vasalgel is created by a formula compliant with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations.
Cost for an implant is expected to be lower than the $800 average price of an inter-uterine device (IUD), the most-similar option for women.
"A contraceptive shouldn't cost more than a flat-screen TV! It is likely that the cost for the doctor visit will be more than for the product. We'll also work to get it covered by insurance," developers wrote on their website.
Reversal of an implant involves another injection into the tube, causing the contraceptive device to pass through the system.
Birth control pills for women can have a wide range of undesirable side effects. Development of this contraceptive for males could save many monogamous women from taking the pill. Vasalgel does not protect against sexually-transmitted diseases.
The Parsemus Foundation is raising development money through donations to the project.
