Pills for men
At the 100th Annual Meeting of the Endocrinological Society ENDO 2018, which is taking place in Chicago these days, the results of a study of a new oral contraceptive for men were reported.
The drug DMAU (dimethandrolone undecanoate) combines the effects of the male sex hormone testosterone and the female – from the progestin group. It must be taken once a day.
Work on the creation of a contraceptive for men has been going on for a long time, but so far it has not been possible to create a safe remedy. Forms of testosterone for oral administration have a damaging effect on the liver. In addition, they are excreted from the body too quickly, so they require taking at least twice a day. DMAU is devoid of these disadvantages due to the presence of undecanoate, a long–chain fatty acid, in its composition.
Stephanie Page and her colleagues from the University of Washington conducted a study of an experimental drug, which involved 100 healthy men aged 18 to 50 years. The tested doses were different: 100, 200 and 400 mg. Each of the three groups consisted of five people who were randomly assigned to receive a placebo, and 12-15 people who received an active drug. Each subject received one tablet a day with meals for 28 days.
The study was completed by 83 people. Each of them gave a blood sample twice (at the beginning and end of the study) to analyze the hormonal background, cholesterol levels and other parameters.
In the group of men who received a high dose of DMAU (400 mg), there was a moderate suppression of the synthesis of testosterone and two more hormones that are necessary for sperm production. According to previously conducted long-term studies, such suppression of sperm production provides an effective contraceptive effect.
Despite the decrease in testosterone levels, the study participants did not notice any symptoms characteristic of a deficiency of male sex hormones.
The drug also had side effects: all the subjects who took DMAU gained weight, and the level of "good" cholesterol – high-density lipoproteins - decreased in their blood. But these phenomena were poorly expressed. The levels of enzymes signaling the state of the kidneys and liver were normal.
Larger and longer-term studies of the efficacy and safety of the new drug are currently being planned.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru according to the Endocrine Society: Dimethandrolone undecanoate shows promise as a male birth control pill.