15. Male Contraceptives

Question 1

when does the valley of death occur?

Answer 1

Valley of death occurs after discover and preclinical testing and before phase 1

Question 2

“The Valley of Death”

Answer 2

Hundreds of thousands of POTENTIAL drugs die here

Question 3

Contraceptives

Answer 3

any method of preventing pregnancy

Question 4

2 Sites of Sperm Major production and storage

Answer 4

Testis: sperm production
Epididymis: sperm maturation and storage

Question 5

Site of sperm essential glands and fluids

Answer 5

Accessory glands: seminal vesicles, prostate, bulbourethral lubricants, mucus, buffers, sugars, enzymes, ions

Question 6

Site of sperm transfer organs

Answer 6

Vas deferens
Urethra

Question 7

Hormone secreting glands

Answer 7

hypothalamus, pituitary gland, Leydig cells

Question 8

Male contraceptives mostly focus on two main areas of the male sexual anatomy/biology

Answer 8

1. Production, storage and health of sperm
2. Transfer of sperm/semen through male

Question 9

Newer male Non-hormonal contraceptives

Answer 9

1. Heat application to scrotum/testis (Non-hormonal)
2. Gossypol (Non-hormonal)
3. Indenopyridines (Non-hormonal)
4. Adjudin (Non-hormonal)
5. Epididymis based targets (Non-hormonal)

Question 10

Newer male hormonal contraceptives

Answer 10

1. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) (Hormonal)
2. Progestins (Hormonal)

Question 11

Behavioral Challenges in regards to male contraceptives

Answer 11

• Loss of libido
  Doesn’t dramatically affect sexual activity/normal sex practices

Question 12

biological barriers in regards to male contraceptives

Answer 12

• Blood testis barrier – a pharmacokinetic barrier that drugs must go through (similar to the blood brain barrier)
• Reversibility –Any induction of sterility should be reversible
• Contraceptive interventions should be minimally invasive

Question 13

Socio-Economic Challenges in response to male contraceptives

Answer 13

• Current female options are fairly safe and inexpensive
  Difficult to fully estimate the market size for male contraceptives due to existing female ones

Question 14

Funding problems in regards of male contraceptives

Answer 14

• high safety standards
• bad side effects
• risk benefit ratio

Question 15

The Parsemus Foundation

Answer 15

Founded in 2005 to further research on male contraceptives (Founded by Elaine Lissner)

Question 16

VasalgelTM

Answer 16

Long lasting, reversible, non-hormonal male contraceptive that utilizes a polymer that blocks sperm transfer through the vas deferens
Uses technology called RISUG

Question 17

Heat application to scrotum/testis (Non-hormonal)

Answer 17

• High temperature: decreases sperm count and produce infertility

Question 18

Gossypol (Non-hormonal)

Answer 18

Natural product from cotton plants dehydrogenase enzyme inhibitor
- may cause permanent infertility

Question 19

Indenopyridines (Non-hormonal)

Answer 19

Targets sertoli cells and alters their health and function

Question 20

Adjudin (Non-hormonal)

Answer 20

Blocks production of sperm by targeting sertoli cells and disrupting cell adhesion function

Question 21

Epididymis based targets (Non-hormonal)

Answer 21

Targeting sperm: Inhibiting sperm motility & Targeting flagella

Question 22

Research on male contraceptives have dramatically slowed due to a lack of ____

Answer 22

funding

Question 23

Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) (Hormonal)

Answer 23

GnRH antagonists can reduce levels of active and healthy sperm

Question 24

Progestins (Hormonal)

Answer 24

Inhibits GNrH secretion
- bad side effects