Our grantee Contraline has invented a proprietary hydrogel called ADAM™ that is implanted into the vas deferens through a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure.

​The hydrogel works by blocking sperm from traveling through the vas deferens. Similar to intrauterine devices (IUDs) for women, Contraline’s contraceptive is designed to last for years and be reversible. MCI’s support will be used by Contraline to prepare for filing with the FDA and initiating first-in-human trials.

Our grantee Dr. Wei Yan and his team of researchers have developed a new compound derived from a Chinese herb called the Thunder God vine (Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F).

​The compound works by causing the head of sperm to be malformed such that they are not able to connect with and fertilize a female egg. This effect only occurs while the compound is consumed, and normal function is fully restored after discontinuing use. MCI’s support allowed Dr. Yan and his team to exploring the effects of the compound and publish their results.

Our grantee Dr. Mario Buffone has been working in the field of sperm physiology for two decades. His lab seeks to understand the complex process of mammalian sperm capacitation, the change sperm undergo in the female reproductive tract that enables them to penetrate and fertilize an egg.

​Dr. Buffone is working to screen and identify drugs that are able to prevent the capacitation and therefore render sperm incapable of fertilizing an egg. MCI is supporting the Buffone lab’s studies with the intent of moving towards in vivo preclinical studies.

Our grantee Dr. Rahima Benhabbour designs and fabricates delivery platforms for HIV prevention, cancer treatment, and contraception.

​Dr. Benhabbour launched her first start-up AnelleO, Inc. in 2016, focusing on developing 3D-printed intravaginal rings for the treatment of infertility. MCI’s support will help facilitate studies that develop and implement an injectable device that can carry drug and translate into human studies.

Our grantee Dr. Gunda Georg’s group has published over 200 scientific articles on the design, synthesis, and evaluation of biologically active agents. In addition to male contraception, her lab investigates areas of cancer and female contraception.

​Dr. Georg's lab has focused on investigating the testis-specific serine kinase (TSSK) family. These proteins are expressed after sperm have been developed, and are likely involved in multiple steps that could make them excellent contraceptive targets. MCI’s support will help Dr. Georg’s team investigate the sperm-specific isoform of Na,K-ATPase, which is crucial for sperm motility (e.g., sperm’s ability to swim).

Our grantee Dr. Mike O’Rand is the President and Chief Scientific Officer of Eppin Pharma, named after the protein EPPIN which is a critical component of sperm development.

​Dr. O’Rand is developing a compound called EP055, a small organic compound that that targets EPPIN on the surface of sperm and prevents sperm from swimming. MCI’s support will help support Dr. O’Rand Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling milestones that are required for Eppin Pharma to begin the process of entering first-in-man studies for EP055.

Our grantee Dr. Stephen L’Hernault and his lab have worked on spermatogenesis (i.e., sperm creation) and fertilization for over 30 years.

​Dr. L’Hernault is working on developing compounds that can block the function of the IZUMO1 protein, which is required to fertilize an egg. MCI’s support will help Dr. L’Hernault’s team to identify small compounds that reversibly block the function of the IZUMO1 protein.

Our Fellowship program features a mix of graduate and postdoctoral trainees, all working towards creating non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptive methods.

​Our Fellows work on a diverse portfolio of projects that help move the male birth control forward. Our support allows our distinguished Fellows to focus on the research, publish data, and build the background they need to sustain a long career as an investigator.

Our grantee Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS) provides health care to nearly 115,000 people and health education to more than 99,000 people across a five-state region (Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) in the United States.

​With MCI’s support, PPNCS will engage in critical market research activities by using mixed methods surveys to engage critical stakeholders on their reproductive health needs and desires in hopes that this will help inform research and product development activities.

Our Consumer Research Study was the largest survey in the United States in the past decade exclusive to sexually active men ages 18-44 and focused on developing a better understanding of their attitudes, needs and motivations regarding the future of male birth control.

​Developing a keen understanding of the family planning interests of communities domestically and internationally is a critical component of our market research activities. Our support of market research activities helps our grantees better understand the needs of those they’re developing contraceptives for, while framing the demand for male birth control methods in the general public.

Our Shared Risk publication advocates for creating a new ethical framework for assessing risks and benefits for new forms of male birth control.

​Currently, the risks associated with pregnancy focus solely on the physical. As women are the only ones capable of physically bringing a baby to term, current thinking prevents a fair assessment of the risks men face when it comes to pregnancy. Our work is a necessary step towards reframing the concept of risk such that it creates a mandate for providing more and better male birth control methods.

Our Ideation Events bring together diverse, multi-disciplinary groups of subject matter experts in order to identify opportunities and challenges for the male birth control industry, while driving collaboration and innovation.

​Our initial ideation events have greatly aided in developing a shared understanding of how best to move the male birth control field forward, and helped us to create a network of collaborators to champion “Team Science” as a development mandate. Our support allows participants to engage in innovative problem-solving activities as they build professional relationships to help accelerate their work.

Our Lemonade Stand Webinar Series explores various aspects of the work necessary to develop the next generation of non-hormonal, reversible male contraception.

​Launched in response to the demand amongst the research community for more opportunities to engage and collaborate, our monthly webinars convene subject matter experts and the general public alike. Our support helps facilitate expanding people’s understanding of the male birth control field, demystify the science behind male contraception, and allow people to engage with each other more intimately.

Our audio series “Intended” is the only podcast solely dedicated to exploring the fascinating world of male birth control.

The series features interviews with a holistic set of stakeholders representing all facets of male birth control research and development, as well as the people seeking additional male methods of contraception in an effort to make the science of male contraceptives more accessible while also illustrating the interest in and demand for male birth control.