Durham, NC and Charlottesville, VA – Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, has partnered with the medical device company Contraline, Inc. to provide a $1 million Program Related Investment (PRI) to support a first-in-human clinical trial for the company’s novel vas-occlusive contraceptive device, ADAM™. This is the first PRI from Male Contraceptive Initiative and is representative of the organization’s continued evolution. “We are very excited about adding program related investments to our portfolio as a means of accelerating male contraceptive product development through a “team science” approach. Returns on these investments will go directly back into supporting research efforts to continue driving the field of non-hormonal male contraception forward,” said MCI Executive Director Heather Vahdat. “Contraline is a particularly exciting investment opportunity as they are the first US-based company to bring a novel non-hormonal male contraceptive to the clinical stage; it shows that we are moving closer and closer to realizing a more robust portfolio of contraceptive options that includes more methods for men,” Ms. Vahdat added. Contraline has developed ADAM™, the world’s first injectable hydrogel designed to provide long-lasting barrier contraception for men. ADAM is designed to be inserted into the vas deferens through a quick and minimally invasive outpatient procedure using local anesthesia, where the hydrogel blocks the flow of sperm without affecting sensation or ejaculation. ADAM may be the first set-and-forget male contraceptive method, similar to intrauterine devices (IUDs) for women. MCI’s investment in Contraline will be used to establish proof-of-concept of safety and feasibility of the ADAM device and procedure through a human clinical trial. This is an important first step prior to conducting a larger efficacy study required for gaining regulatory approval and widespread consumer access to the procedure. “We have been excited about Contraline’s technology since 2018, when we provided them with a grant to validate their benchtop and preclinical studies. Given the success of their science to date, we are pleased to expand our collaboration as Contraline continues advancing their male contraceptive towards the clinic,” said MCI Research Director Dr. Logan Nickels. “We are grateful to MCI for their dedication to supporting innovation in male contraception and for recognizing the transformative potential of ADAM,” said Kevin Eisenfrats, Contraline co-founder and chief executive officer. “At Contraline, we are dedicated to developing new options for men who desire to take control of their fertility and we look forward to having our lead product, ADAM, enter the clinic soon.” With over $5 million invested in product development, MCI seeks to advance male contraceptive research projects to market in order to achieve its organizational vision of “Reproductive Autonomy for All”. MCI’s mission is, “To empower men, and couples, to fully contribute to family planning goals by providing them the resources they need for reproductive autonomy.” About Male Contraceptive Initiative: Male Contraceptive Initiative’s vision is “Reproduction Autonomy for All”, and works to accomplish this by bringing new male contraceptives to market. The non-profit accomplishes this through direct funding, technical support, research, and advocacy. They believe that couples deserve options and that they offer the biggest potential impact by focusing on male contraceptives. It’s time men are given more opportunities to contribute toward family planning.
About Contraline: Contraline is a venture-backed medical device company devoted to providing men and couples with long-lasting, safe, and effective contraception. The company is developing ADAMTM, a non-hormonal male contraceptive that uses proprietary advancements in hydrogel technology for occlusion of the vas deferens. The company was founded in 2015 by Kevin Eisenfrats and Dr. John Herr, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia. To learn more, visit http://www.contraline.com/.
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Male Contraceptive Initiative Champions “Reproductive Autonomy for All” on World Contraception Day9/24/2020 Durham, NC - Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a private non-profit foundation, announced their organization’s updated vision statement, “Reproductive Autonomy for All”, to commemorate World Contraception Day 2020. Additionally, MCI announced the translation of this vision statement into a new mission statement: “Male Contraceptive Initiative’s mission is to empower men, and couples, to fully contribute to family planning goals by providing them the resources they need for reproductive autonomy.” With over $3 million invested in non-hormonal male contraceptive product development, MCI seeks to accelerate the time to market for non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptive leads. The organization works to facilitate research and development of male contraceptives for people around the world, as well as to build awareness among researchers, donors, and the general public about the demand for and status of novel non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptive methods. Through its funding efforts, the non-profit has championed this mission in manifold ways: investing in promising product development, providing seed funding to aid groups in overcoming specific hurdles, supporting students and young professionals through fellowships and travel grants, and being a consistent advocate for an increased method mix that includes male contraception. “Our focus is on filling the gap that exists and persists for men when it comes to additional contraceptive methods, but this is really about empowering everyone to choose whether and when to have children, as well as whether and when to use contraception,” said MCI Executive Director Heather Vahdat. “Having a robust method mix with options for men, women, and couples would allow everyone to participate fully in family planning decisions,” she added. Kevin Shane, Marketing & Communications Director at MCI included, “Our vision is a rallying cry and a challenge: we need to ensure that when it comes to contraception we aren’t focused on ‘his’ or ‘hers’, but rather ‘ours’. It’s critical that couples have the resources and products they need to make the best decision for them throughout their entire reproductive journey. Hopefully future ‘World Contraception Days’ celebrate male and female methods equally.” About Male Contraceptive Initiative: Male Contraceptive Initiative works to bring new male contraceptives to market. We accomplish this through direct funding, technical support, research, and advocacy. We believe that couples deserve options and that we offer the biggest potential impact by focusing on male contraceptives. It’s time men are given more opportunities to contribute toward family planning.
Durham, NC – Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), US-based non-profit, announced the release of its first podcast. Titled “Intended”, this multi-episode series explores the past, present, and future of male contraception. The first episodes of the series release on June 10th to coincide with the start of Men’s Health Week.
Durham, NC – Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a private non-profit foundation, announced grants to four institutions including Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) to support research and development of male contraceptive methods, raising their total commitment to male contraception to over $3M USD since 2017.
Durham, NC – Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a private non-profit foundation, announced four grants, including a grant to Emory University’s Steven L’Hernault, professor and chair of biology, to support research and development of male contraceptive methods, raising MCI’s total commitment to male contraception to over $3M USD since 2017.
Durham, NC – Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a private non-profit foundation, announced four grants, including a grant to Eppin Pharma Inc to support research and development of a male contraceptive, raising MCI’s total commitment to male contraception to over $3M USD since 2017.
San Francisco, CA – Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI) hosted its inaugural ideation event at the San Francisco, CA headquarters of IDEO, the world’s leading human-centered design consulting firm. The event convened leading scientists and researchers from the contraceptive development community as well as industry leaders and subject matter experts from diverse fields and practices.
Durham, NC – Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI) has launched a crowdfunding campaign to capitalize on a unique matching grant opportunity that could result in an extra $1,000,000 going towards male contraceptive research. One of the nonprofit’s donors has pledged a $500,000 contribution provided MCI is able to raise an equal amount by the end of 2019.
Durham, NC – Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a private non-profit foundation, announced the release of a Request For Applications for research into innovative approaches towards male contraception. The organization’s mission is to advance the research and development of non-hormonal and reversible male methods of contraception.
Durham, NC – Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a private non-profit foundation based in Raleigh, NC, has released its first consumer research study. It is considered the largest survey in the United States in the last ten years exclusive to sexually active men ages 18-44 to better understand their attitudes, needs and motivations regarding the future of male contraception as a family planning method.
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