Revolution Contraceptives receives $200K grant from MCI for Vasalgel™ development

​Durham, NC – Revolution Contraceptives has received a $200,000 grant from Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a private non-profit foundation in Raleigh, North Carolina, to support a preclinical formula screening and reversibility study of Vasalgel, its vas-occlusive contraception product.

Revolution Contraceptives will use this funding to advance Vasalgel toward human trials. The planned evaluations will be based on contraceptive effectiveness, procedural simplicity, reversibility, and safety. This proof-of-concept study will build on results from earlier preclinical studies and should support a future application for clinical trials in men.

Vasalgel is intended to be a long-acting, non-hormonal contraceptive with a significant advantage over vasectomy in that it is likely to be more reversible. The procedure is similar to a no-scalpel vasectomy, except the vas deferens (the tube the sperm swim through) is injected with a gel, rather than being cut as is done in vasectomy. If a man wishes to restore the flow of sperm, whether after months or years, the polymer may be flushed out of the vas with another injection.

“Supporting research and development of non-hormonal, reversible male contraception methods is core to MCI’s mission and vision,” said MCI Executive Director Heather Vahdat. “We are excited at the prospect of collaborating with and supporting Revolution Contraceptives as they continue studying the effectiveness and viability of Vasalgel. The dearth of method mix for male options is a considerable burden for couples wishing to contracept, and we feel very strongly that vas-occlusive products like Vasalgel will make a huge, positive difference.”

“MCI’s generous support will increase our ability to provide men with a revolutionary new birth control option,” said Revolution Contraceptives CEO Edward Gillis.

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About Revolution Contraceptives: Revolution Contraceptives has a social mission of empowering men worldwide to better control their reproduction with a reliable, safe, cost-effective, and reversible contraceptive. The company’s first contraceptive product, Vasalgel, is in development; see more information at revolutioncontraceptives.com. Revolution Contraceptives was spun off from the Parsemus Foundation, which works to create meaningful improvements in human and animal health and welfare by advancing innovative and neglected medical research. Contact Ben Carlson at Revolution Contraceptives for additional details: media@revolutioncl.org, 415-497-9342.

About Male Contraceptive Initiative: The 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.