Deal Could Lead to Male Birth Control Pill

A Norwegian company seeking to develop a male birth control pill has signed a licensing agreement with the University of Massachusetts Medical School covering research that could lead to a drug to block sperm’s ability to swim and fertilize an egg.

The method that led to the long-term deal announced Monday could expand the decades-long search for a male pill by targeting a protein found only in sperm cells.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester and elsewhere say that approach carries far less risk of side effects than manipulating a man’s hormones, the avenue that has attracted the most research aimed at finding alternatives to condoms and vasectomies.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 1 Feb 2005
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