A male contraceptive gel has been shown in trials to work for monkeys, and if eventually proven effective for male humans could prove to be a more reliable than condoms and less invasive as a vasectomy.
In a study funded by the Parsemus Foundation the gel, called Vasalgel, was 100 percent effective at preventing conception in monkeys, reported The Guardian.
"The goal of our study was to find out if the procedure is safe, feasible and to find out if it prevents pregnancy," said researcher Marie-Josée Lemoy with the California National Primate Research Center. "After that they have to prove that it's reversible."
In the study, Vasalgel, a polymer-based hydrogrel, was injected into the tube that sperm swim through on their journey to impregnation. The gel essentially blocked the tube acting as a mechanical barrier to the passage of sperm.
The gel prevented pregnancies over a one-year period after 16 male monkeys using the gel mated with female monkeys.
"Men's options for contraception have not changed much in decades," said Catherine VandeVoort, lead author of the study, per The Guardian.
"There’s vasectomy, which is poorly reversible, and condoms. If they knew they could get a reliable contraceptive that could also be reversed I think it would be appealing to them."
Elaine Lissner, executive director of the Parsemus Foundation, told CNN they would like to conduct clinical trials in humans next year and plan to continue further animal trials this year in preparation.
Reversibility of the gel's effect was shown in trials on rabbits, but it was not tested in the new trial on monkeys. A recent trial on baboons failed to reverse the effect.
"Successful reversibility will be the key to make this world-changing," Lissner told CNN.
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