SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--YourChoice Therapeutics, a San Francisco biotech startup developing the first hormone-free male birth control pill, announced today that Gunda Georg, YCT-529’s co-inventor, provided an update on its phase 1a clinical study for the first hormone-free male birth control pill, YCT-529, at the American Chemical Society (ACS) 2024 Spring Meeting. The ACS meeting is being held in New Orleans and concludes on March 21, 2024.
Dr. Georg provided details about YCT-529, a drug discovered in her group that has progressed into a phase 1 study, which began in December 2023. Her presentation, “Discovery and development of a male pill: Are we finally getting there?” was on March 18. The phase 1a study investigates the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of single, ascending oral doses of YCT-529 in 16 participants. YourChoice Therapeutics expects to complete the study by mid-2024.
“The phase 1a study for YCT-529 is progressing well,” said Gunda Georg, PhD, Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota’s College of Pharmacy and founding director of the Institutes for Therapeutics Discovery and Development. “March is the mid-point of the study. It’s also Women’s History Month, creating an opportunity to highlight the need for contraceptive equity. The future of pregnancy prevention is shared responsibility. I’m pleased to be a part of that future.”
YCT-529 is a hormone-free birth control candidate currently under investigation. It prevents sperm production by blocking access to a form of vitamin A, called retinoic acid, in the testes. Multiple independent studies validate the mechanism of action, which researchers identified decades ago. Preclinical studies in mice showed that YCT-529 was as effective or better than the human female birth control pill in preventing pregnancies and 100% reversible without side effects.
“Men and women want more birth control options, and they want them to be hormone-free,” said Akash Bakshi, co-founder and CEO of YourChoice Therapeutics. “Gunda’s work to deliver the first hormone-free birth control pill is ground-breaking and could shepherd a transformative—and much needed—shift toward shared responsibility, choice, and reproductive equality. Men want to help, and we’re working collaboratively with Gunda to give them more options to do so.”
About YCT-529
Researchers have understood for decades that vitamin A is essential for male fertility. YCT-529 is a retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR-alpha) inhibitor that prevents the production of sperm cells in the testes as well as their release by blocking RAR-alpha (one of three nuclear receptors that bind retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A). Several preclinical studies have shown that YCT-529 is 99% effective at preventing mouse pregnancies and 100% reversible. YourChoice Therapeutics developed YCT-529 in collaboration with Dr. Gunda Georg, a globally recognized medicinal chemist, and awardee of one of the largest NIH-funded Contraceptive Centers. The Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI) has been committed to funding the early research and YCT-529’s Phase 1a clinical trial in men, which is underway at Quotient Sciences in the UK. More information about the trial can be found at clinicaltrials.gov, NCT06094283.
About YourChoice Therapeutics
YourChoice Therapeutics is an early-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing the first hormone-free birth control pill for men. Based in San Francisco, the company is currently studying YCT-529 in a Phase 1a clinical trial. In preclinical studies, YCT-529 performed as effectively or better than the female birth control pill. Future programs will apply the company’s patented therapeutic platform to develop hormone-free family-planning products for women. Established in 2018, the company raised a $15M Series A in 2022. For more information, visit www.yourchoicetx.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.
