A short-term evaluation of semen and accessory sex gland function in phase III trial subjects receiving intravasal contraceptive RISUG.

Following the intravasal injection of a new male contraceptive RISUG (reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance) in volunteers, routine semen analysis, semen biochemistry and germ cell morphology were evaluated in comparison with the corresponding preinjection samples for a maximum period of 6 months. Sperm counts in all 25 subjects before injection varied from 45 to 120 x 10(6)/ml. Out of 25 subjects, 6 became azoospermic after 1 month, 15 after 2 months, 3 after 3 months and 1 after 4 months of contraceptive injection. The mean volume of the ejaculates was found to be less as compared to preinjection samples. Occasional sperm or sperm heads and immature germ cells were identified in only a few postinjected subjects. However, no pregnancy was reported in these subjects during the study period. Abnormal morphology found in most of the sperm, but not in the accompanying immature germ cells, may be due to a charge-related effect on the former but not on the latter cells. Neutral alpha-glucosidase, the biochemical marker for epididymis, was estimated to be significantly lower in the seminal plasma of all the postinjected subjects. On the other hand, acid phosphatase activity and fructose levels in the seminal plasma were found to be in the normal range. Based on the above findings, it is concluded that at least for the present study period, RISUG, a new male contraceptive, is effective as a partially occluding agent in the vas deferens.

Phase II clinical trial of a vas deferens injectable contraceptive for the male.

Following up on an earlier clinical trial demonstrating the safety of an intra-vas deferens injection of a contraceptive drug named Risug, comprised of styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) in a solvent vehicle of dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO), a study to assess the contraceptive effectiveness of a specific dose (60 mg) of SMA bilaterally was planned and implemented. Male subjects and their wives with normal reproductive profiles were the volunteer subjects. The wives were not using any contraceptives. The results reconfirm the safety and show that for a period of at least 1 year, the treatment leads to azoospermia in the male and gives pregnancy protection.

PIP: A Phase I clinical trial documented the safety of an intra-vas deferens injection of a contraceptive agent (Risug) containing up to 140 mg of styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) in a solvent vehicle of dimethylsulfoxide. This Phase II study sought to determine whether a single injection of a fixed dose of SMA into the lumen of the vas deferens controls fertility for a period of at least 12 months. 12 male subjects whose wives were not using a contraceptive method were administered 60 mg of SMA bilaterally. This regimen produced sustained azoospermia in all 12 subjects, with no changes in other parameters over the course of the 12-month study period. Spermatozoa all along the length of the vas deferens appeared to be inactivated immediately following injection. No pregnancies were reported. The findings confirm the safety of this method and indicate that the treatment leads to azoospermia for at least 1 year.