Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a non-profit, has partnered with the pharmaceutical company Eppin Pharma to provide a Program Related Investment (PRI) of up to $800K to support clinical trial activities for the company’s novel short-term, non-hormonal oral male contraceptive pill.
Eppin Pharma’s lead male contraceptive candidate is a small organic compound that binds to EPPIN, a protein on the surface of human sperm, resulting in the loss of the sperm’s ability to properly function. The non-hormonal treatment Eppin Pharma is developing is intended to be fast-acting and does not affect the production of sperm.
MCI’s investment in Eppin Pharma will be used to establish proof-of-concept of safety and feasibility of their contraceptive method as they prepare for human clinical trials. This is an important first step prior to conducting a larger efficacy study required for gaining regulatory approval and widespread consumer access to the therapeutic.
MCI Executive Director Heather Vahdat explains: “We are very excited about adding additional program related investments to our portfolio as a means of accelerating male contraceptive product development through a collaborative, ‘team science’ approach. Returns on these investments will go directly back into supporting research efforts to continue driving the field of non-hormonal male contraception forward. Eppin Pharma is a particularly exciting investment opportunity as they have been integral at advancing the non-hormonal male contraceptive field in an effort to revolutionize family planning by providing reproductive equity to men who still have to rely on only two methods of birth control: condoms and vasectomy.”
Eppin Pharma’s President and CEO Dr. Michael O’Rand adds: “We are grateful to MCI for their dedication to supporting innovation in male contraception and for recognizing the transformative potential of our work. At Eppin Pharma, we are dedicated to developing new options for men who desire to take control of their fertility and we look forward to advancing our method to clinical trials in the near future.”
