Weill Cornell Medicine landed an $8.2 million federal grant to push an on-demand male contraceptive pill toward its first human trial. The pill works by temporarily immobilizing sperm within 30 minutes and offers 6–8 hours of protection, with fertility returning to normal afterward. It could be a game-changer for shared family planning.
Weill Cornell Medicine has secured a four-year, $8.2 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to advance an on-demand male contraceptive pill toward its first human clinical trial. Led by pharmacology professors Dr. Jochen Buck and Dr. Lonny Levin, the pill works by blocking an enzyme called soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC), which temporarily renders sperm immobile — with effects kicking in within 30 minutes and lasting 6–8 hours before fertility returns to normal.
Unlike other male contraceptives in development — which require daily pills, daily gels, or long-acting injections — this on-demand approach lets men tailor contraception to their needs. The next steps include developing an oral formulation, establishing manufacturing protocols, and running a phase 1 placebo-controlled trial in healthy men to evaluate safety and confirm the reversibility of the effect.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: With contraception burden historically falling on women, a safe, reversible, on-demand male option could meaningfully shift family planning dynamics — giving couples more shared control over reproductive decisions.
