Male Contraception Compound & Assay Development
Each year, there are over 120 million unintended pregnancies experienced around the world. Contraception is an integral part to family planning, but today the burden of managing contraception falls disproportionately on women. Men currently have only two options for contraception, condoms and vasectomy. This lack of options for men negatively impacts everyone.
Venn’s PRI to the University of Minnesota under a new technology transfer funding model aims to identify suitable targets for male contraception with the goal of developing a safe, non-hormonal, reversible method for male contraception.
Four STrATeGIES for Male Contraception
1) Spermatogenesis
Impede the creation of viable sperm
2) Sperm Transport
Impede the ability of sperm to leave the male body
3) Sperm Motility
Impede the ability of sperm to swim
4) Fertilization
Impede the ability of sperm to fertilize the egg
PROMISING Research On SPERM MOtility
University of Minnesota research has shown that a unique form of the Na+ and K+ transport system, “NKAα4,” which is only expressed in male germ cells of the testis, is critical for male fertility.
Deletion of NKAα4 in mice causes complete infertility in males but not females. Sperm from NKAα4 null mice are almost immotile, lack hyperactive motility, have altered intracellular Na+ and Ca+2 levels, membrane potential, and pH, all of which contribute to blocking sperm fertility.
Next Steps
With NKAα4 as a validated target, there is a unique opportunity to develop a pharmaceutical agent that will be useful for male contraception.
Dr. Gunda Georg’s laboratory in the University of Minnesota Department of Medicinal Chemistry will use these funds to identify compounds that selectivity inhibit NKAα4 and sperm function, have suitable pharmacological properties, and will be ready to be advanced to NIH-funded in vivo studies to assess their PK properties, reduction of sperm motility, and contraception in mouse models.
Additionally, in order to more efficiently and accurately assess needed properties of candidate analogs, Dr. Georg’s lab will develop a high throughput in vitro assay to rapidly assess the potency and selectivity of synthesized compounds.
Gunda Georg, Ph.D.
Regents Professor and Department Head
Department of Medicinal Chemistry
University of Minnesota
Recipient Name: University of Minnesota Technology Commercialization
Amount Raised: $345,000
Overview of Investment Terms:
Variation of Recoverable Grant
If the University earns revenue from the license, the University will split it with Venn on a 50/50 basis up until a maximum 3X return of the original Venn funding.