Contraceptive Development Research Center

Dr. John Amory, professor (General Internal Medicine), has been awarded a $7.5 million P50 grant to establish a Contraceptive Development Research Center focused on advancing a first-in-class male contraceptive.

The project, “Reversible Male Contraception via Inhibition of ALDH1A,” will support the development and first-in-human testing of KyA84, a novel oral, non-hormonal, and reversible contraceptive that works by inhibiting ALDH1A, an enzyme critical to sperm production. 

The center will also develop next-generation compounds, accelerating efforts to bring a safe and effective male contraceptive option closer to clinical use.

“These novel male contraceptives work by inhibiting the ability of the testes to produce retinoic acid, which is necessary for sperm production,” said Amory. “Interestingly, this line of research started here in Seattle over 65 years ago. Hopefully, we will be able to bring this idea to the market to help prevent unintended pregnancy, which is still surprisingly common.”