男性避孕一次10年!! 保險套/結紮 再見? 社會企業開發Vasalgel 高分子阻隔精子

男性避孕藥即將問世 1針效果達數年 中央商情網-2015年06月22日 下午20:59 （中央社倫敦2015年6月22日綜合外電報導）美國醫療研究機構帕薩默斯基金會（The Parsemus Foundation）研發出男性避孕藥Vasalgel，料將成為繼保險套之後首度獲得美國食品暨藥物管理局（FDA）批准的男性避孕法。英國「每日電訊報」（Telegraph）報導，這款非荷爾蒙男性避孕藥估計將於2018年至2020年前後上市，可望改變人們對避孕的觀點。這種避孕方式很簡單，男性只要注射1劑，避孕效果可長達數年。研究指出，至少半數男性有意嘗試。Vasalgel本質為1種聚合物，男性接受局部麻醉後注射入輸精管，而非陰莖或睪丸，藉由阻隔精子發揮避孕作用，若想恢復生殖能力，只要再次注射能夠溶解這種聚合物的藥劑即可。透過2016年開始的醫學試驗，將能確切得知這款避孕藥的效期，以及能否徹底逆轉。注射Vasalgel的另1項優點是阻隔精子的同時，其他體液仍可通過輸精管，應可降低內壓產生的任何疼痛風險，男性接受輸精管結紮術後，有時可能因內部壓力上升出現疼痛現象。這可能使這種男性避孕藥備受歡迎，即便是有意尋求終身避孕的男性，也可能選擇這種方式。男性可透過保險套以外方式肩負起避孕責任，足以改變女性一生，這可能取代或補強女性現有的避孕方式，雙方同時採取避孕措施，效果肯定較僅一方避孕來得好。對伴侶和單身男女而言，這款男性避孕藥都是改變局勢的關鍵，因為它讓兩性共同肩負起避孕重擔。不過，新的男性避孕法問世，並不代表保險套就要走入歷史。保險套在防堵性傳染病方面，仍將扮演重要角色。（譯者：中央社劉文瑜）

Vasalgel™ is a polymer gel injected into the vas deferens, rather than cutting the vas (as is done in vasectomy). Its main advantage over vasectomy: It is hoped that it will be more readily reversible than vasectomy: if a man wishes to restore fertility, whether after months or years, the polymer would be flushed out of the vas with another injection. This method could thus be ideal for men who think they are finished having children but would like the chance to change their minds in case of remarriage or the death of a child—and it could possibly even be appropriate for men who want child-spacing or young men who want to complete their schooling before having children. Vasalgel uses a similar technique as RISUG® (in advanced clinical trials in India). Development of this new polymer had to start from the beginning to produce a product at a large scale that could achieve regulatory approval. Preclinical studies include 12 months of successful results in rabbits with primate studies ongoing. The goal is to have it on the market as an alternative to vasectomy as soon as possible, with a first clinical trial beginning in 2015 or 2016 depending on regulatory approvals. Vasalgel is being developed as a "social venture," a company that makes enough money to stay afloat but not to make anybody rich, with affordable pricing and wide availability as its mandate. The foundation sponsoring it is moving fast on getting the first steps done, but won't have enough money to finish the project and will be turning to the public to crowdfund the clinical trials. You can help!