Men's interest in contraception has increased in recent years, especially since the United States overturned Roe v. Wade, which protected a woman's right to have an abortion. Since then, states have tried to make abortion nearly impossible, and there has been an increased focus on contraceptives to give both men and women more control over family planning. This conversation led to the topic of male contraception. It's something that doctors probably haven't fully mastered up until now.
Kevin Eisenfratz is the founder of Contraline, a company that has developed a male contraceptive pill in the form of a non-hormonal sperm-blocking gel that is injected into the scrotum. Einsfrats spoke on TechCrunch's Found podcast about the creation of the company, the medical tests that went into it, and the medical innovations he had to create to make it all possible.
“Believe it or not, people have actually been working on developing male contraceptives since the introduction of female contraceptives in 1960,” Einfratz told Found. “So it's not like this is a forgotten field of research. It's just that the science is really, really hard.”
Einfratz was inspired to start the company after watching the MTV show “16 and Pregnant.'' Years later, Contraline's latest product, ADAM, is entering clinical trials in Australia, a country that has so far been the most open to the idea of male contraception. He plans to head to the United States soon, preparing for the lengthy FDA approval process. So far, Einfratz says he hasn't had much trouble raising money, saying he's had a lot of support given the political climate in the U.S., and that the debate has only increased interest in his work. Stated.
“We are attracting a certain type of investor who is really here for the long term,” he continued.
He also talked about the importance of hiring the right team when it comes to products like this, and discussed some of the challenges that come with being the founder of a medical startup. For him in particular, getting to the right hypothesis included regulatory hurdles, funding, and medical hypothesis testing.
He said all the hardships have made him and his team stronger, hinting that he would like to expand into Europe and other markets one day. He also hopes to find ways to use his technology to address other types of reproductive health issues that remain unsolved and develop non-hormonal female contraceptives. Told.
“We want to address these unresolved reproductive health issues,” he said. “We are willing to take risks that others are unwilling to take.”