Male Birth Control.

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How Plan A™ Works

Plan A™ is being designed to finally bring non-hormonal, long-lasting, and reversible male contraception to the world.

The Plan A™ design utilizes Vasalgel® - a proprietary hydrogel that is intended to stop the flow of sperm through the vas deferens, the tubes that transport sperm. Instead of permanently cutting the vas deferens, as in a vasectomy, the hydrogel is designed to act as a flexible filter that blocks the flow of sperm.

Vasalgel® is designed to then be removed on-demand and flushed out of the vas through a simple follow-up clinic visit - in order to restore the previous flow of sperm for the patient.

Plan A™ utilizes Vasalgel®, a proprietary hydrogel that is intended to stop the flow of sperm through the vas deferens. It is designed to be administered in a quick, outpatient procedure that is similar to that of a no-scalpel vasectomy - except instead of permanently cutting the vas deferens, as in a vasectomy, the hydrogel would act as a flexible filter that stops the flow of sperm. This design approach was chosen to make Plan A™ reliably reversible through a simple follow-up visit.
The mission of NEXT Life Sciences is to develop a reversible, long-lasting male contraceptive. Preclinical studies have provided preliminary support for rapid restoration of sperm flow after Vasalgel® was dissolved and flushed from the vas deferens.
NEXT Life Sciences is working to bring Plan A™ to the world as soon as clinical studies are completed and marketing authorization has been granted. For updates and news about our progress, please join our email list!
Plan A™ is being developed to work for all men looking to prevent unintended pregnancy! Qualified providers will be able to consult on medical eligibility once Plan A™ is available. Plan A™ is currently investigational, so it will only be available through clinical trial participation until it receives the necessary marketing authorization to be distributed commercially. NEXT Life Sciences aims to train qualified providers and make the product accessible for men globally as soon as marketing authorizations are obtained.
Plan A™ is currently investigational, so it will only be available through clinical trial participation until it receives the necessary marketing authorization to be distributed commercially. NEXT Life Sciences aims to train qualified providers and make the product accessible for men globally as soon as marketing authorizations are obtained. We continue to work toward the goal of equal health insurance coverage of contraceptive options for both men and women in the future.
Unlike a vasectomy which involves permanently cutting the vas deferens, Plan A™ is designed to work with the biocompatible hydrogel acting as a flexible filter to stop the flow of sperm. Following a traditional vasectomy, pressure on the epididymis is a common cause of discomfort that some males experience. Vasalgel® was designed to result in reduced pressure on the epididymis compared to a traditional vasectomy.
There is a clear difference in the mechanisms of action between Plan A™ and vasectomy. Vasectomy relies on the cutting and cauterization (burning) of tissue which leads to necrosis (tissue death), resulting in stimulators of inflammation and pain as the body deals with this wound response.
A major breakthrough of Plan A™ is that there is no destruction of tissues, which is expected to significant decrease or eliminate any downtime or discomfort. Plan A™ is designed to be seamlessly delivered into the lumen (hollow part) of the vas deferens without destroying vas tissue. Plan A™ is designed to be soft, accommodative, and form in place to become a filter for sperm.
Plan A™ is being designed for male contraception, not STD protection. We recommend using other methods for STD protection, such as condoms, in conjunction with Plan A™ for contraception once it becomes available.
The Vasalgel® technology used in Plan A™ is designed to filter out sperm without restricting the flow of other seminal fluids. It is expected to have no noticeable effect on ejaculation volume or consistency.
Sperm filtered by Vasalgel® are absorbed naturally back into the body. This is a similar process that happens for the millions of men who have had a vasectomy. The male body (vasectomy or not) naturally is in a constant process of recycling unejaculated sperm and creating new sperm in a process called spermatogenesis.
The Vasalgel® hydrogel used in Plan A™ is designed to be long-acting. Current studies on a similar formulation indicate the potential for over 10 years of protection. The standard duration will be determined through upcoming clinical testing.
RISUG and Vasagel® are both hydrogel-forming solutions made with styrene maleic acid (SMA) with slight proprietary differences. RISUG is the precursor to Vasalgel which was optimized by the Parsemus Foundation through a rigorous effort to refine the hydrogel formulation for performance, consistency, and scalability. NEXT Life Sciences now holds the exclusive license for the Vasalgel formulation and is using it in the Plan A Male Contraceptive System.
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Need for

Current options for birth control focus mostly on female fertility, burdening women with a majority of the responsibility for reproductive planning. Negative side effects and health risks associated with these options have also led almost half of all females in the US to discontinue their use.

Male birth control options have traditionally been limited to vasectomy, condoms, and withdrawal. Vasectomy is effective but reversal is expensive and unpredictable. Condoms reduce disease transmission, but their pregnancy protection failure rate in typical use is 18%. The withdrawal method typically has an even higher failure rate.

The development of a non-hormonal, long-lasting, and reversible male birth control option would offer a greater choice of control for both individuals and couples when planning their future.