Male Contraceptive Initiative Supports the Launch of Plan A™ Male Birth Control
NEXT Life Sciences is announcing its partnership with Male Contraceptive Initiative, the largest 501(c)(3) non-profit in the world dedicated to advancing male contraception. This partnership includes a grant of $400K to NEXT to support clinical trial research toward Plan A™, being developed as a long-acting, non-hormonal, reversible contraceptive method.
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON AP News
FEBRUARY 2024
MCI grants $400K to support NEXT’s clinical trial research.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NEXT Life Sciences, Inc. (NEXT) is announcing its partnership with Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), the largest 501(c)(3) non-profit in the world dedicated to advancing male contraception. This partnership includes a grant of $400K to NEXT to support clinical trial research toward Plan A™, being developed as a long-acting, non-hormonal, reversible contraceptive method. This grant follows a successful fundraising round led by Bolt.com founder Ryan Breslow and The Family, with participation from Transform VC and a combination of angel investors and early-stage venture funds.
“We’re thrilled and extremely grateful to MCI for their commitment to excellence and innovation in the male contraceptive space,” said NEXT Life Sciences Founder and CEO L.R. Fox. “NEXT is dedicated to developing a contraceptive solution that will finally meet men’s need for long-term effectiveness, convenient reversibility, and ease of access. We want to improve the quality of life for men and couples by giving men equitable access to participate in family planning with an option like Plan A™. This investment from MCI will help accelerate our progress towards those goals.”
“NEXT Life Sciences represents an exciting partnership opportunity. They have been integral at advancing the non-hormonal male contraceptive field in an effort to provide reproductive equity to all people, and particularly men who, despite all the incredible efforts to date, still only have two methods of birth control: condoms and vasectomy,” said MCI Executive Director Heather Vahdat, MPH. “The number of men and their partners expressing the desire for male contraceptive options continues to increase, and part of MCI’s dedication to accelerating product development includes thinking proactively about how to ensure a variety of delivery options. We are pleased to be able to get behind the talent and energy of NEXT Life Sciences in order to achieve a real vision for a shared contraceptive future.”
“We have been excited about the progress of the Plan A™ technology since 2019, when we provided an initial grant to advance the work of Vasalgel®, the hydrogel in Plan A™. Given the success of their science to date, we are pleased to expand our collaboration as NEXT Life Sciences represents an exciting device-based, non-hormonal male contraceptive method.” continued MCI Chief Research Officer Logan Nickels, PhD. “It is critically important that we develop, in parallel, a robust and diverse mix of contraceptive products for men in order to ensure that individual’s unique needs and interests are meaningfully addressed by the next generation of male contraception. NEXT Life Sciences and their product Plan A™ represent an exciting opportunity to do just this by providing a device-based, long-acting, and reversible contraceptive for male users.”
“Plan A™ will be a great addition to the family planning options involving men and couples looking to prevent pregnancy,” said Dr. Aaron Tabor, Chief Technology Officer, NEXT Life Sciences. “With the advances we’ve made in testing and confirming the long-term durability of Plan A™, we’re thrilled to have this support from MCI to bring this technology to the world.”
“The landscape for contraception is rapidly changing, and as more men get involved in family planning, they need more options,” said Dr. Robert Kellar, Chief Science Officer at NEXT Life Sciences. “Our team at NEXT Life Sciences is extremely excited to get started on the funded work which is designed to help accelerate our technology to commercialization.”
Plan A™ is being developed by NEXT Life Sciences as a male contraceptive that would be administered during a quick outpatient procedure in which a biocompatible hydrogel, Vasalgel®, is placed within the vas deferens (the tubes that carry sperm), creating a flexible filter that prevents the flow of sperm. Plan A™ is designed to create up to 10 years of pregnancy prevention with the allowance for reversibility at any time through a second procedure to dissolve the gel.
Following the acquisition of the worldwide license to Vasalgel® in 2022 from the Parsemus Foundation, NEXT Life Sciences has pushed the technology forward, optimizing it into Plan A™, to bring it through FDA marketing authorization and finally to market. Backed by renowned clinicians and researchers within the contraceptive and hydrogel communities, the company has plans to start clinical trials for Plan A™ in 2024, followed by submission to the FDA for marketing authorization.
About NEXT Life Sciences: NEXT Life Sciences, Inc. (NEXT) is a medical device company striving to transform lives through the development of its lead program, Plan A™, designed to provide a non-hormonal, long-lasting, and reversible contraceptive solution for men. NEXT’s executive management team and board members have a proven track record of leadership across early-stage research, product development, and global commercialization, having served in leadership roles at successful medical device and contraceptive companies that developed and launched products that achieved iconic status. For more information, visit www.nextlifesciences.org and www.planaformen.com.
About Male Contraceptive Initiative: Male Contraceptive Initiative’s vision is “Reproduction Autonomy for All”, and works to accomplish this by bringing new male contraceptives to market. The non-profit accomplishes this through direct funding, technical support, research, and advocacy. They believe that couples deserve options and that they offer the biggest potential impact by focusing on male contraceptives. It’s time men are given more opportunities to contribute toward family planning. Please visit their website for more information: www.malecontraceptive.org.
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Male birth control maker raises $2.5 million to develop “Plan A”
Next Life Sciences has raised $2.5 million to develop a male contraceptive product called Plan A, which could become a nonsurgical alternative to vasectomies.
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON Axios
JANUARY 2024
Next Life Sciences has raised $2.5 million to develop a male contraceptive product called Plan A, which could become a nonsurgical alternative to vasectomies.
Why it matters: This could help balance family-planning responsibilities that fall disproportionately on women.
Zoom in: Plan A is being pitched as a medical device instead of as a drug, which Next Life Sciences CEO L.R. Fox says should reduce the time and expense of clinical trials that begin later this year.
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE ON Axios
Male contraceptive under development blocks sperm with quick injection, easily reversible
Vasectomies and condoms have traditionally been the only ways men can use contraception, but a Los Angeles-based health startup wants to change that.
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON New York Post
JANUARY 2024
Vasectomies and condoms have traditionally been the only ways men can use contraception, but a Los Angeles-based health startup wants to change that.
NEXT Life Sciences is pioneering Plan A, a procedure in which men pay a 10-minute visit to a doctor to receive an injection of a hydrogel into the vas deferens — the 30-centimeter tube that transports sperm.
Once injected, the hydrogel morphs into a semi-solid, thick, and sticky substance that filters sperm out of semen during ejaculation — maintaining its efficacy for 10 years, according to the company.
“It’s all of the juice and none of the seed,” L.R. Fox, the 29-year-old founder and CEO of NEXT Life Sciences, told The Post.
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The Family Leads NEXT Life Sciences $2.5 Million Funding Round for Plan A Male Birth Control
Ryan Breslow joins as a Strategic Advisor to bring male birth control to market.
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON Associated Press
JANUARY 2024
LOS ANGELES—NEXT Life Sciences, the maker of the male contraceptive product Plan A™, announced today that it has secured an oversubscribed $2.5M round of funding to help advance its mission of bringing Plan A™ to market. The Family, a high-impact startup accelerator led the round with participation from Transform VC and a combination of angel investors and early-stage Venture funds including entrepreneur Brock Pierce, Transform VC, StartupHealth, Pay It Forward Venture Capital, Particular Ventures, Keno Peer, Unpopular Ventures, and Joy Fund, bringing total seed funding to date to $4M.
The Family’s founder Ryan Breslow who is known for building the multi-billion-dollar company Bolt and his newest venture Love.com, will join NEXT Life Sciences as a strategic advisor and provide insights needed to bring Plan A™ to market.
“My mission for Family is to back top founders working on truly world-changing products and bring them to market more quickly,” said The Family Founder Ryan Breslow. “Plan A™ is unleashing bodily autonomy; it’s giving men the ability to share responsibility over long-term contraceptive decisions. I’m all-in.”
“We couldn’t be more thrilled that the Family recognizes the potential impact for Plan A™ and we’re honored to welcome Ryan as a strategic advisor to help guide our team as we work to bring a revolutionary contraception to the market,” said NEXT Life Sciences, Inc. Founder and CEO L. R. Fox. “With Plan A™, our goal is to change lives by giving men the ability to participate equally in family planning, so that couples have a more equitable relationship and the tools needed to be intentional about their futures.”
NEXT is developing Plan A™ to be a non-hormonal, long-acting, and reversible on-demand, contraceptive for men. The design of Plan A utilizes a hydrogel that acts as a flexible filter to block the flow of sperm within the male vas deferens, preventing pregnancy. The hydrogel used within Plan A™ is commonly known as Vasalgel®, a technology that earned significant attention during its 10 years of development with the non-profit Parsemus Foundation and shows a promising track record of success from pre-clinical data. The exclusive worldwide license for Vasalgel® was acquired by NEXT in 2022, with the goal to bring this technology through FDA authorization and finally to market.
NEXT plans to start clinical trials for Plan A™ in 2024, followed by submission to the FDA.
About NEXT Life Sciences
NEXT Life Sciences, Inc. (NEXT) is a medical device company striving to transform lives through the development of its lead program, Plan A™, designed to provide a non-hormonal, long-lasting, and reversible contraceptive solution for men. NEXT’s executive management team and board members have a proven track record of leadership across early-stage research, product development, and global commercialization, having served in leadership roles at successful medical device and contraceptive companies that developed and launched products that achieved iconic status. For more information, visit https://www.nextlifesciences.org/ and https://www.planaformen.com/.
Disclaimer
All forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Statements within this document have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Plan A™ is currently not approved by FDA for commercial distribution.
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE ON Associated Press
Bolt’s Ryan Breslow Is Backing This Male Birth Control Startup
The startup just raised a $2.5 million seed round led by Bolt cofounder Ryan Breslow's VC firm. NEXT wants to start clinical trials this year, and says its birth control could be ready by 2026.
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON Business Insider
JANUARY 2024
The market for male birth control is growing. One startup is touting a nonhormonal, long-lasting option — and thinks the tech could be ready for use in two years.
NEXT Life Sciences is taking a new approach with its male contraceptive called Plan A. The product uses Vasalgel, a hydrogel that blocks the flow of sperm through the vas deferens to prevent pregnancy.
This month, the startup landed fresh funding to power Plan A's first clinical trials, raising $2.5 million in seed funding led by Ryan Breslow's venture fund The Family, Business Insider has learned exclusively. Breslow, the founder of fintech startup Bolt, will now serve as a strategic advisor to NEXT.
NEXT's oversubscribed seed round included funding from entrepreneur Brock Pierce, Transform VC, StartupHealth, Pay It Forward Venture Capital, Particular Ventures, Keno Peer, Unpopular Ventures, and Joy Fund. The startup had raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding in June.
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StartUp Health Insights: Sami Closes $18M Series B and NEXT Life Sciences Raises Seed Round
Two StartUp Health companies — Sami and NEXT Life Sciences — closed funding rounds this week to support Brazilian healthcare and male contraception.
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STARTUP HEALTH
This week’s funding included two StartUp Health companies taking on diverse health moonshot challenges.
Sami, a health insurance startup that aims to revolutionize the Brazilian private healthcare system, raised $18M in a Series B round led by Redpoint eventures and Mundi Ventures, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst, Didi Digital Horizon, Tau Ventures, Valor Capital, Mancora Ventures, and others. <source>
NEXT Life Sciences, a Los Angeles, CA-based company advancing Plan A™, a reversible contraceptive solution for men, raised $1.55M in Seed funding from undisclosed investors…
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NEXT Life Sciences Raises $1.55M for Plan A, Its Male Contraceptive
NEXT Life Sciences is set to revolutionize contraception with Plan A, a safe, effective, and reversible birth control method for men. Responding to the growing demand for male contraceptives, NEXT aims to initiate clinical trials by the end of 2023.
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FEMTECH INSIDER
NEXT Life Sciences is set to revolutionize contraception with Plan A, a safe, effective, and reversible birth control method for men. Responding to the growing demand for male contraceptives, NEXT aims to initiate clinical trials by the end of 2023.
Plan A utilizes Vasalgel, a proprietary hydrogel acquired by NEXT, to provide a reliable contraceptive solution for men. Instead of permanently cutting the vas deferens, the hydrogel acts as a flexible filter, blocking sperm flow and preventing pregnancy. Preclinical studies have shown rapid restoration of sperm flow after the hydrogel is dissolved and flushed from the vas deferens.
NEXT Life Sciences CEO L.R. Fox shares: “In developing Plan A…
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$1.55M Raised for Plan A™ Male Birth Control Product, Seeking Clinical Trials in 2023
After years in development by the Parsemus Foundation, NEXT Life Sciences, Inc. has announced its plans to bring a new contraceptive product to market through Plan A™ – a safe, effective, reversible birth control for men.
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON YAHOO! FINANCE
After years in development by the Parsemus Foundation, NEXT Life Sciences, Inc. has announced its plans to bring a new contraceptive product to market through Plan A™ – a safe, effective, reversible birth control for men.
"In developing Plan A™, NEXT has seen increasing demand for male contraception and a growing interest among investors that see male contraception as an untapped field, ripe for innovation," said L.R. Fox, CEO of NEXT Life Sciences, Inc. "Our goal for Plan A™ is to become men's first choice for family planning. Reaching that goal starts with bringing on the right investors who are interested in entering the male contraceptive market on the ground floor."
Plan A™ utilizes Vasalgel®, a proprietary hydrogel acquired by NEXT. The Plan A™ procedure is similar to that of a no-scalpel vasectomy – except instead of permanently cutting the vas deferens, the hydrogel acts as a flexible filter to block the flow of sperm, preventing pregnancy. Preclinical studies demonstrated rapid restoration of sperm flow after Vasalgel® was dissolved and flushed from the vas deferens.
With the goal to initiate clinical trials by the end of 2023, NEXT has brought together leading family planning experts to join their Medical Advisory Board, including Dr. Charles Carignan, an experienced CEO and former CMO of Boston Scientific, with extensive contraceptive development experience with Conceptus, WHO, FDA, and USAID. "Men want a reliable, reversible, non-hormonal birth control that's easy to use," said Dr. Carignan. "Plan A™ has the promise of revolutionizing birth control – and NEXT is ready to make that promise a reality."
NEXT just initiated a venture-backed priced equity round to support the development and commercialization of Plan A™. This comes following a successful, oversubscribed $1.55M seed round this year.
NEXT Life Sciences, Inc. (NEXT) is a medical device company striving to transform lives through Plan A™, a safe, effective, and reversible contraceptive solution for men. NEXT's leadership has a proven track record across early-stage research, development, and commercialization with successful medical device and contraceptive companies.
Disclaimer
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Statements within this document have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products have not been approved to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.