NEXT Life Sciences Announces Successful Clinical Evaluation of the Delivery Method for Plan A™ Contraception for Men

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON AP News

FEBRUARY 2024

Novel method represents an evolution for male contraceptive research.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, February 12, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- NEXT Life Sciences, the company designing a non-hormonal, long-lasting, and reversible male birth control known as Plan A™, has most recently concluded a successful clinical evaluation of its new proprietary delivery method. Based on the results of this evaluation, it is expected that Plan A™ Contraception’s novel delivery method will be easier than historical intraluminal vas deferens delivery methods. Using this method, there was a positive confirmation of successful intraluminal access to the vas lumen (the tube that carries sperm) in 23/24 (96%) vas deferens, compared with only 16/24 (67%) vas deferens accessed using traditional methods that deploy larger devices and needle-based access devices.

The entire Plan A™ design in development will include a non-hormonal, reversible hydrogel solution, called Vasalgel®, which is inserted into the vas deferens to block the flow of sperm. The new proprietary delivery method was evaluated by Michel Labrecque, MD PhD, a member of NEXT’s Medical Advisory Board, and globally-renowned medical doctor, professor, clinical researcher, and pioneer in the field of no-scalpel vasectomies.

Dr. Labrecque conducted the clinical evaluation of this novel Plan A™ delivery method among 24 male volunteers at two Vasectomie Québec clinical sites in Quebec City. Dr. Labrecque has performed over 40,000 vasectomies and is an expert in the research and background of male contraceptive methods, including a previous iteration of the Vasalgel® hydrogel technology in India, known as RISUG. NEXT Life Sciences with Dr. Labrecque is developing this minimally invasive procedure in order to allow a provider to confirm with greater accuracy that the Vasalgel® is properly positioned within the vas deferens to act as a contraceptive.

After a safe and successful completion of the evaluation, Dr. Labrecque concluded, “The delivery method with the Plan A™ system is designed to be significantly safer than previous vas lumen access and hydrogel delivery methods.” He continued, “In both the formulation of its hydrogel and its unique delivery method, Plan A™ represents the evolution of a long line of research and advances in male contraceptive research.”

“Plan A™ expands upon decades of research and clinical experience with hydrogel-based contraception,” explained L.R. Fox, CEO of NEXT Life Sciences. “We’re pioneering a new delivery method because we want providers to have ease and comfort when providing Plan A™ to patients—which will be necessary to make this technology available at scale once it is approved.”

Today’s announcement of a successful clinical evaluation of Plan A™ Contraception’s delivery method in 24 men comes shortly after NEXT Life Sciences’ announcement of the conclusion of an oversubscribed successful funding round and its plans to initiate clinical trials of the Plan A™ system in its entirety (both the hydrogel and the delivery method) in 2024.

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/.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE ON AP News

Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Covers New Male Contraceptive Plan A™

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON Weekend Update

JANUARY 2024

Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update covered Plan A™ and touched on the perception of male involvement with contraceptives. The truth is that men do generally want to be and already are actively trying to participate in family planning more.

WATCH MORE ON Weekend Update

StartUp Health Insights: NEXT Life Sciences Secures $2.5M for ‘Plan A’ Male Birth Control

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON StartUp Health

JANUARY 2024

NEXT Life Sciences Secures $2.5M - The round, which brought total seed funding to date to $4M, was led by Ryan Breslow’s The Family, with participation from StartUp Health, Transform VC, Brock Pierce, Pay It Forward Venture Capital, Particular Ventures, Keno Peer, Unpopular Ventures, and Joy Fund.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE ON StartUp Health

Male birth control maker raises $2.5 million to develop “Plan A”

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

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.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE ON New York Post

The Dude Pill. Plan A’s male birth control.

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON The Best One Yet

JANUARY 2024

NEXT Life just raised VC money to launch Plan A - a new birth control… for men.

LISTEN ON The Best One Yet

The Family Leads NEXT Life Sciences $2.5 Million Funding Round for Plan A Male Birth Control

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

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. 

READ MORE ON Business Insider

Paving the Way for Male Birth Control

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON Medi-Ops

DECEMBER 2023

L.R. is a serial entrepreneur founding a number of different companies both in the aerospace and life science industries. L.R. most recently founded WhiteFox Defense Technologies, a leading provider of cutting-edge counter-drone solutions, and NEXT Life Sciences. Since this was recorded live at HLTH 2023 we only discussed NEXT Life Sciences in this episode. They are currently developing Plan A, which is reversible male birth control. Enjoy the show!

READ MORE ON Medi-Ops

What Should The Future Look Like?

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON Med Tech Gurus

DECEMBER 2023

LR Fox CEO and Founder of Next Life Sciences is with us. Fox is a high energy seral entrepreneur who brings us incredible insights.

We get into what the future should look like. Also, why you as a Med Tech Entrepreneur should embrace the regulatory environment, it can work towards your advantage.

READ MORE ON Med Tech Gurus

New Horizons in Birth Control for Men

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON Femtech Insider

NOVEMBER 2023

Every November, we join in celebrating World Vasectomy Day to raise awareness about what is currently the only form of long-acting contraception designed specifically for men: vasectomies. This year, while we continue to change the global stigma around vasectomies, I’d like to challenge us to also look further out and envision a world where men regularly and actively participate in family planning. This world would not only require better access to traditional vasectomies but also access to some of the easily reversible, long-acting male birth control options that are on the horizon. 

READ MORE ON Femtech Insider

This World Vasectomy Day, Let’s Look to Vasectomies and Beyond

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON The Good Men Project

NOVEMBER 2023

November 17 marks World Vasectomy Day, and in the time since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning the nationwide right to abortion, there has been an interesting uptick in men seeking out reproductive health care, specifically vasectomies.

READ MORE ON The Good Men Project

Reimagining Male Contraception

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON Impulse

OCTOBER 2023

How would the world look like if men had the most efficient and reversible means of birth control?
The outstanding work that L.R. Fox and his team at NEXT Life Sciences are leading might bring a very tangible answer to this question.

Based on the pioneering work from Prof. Sujoy K. Guha and The Parsemus Foundation, they are developing one of the most promising male birth control methods medicine has ever known, under the name of Plan A.

As an American citizen who has grown under the Foster Care program, Fox (as he likes to be called) has witnessed firsthand the dramatic consequences that unplanned pregnancies can have on individuals and their relatives in the long term.

According to him, we have gone quite far already in terms of available options for women and men when it comes to birth control methods.
But Plan A could be a revolution in the space, as it is completely hormone-free, painless to deliver and revert, and has an efficacy duration that is way beyond current standards.

And most importantly, it can redistribute the heavy responsibility of family planning from women to men.

In this episode, we talk about the science behind Plan A, where the technology comes from, how far is it from being available worldwide, and what it would change for society as a whole!

A fascinating conversation with a visionary founder, deeply led by the purpose of fostering a positive impact in the world, and with a strong social approach to entrepreneurship!
 

READ MORE ON Impulse

A Birth Control Revolution: New Options for Men on the Horizon

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON US News & World Report

OCTOBER 2023

Last month, we celebrated World Contraception Day, and this year, we have a lot to cheer: Women’s contraceptive use has increased worldwide, including in the U.S., where the FDA recently approved the first over-the-counter female birth control pill. As we head into the next era for birth control access, I want to challenge us to think even bigger: What would it look like if men had practical options to share in the responsibility of family planning?

READ MORE ON US News & World Report

Mission-Driven Entrepreneurship with Founder L.R. Fox

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON Medsider

SEPTEMBER 2023

When it comes to contraception, the burden has historically fallen on women. However, thanks to L.R. Fox (aka Fox) and his team at NEXT Life Sciences, a paradigm shift is gradually taking root. 

Fox isn’t your average entrepreneur. While many leave footprints in one or two different fields, his resume spans a wide range of tightly regulated industries, including cybersecurity, defense, and aerospace. On top of that, he was featured in Forbes' list of 30 under 30 in 2019 and founded WhiteFox Defense Technologies, a trailblazer in drone airspace security. Most recently, he dove into the world of medtech head-first, and the prospects are no less promising than in any of his previous ventures.

READ MORE ON Medsider

Plan A™ Offers a New Option in Male Birth Control

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON Medical Device + Diagnostic Industry

Katie Hobbins | Aug 22, 2023

Recently, MD+DI sat down with L.R. Fox, founder and CEO of NEXT Life Sciences, to discuss Plan A, a non-hormonal, long lasting, and reversible male contraception option that uses Vasalgel as a medical device to block the flow of sperm within the vas deferens for up to 10 years to prevent pregnancy. Highlighting the burden of birth control usually placed on women, Fox noted that Plan A would give men an option other than condoms or a vasectomy to play an active role in birth control and family planning.

READ MORE ON Medical Device + Diagnostic Industry

World’s Leading Vasectomists and Male Contraceptive Experts Join in Support of Plan A: Male Birth Control

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON AP NEWS

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, August 4, 2023

NEXT Life Sciences, the team developing a long-lasting, reversible contraceptive for men known as Plan A™, announced new appointments to its Medical Advisory Board. This follows the recent appointments of Dr. Charles Carignan to lead Plan A™’s clinical trials as Chief Medical Officer and Cindy Domecus, R.A.C. as Chief Regulatory Advisor to guide the company as it navigates the FDA approval process.

The Medical Advisory Board will provide expertise, guidance, and medical insight to the NEXT Life Sciences leadership team as the company advances through their clinical trials. The latest appointees are each renowned clinicians and researchers within their fields, with their expertise spanning across all corners of the male reproductive health, vasectomy, and andrology spaces.

NEXT Life Sciences is proud introduce the following members to its Medical Advisory Board:

Dr. John Amory, who has published more than 130 peer-reviewed papers in the field of male reproduction and serves on the Advisory Board of the Male Contraception Initiative. He is currently Professor of Medicine and Section Head of General Internal Medicine at the University of Washington, where he works as an attending physician on the inpatient medicine wards and in the outpatient General Internal Medicine and Men’s Health Clinics.

Dr. Michael Eisenberg, who currently directs the Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery Program at Stanford University. Dr. Eisenberg serves as an associate editor of Fertility and Sterility and Andrology and on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. He is highly regarded both nationally and internationally and has delivered welcomed and celebrated lectures all over the globe.

Dr. Ron Weiss, who is referred to as the “Wayne Gretzky of vasectomies,” has performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies throughout his 30-year career, and is known as one of the most skilled practitioners of the no-scalpel vasectomy. In 2002 Dr. Weiss developed and refined the no-needle jet injector method of local anesthesia now used in Canada and around the world.

Dr. Doug Stein, who practiced adult general urology for over 17 years in Tampa, Florida, and now provides vasectomy services at up to 21 locations in Florida, many under the federal Title 10 program for low-income men without insurance. He is the Co-Founder of World Vasectomy Day, the largest annual male-oriented family planning event in history. He has performed over 50,000 vasectomies and 1900 vasectomy reversals.

L.R. Fox, CEO of NEXT Life Sciences, shared his enthusiasm around these new appointments and the expertise they bring to NEXT with their years of insight into the field of male contraception. “Truly, we are beyond excited to welcome these newest members of our Medical Advisory Board,” Fox said. “Bringing together the world’s most accomplished vasectomists and contraceptive leaders, that also share our vision of making long-lasting, reversible male contraception a tangible option in the market, is a dream come true for the team. With our previously appointed CMO, Dr. Carignan, and Chief Regulatory Advisor, Cindy Domecus, joining forces with this Medical Advisory Board we can hardly wait for what’s to come as we enter into clinical trials to bring Plan A™ one step closer to hitting the market.”

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.

General Contact:
info@planaformen.com

Media Contact:
press@planaformen.com

Male birth control could be the next step in preventing pregnancy

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON PACIFIC COAST BUSINESS TIMES

BY JAKE PIAZZA FRIDAY, JULY 21ST, 2023

There is no form of long-acting reversible contraception for men approved by the FDA. San Luis Obispo-based NEXT Life Sciences is hoping to change that.

READ MORE ON PACIFIC COAST BUSINESS TIMES

NEXT Life Sciences Announces Dr. Charles Carignan as Chief Medical Officer and Cindy Domecus as Chief Regulatory Advisor

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FOX 2 NEWS

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, July 18, 2023

NEXT Life Sciences, the team developing Plan A™, a long-lasting, reversible contraceptive for men, announced today its appointment of Dr. Charles Carignan as its Chief Medical Officer and its new Chief Regulatory Advisor, Cindy Domecus, R.A.C.

“At NEXT we’re thrilled to be bringing on high-caliber leaders in the field of men’s contraception," said L.R. Fox, Chief Executive Officer of NEXT Life Sciences. “Dr. Carignan shares our vision of making the promise of a long-lasting male contraceptive finally a reality. With his addition, alongside our new Chief Regulatory Advisor, NEXT is gearing up for the next major phase of development for Plan A™.”

In his role as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Carignan will lead Plan A™’s clinical trials and provide medical and clinical oversight to NEXT’s team of scientists and researchers.

Dr. Carignan brings with him extensive medical expertise, having served on committees of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Additionally, he has led multiple successful corporations, serving as the founding president and CEO of NinePoint Medical, President and CEO of BionX Medical, and CEO of SoniVie Inc., and currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Cairdac and SamanTree Medical. He was also previously Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Novasys Medical, Chief Medical Officer of Endosurgery at Boston Scientific, and Vice President of Clinical Research and Medical Affairs at Conceptus, Inc. Training in general surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Dr. Carignan continues to conduct physical training worldwide promoting the advancement of medical techniques and technology.

NEXT has also brought on Cindy Domecus, R.A.C. as Chief Regulatory Advisor to guide the company as it navigates the FDA approval process through clinical trials and ultimately to market. Domecus brings a strong background in both contraception and implantable medical devices, with over 35 years in the medical device industry, having served in both Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Research executive management positions since 1994. Domecus served in executive roles in Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Research for Conceptus, Inc. and Kyphon Inc., and in management roles in Regulatory Affairs for Systemix and Collagen Corporation. She was selected by the FDA to serve as the Industry Representative to the OB/GYN Devices panel, where she served a six-year term. Her experience and leadership have resulted in successful PMA, De Novo, 510(k), Breakthrough Device Designation, IDE, Pre-Submission and regulatory compliance efforts.

“This is an exciting time for Plan A™,” said NEXT CEO L.R. Fox. “With the demand for male contraceptives increasing, a priced equity funding round well underway, and the leading minds in male birth control options joining our team, we’re thrilled at the opportunity in front of us to finally move into clinical trials to make the promise of long-lasting, non-hormonal reversible male contraception a reality.”

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.

General Contact:
info@planaformen.com

Media Contact:
press@planaformen.com

Bipartisan Congressional Briefing: Insights and Opportunities to Improve Family Planning Options for Maternal Wellbeing

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY TODAY

The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health & NEXT Life Sciences held a Congressional briefing on developments in family planning, including male contraception.

View the entire recording of this brief here.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, July 12, 2023

The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, in collaboration with NEXT Life Sciences, Inc., hosted a briefing to inform members of Congress on the latest developments within family planning, including novel male contraception and the impact that unplanned pregnancy has on maternal mental health and wellbeing.

This briefing outlined current federal family planning policies, the status of access to contraception in the states, the economic and tax impacts of unplanned pregnancy, innovative contraceptive options for men, and a proposal containing recommendations for new federal and state policies to support maternal wellbeing.

The speakers presenting insights during this briefing are:

- Moderator: Brittni Frederiksen, MPH, PhD, KFF Health News
- Priya Bathija, JD, Board Member, the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health
- Jason Lindo, PhD, Texas A&M University
- Kelli Stidham Hall, PhD, MS, Columbia University
- L.R. Fox, CEO of Next Life Sciences + Plan A™ Male Contraception
- Lisa Peterson, COO of Victa Life
- Joy Burkhard, Executive Director of the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health

Links to view the briefing online:

- Recording Link
- Slides, Speaker Biographies

The briefing educated Congress and the general public on the following:

- The latest developments in family planning, including access to contraception

- The economic impact of mistimed/unintended pregnancy on women, families, and society

- Research on the impact of unintended pregnancy (and maternal mental health)

- An innovative product, Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) for men

- Policy recommendations to improve access to family planning services

Policy recommendations as outlined by The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health include:

States:
- Remaining States Should Expand Medicaid Under the Affordable Care Act
- Remaining States Should Extend Medicaid Coverage to 12 months postpartum
- Should Apply for Family Planning Benefit Waivers
- Should Provide Medicaid Coverage of Community-Based Health Workers

Health Insurers:
- Group Health Plans, Insurers, and Regulators Should Ensure Compliance with the Contraception provisions of the Preventive Care benefit under the Affordable Care Act
- Should Improve Access to the Family Planning Counseling Benefit
- Should Reduce Barriers to Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs)
- Should Cover All FDA-Approved Contraception
- Should Cover 12-month Supplies of Birth Control Pills
- Should Cover FDA-Approved Over-the-Counter Contraception

Federal Government:
- Congress Should Support Access to Contraception
- Congress Should Support Expanding Access to Family Planning
- Congress Should Establish Permanent, Nationwide 12-month Postpartum Medicaid Coverage in a Year-End Legislative Package
- Congress Should Support Families with Unplanned Pregnancies Through Social and Child Supports
- FDA Should Approve Over-the-Counter Oral Contraception

Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), Accreditation Bodies and Health Delivery Systems:
- The Person-Centered Contraceptive Counseling (PCCC) Measure Should be Adopted

About The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health
The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health (the “Policy Center”) is working to prevent the suffering of mothers, babies, and families associated with untreated maternal mental health disorders, like postpartum depression. The Policy Center has driven the national conversation from one centered around raising awareness of one disorder, postpartum depression, to building a movement to address maternal mental health. The organization's work centers around closing gaps in the healthcare system by scaling change through the identification of evidence-based and emerging solutions, cross-sector collaboration, and advancing legislative and regulatory policy solutions. For more information, visit http://www.PolicyCenterMMH.org and follow @PolicyCenterMMH on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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.

General Contact The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health:
sarah.johanek@policycentermmh.org

Media Contact for NEXT Life Sciences + Plan A™:
press@planaformen.com