New birth control pills help women only have to take once a month

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States are currently developing an oral contraceptive method that must be taken only once a month.

Oral contraceptives are one of the most common forms of birth control, but their effectiveness depends on daily use.

Researchers estimate that only about 1 in 11 women on birth control pills (9%) get pregnant each year.

Given this fact, the new findings by researchers from MIT could have a "significant impact" on the health of women and their families, especially in developing countries.

In the near future, women around the world will have birth control pills used only once a month.

"For many, this might be hard to believe. But our preclinical data is encouraging us along that path. We started the extended drug release work by working with the treatments for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.

But from the outset, we were concerned about the potential impact that prolonged use of drugs could have on family planning. We want to help empower women with birth control, ' the researchers said.

Work is currently underway to bring the new drug closer to human trials. The next steps will include scaling up production processes and safety assessment.

Professor Robert Langer, one of the researchers, said: "We hope that this work, the first example of a month-long pill or capsule, to our knowledge, someday. will lead to new potential approaches and options for women's health as well as other guidelines. '

Capsules remain in the stomach after swallowing and gradually release the drug. Tests in pigs show that this drug can achieve similar levels of the drug in human blood when taken in a daily dose.

The new pill, based on the star-shaped drug delivery systems developed by the MIT team, could persist in the digestive tract for days or weeks after swallowing.

The distribution system is housed in soluble gelatin capsules once they reach the stomach, allowing the folded arms of the star to expand and slowly release.

In previous studies, researchers used drug capsules to treat malaria, as well as HIV drugs, which are now taken daily.

Much of the work has been funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, urging the team to adjust the capsules to provide long-term birth control pills.

To make the new pill last three to four weeks, researchers have to combine stronger materials than those used in previous versions, which can survive in the environment. Stomachache up to two weeks.

Dr Traverso, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at MIT and gastroenterologist, said: "Through the development of these technologies, we aim to transform the experience of people with take medicine by making it easier, at an infrequent dose in a month. We are committed to bringing these technologies to everyone in the coming years. "

Dr Traverso adds that he predicts that human trials could be performed within three to five years.

Currently, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 214 million women of reproductive age in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy do not use modern contraception, such as birth control pills.

1. Emergency contraception and things to know
2. With just one injection, male birth control pills are up to 98% effective