U of M receives research grant for contraceptive development

Due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, contraceptive use in the United States is becoming a more prominent issue. Currently, there are 12 types of contraceptive readily available for women. However, there are only two for men, which are condoms and vasectomies.

The University of Minnesota, received a $6.5 million contract for research and development of new forms of male birth control. The contract is between U of M, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s (NICHD) Contraceptive Development Program (CDP).

“This award is more evidence of the critical role that the Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development (ITDD) team has been playing in the field of contraceptive development, and drug discovery and development in general,” said Dr. Vadim J. Gurvich, principal investigator on this award. “We will be supporting the CDP program, working in close collaboration with Dr. Min S. Lee, who will serve as an NICHD contract officer for our program.”

The NICHD also happens to be part of the National Institutes of Health. NICHD’s contraceptive development program conducts research and testing for men and women. However, the main goal is to develop reliable, reversible, affordable and safe contraceptive drugs available to the American public.

The Chemical Synthesis Facility, is based in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus’ Institute for Therapeutics Discovery & Development (ITTD). The CSF will provide synthetic and chemical process development support with CDP to advance contraceptive development.

For more information about the research you can look here https://www.malecontraceptive.org/uploads/1/3/1/9/131958006/mci_consumerresearchstudy.pdf.

Another U of M research study conducted about climate can be read here https://www.wdio.com/front-page/top-stories/long-term-climate-study-forests/.