Triptonide
- User: Male
- Hormonal: Non-Hormonal
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Delivery type:
- Oral
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Intended Duration:
- Not Yet Determined
- Development Stage: Pre-Clinical
- Developer(s)/researcher(s): UCLA, Reno School of Medicine, Family Planning Research Institute of Guangdong Province, Male Contraceptive Initiative
Details
- API: Triptonide
- Target: Junction Plakoglobin
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Mechanism of Action:
- Inhibition of Sperm Motility
- Inactive Materials: Not Yet Determined
- Regimen: Not Yet Determined
- MPT: Not Potential MPT
- Promising Attributes: This is a male contraception and early studies indicate reversibility/return to male fertility.
Product Status
Active Pre-Clinical Research
History
See linked literature below for information on safety and biocompatibility
Triptonide is an isolated molecule synthesized in 1972 from Tripterygium wilfordii, a plant commonly used in Chinese medicine. It was loosely considered a candidate for contraceptive development as early as 1991, but its potential contraceptive mechanism was not fully documented until 2000. After a significant pause in publicly available evaluation, evidence indicating that triptonide produced a reliable, reversible contraceptive effect in male mice and non-human primates was published in 2021. A supporting review of the molecule's pharmacological activity and mitigating strategies for its potential toxicity was published in 2023. As of 2025, NIH is supporting IND-enabling research into use of Triptonide in a non-hormonal pill for male users.