Charlottesville, VA – Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a private non-profit foundation, announced the award of a $200,000 grant to the medical device company Contraline, Inc. for the development of a novel vas-occlusive contraceptive device.

Contraline has invented a proprietary hydrogel that is implanted into the vas deferens through a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure. The hydrogel works by blocking sperm from traveling through the vas deferens. Similar to intrauterine devices (IUDs) for women, Contraline’s contraceptive is designed to last for years and be reversible. MCI’s funding will be used by Contraline to refine the implantation procedure in preparation for filing with the FDA and initiating clinical trials.

“Vas-occlusion is a promising non-hormonal male contraceptive approach that has been attempted for decades, yet no product has been realized. Contraline has taken a new multidisciplinary approach towards solving this problem. Our team has developed a vas-occlusive hydrogel that is easily injectable, safe, and long-lasting. The key innovation is that we designed the hydrogel specifically for the vas environment and the occlusion of sperm. We are constantly improving the product and procedure with a focus on clinical translation and patient satisfaction,” said Kevin Eisenfrats, Co-Founder and CEO of Contraline. “We are honored that MCI has chosen to partner with Contraline to bring the first long-lasting, non-hormonal, and reversible male contraceptive to market.”

“Bringing a non-hormonal, reversible method of male contraception to market is MCI’s mission and we’re extremely excited about the work that Contraline is doing in the vas-occlusive space,” adds MCI Executive Director Heather Vahdat. “We believe that these methods have the potential to change the contraceptive landscape and we look forward to collaborating with the Contraline team in making this a reality.”