Spun out of research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eppin Pharma is developing a non-hormonal oral contraceptive for males. The company's lead male contraceptive candidate is a small organic compound that binds to EPPIN (SPINLW1; epididymal protease inhibitor), a protein on the surface of human sperm that has the effect of causing loss of sperm motility. Preclinical studies conducted by the ORand Laboratory at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and reported in Science demonstrated compelling proof of principle that EPPIN is a key target for male contraception. This non-hormonal option for male contraception could be effective without using the types of hormones that can lead to severe side effects.
