Development of New Immunocontraceptives-Industrial Perspective

Contraception has been practiced for thousands of years. Nevertheless, it took until the late 1950s and early 1960s before a major breakthrough in contraceptive technology was achieved by the introduction of oral hormonal contraceptives. However, we have not succeeded in the development of a non-hormonal contraceptive that is comparable to the pill regarding its efficacy, safety, and acceptance. The immunological interference with the complex fertilization process is a very attractive target in this respect, whereby the zona pellucida, a non-cellular surrounding of all mammalian eggs, represents a potentially ideal target. Another interesting target are sperm : either for the development of a female contraceptive or for a male contraceptive, although the latter approach does not look very promising so far. In conclusion, given the enormous impact on mankind of a growing world population and given the very individual needs for contraceptive methods of different women in one and the same country and in different cultures we should make widely available a whole set of suitable, adjusted methods of fertility control and this includes the search for an effective method of male fertility control.