This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
December 9, 2019, marked a significant breakthrough in reproductive health as scientists developed a once-a-month oral contraceptive pill.
According to medical analysts, the pill offers women greater control over their fertility, providing a convenient and reliable option for birth control.
Currently available oral contraceptives in the Kenyan market include conventional pills and combined oral contraceptives, as well as longer-lasting options like bi-monthly injections and patches that require weekly changes.
Researchers have designed the new pill to remain in the stomach for weeks, slowly releasing hormones to prevent pregnancy while resisting immediate attack by stomach acids.
The prototype, published in the Science Translational Medicine journal, features a star-shaped drug delivery system packaged in an easy-to-swallow dissolvable capsule, roughly the size of a regular fish oil tablet.
Once ingested, the star unfolds like a flower, steadily releasing contraceptive hormones from its six arms.
Dr. Giovanni Traverso from Harvard Medical School, who developed the prototype with colleagues at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, emphasized the safety of the pill, stating, “The pill is designed to remain in the stomach for weeks, and there shouldn’t be any problem with blockages or digesting and passing food. We take safety very seriously.”
Testing of the pills on patients is ongoing to determine if it can safely and reliably deliver other drugs, such as malaria therapies.
