Nadja Mannowetz​,
Co-Founder & CSO
$300,000 / 2 years
Awarded 2021

Nadja Mannowetz, PhD

YourChoice Therapeutics
Berkeley, CA

About
Dr. Nadja Mannowetz is the Chief Scientific Officer of YourChoice Therapeutics, who is working on a novel inhibitor of the male contraceptive target Retinoic Acid Receptor Alpha. With a background in sperm biology, Nadja co-founded YourChoice Therapeutics in 2018 with the goal of developing novel non-hormonal contraceptive products.

Our Grant
MCI is supporting YourChoice’s work in developing a reversible male contraceptive drug, YCT-529, which prevents the production of new sperm. MCI has both a grant and a program-related investment with YourChoice, which seeks to take any returns and feed them directly back into the contraceptive development community. MCI’s support will facilitate work that progresses YCT-529 towards first-in-human studies and eventual FDA approval. 

MCI Grantee: YourChoice Therapeutics

Male birth control by Bay Area startup now in 1st phase of human testing

Modernizing Contraception with Your Choice Therapeutics’ Akash Bakshi

Publications
Noman, M. A. A., Kyzer, J. L., Chung, S. S. W., Wolgemuth, D. J., & Georg, G. I. (2020). Retinoic acid receptor antagonists for male contraception: current status†. Biology of reproduction, 103(2), 390–399. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolre/ioaa122

YourChoice Therapeutics In the News

• "YourChoice doses participants in trial of birth control pill for men" from Clinical Trials Arena
• "No hormones, no problem: YourChoice's first-of-its-kind male birth control is safe for men, so far" by Fierce Biotech
• "YourChoice Therapeutics Begins Second Human Study for Hormone-Free Male Birth Control Pill" in BioSpace
• "Pharma eyes male birth control pill for Gen Z" from Axios
• "YourChoice Therapeutics Advances Hormone-Free Male Birth Control Pill to Second Human Study" by Femtech Insider