Scientists could be very close to discovering the birth control pill for men after performing various tests on mice. The latest research has enabled them to discover a small molecule called JQ1 which reduces sperm production, according to the health journal Cell.

Men don’t enjoy as wide a range of possibilities as women when it comes to birth control. The situation could be a lot different in the future as scientists are getting closer to discovering the birth control pill for men. The announcement was made after the molecule called JQ1 registered very good results during recent lab tests.

JQ1 was injected to mice to see whether their sperm production could be modified or not. After the first injections, the sperm production of the mice was reduced to the point where they were described as infertile. The effects of the substance did not interfere with the animals’ sex drive as the mice mated as much as usual despite the injections they received. Tests were performed over an 18-month period, but this did not affect mice’s fertility. On the contrary, when the treatment was interrupted, their fertility was restored to its normal values after one or two months.

Dr. James Bradner of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, in Boston has high expectations for his new product. He told the press that the findings suggest that it is possible to create an oral male contraceptive with reversible effects.

In spite of the good results, Bradner claims the pill won’t be available for human testing anytime soon because there are other analyses that need to be performed. Scientists are convinced that JQ1 will have more or less the same effects on humans as it does on mice due to the BRDT gene which is common in both species and is responsible of producing sperm.