title: Advances in development of a contraceptive vaccine against human chorionic gonadotropin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is continuing need for contraceptives. According to World Health Organization, 210 million pregnancies occur each year, out of which some 80 million are unintended. A vaccine offering privacy and periodic intake would be an attractive proposition.
  
  
  METHODS
  The article is a brief review of three vaccines developed against human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) with progressively better attributes. Clinical trials have proven in more than one country the complete safety and reversibility of the anti-hCG vaccine(s) in women. Vaccination does not entail any disturbance in levels of reproductive tract hormones of the woman or any disturbance in menstrual regularity and bleeding profiles. Phase II clinical trials show the effective prevention of pregnancy in sexually active women of proven fertility. A recombinant vaccine amenable to industrial production has been developed; it induces substantially higher antibody titers in mice of four different genetic strains than those required to prevent pregnancy in women. Rigorous toxicology studies have been completed on this vaccine in rodents and marmosets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This unique vaccine, requiring periodic intake and demonstrating no impairment of ovulation, hormonal profiles and menstrual regularity, is on the verge of final clinical trials under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research and should be a valuable addition to the available contraceptives.
authors.affiliation: Talwar Research Foundation , E-8, Neb Valley, Neb Sarai, New Delhi-110068 , India +91 011 6502 2405 ; gptalwar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gursaran P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Talwar
authors.forename: Jagdish C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Susana B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Rulli
authors.forename: Radhey S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Kripa N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Nand
authors.forename: Atmaram H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Bandivdekar
authors.forename: Nishu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Atrey
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods; D022642:Vaccines, Contraceptive / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D022642:Vaccines, Contraceptive; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic
keywords: contraception; fertility control; human chorionic gonadotropin