Symposium 32: Pharmacological advances in non-hormonal male contraceptive research to address global challenges
Tracks
Track 8
| Friday, July 17, 2026 |
| 11:15 AM - 1:15 PM |
Details
There are over 200 million pregnancies globally each year and 121 million of these are unwanted. Increased options for contraception would almost certainly decrease the number of unwanted pregnancies. There is clearly a need to develop additional methods of contraception for males, an area of research that has been a major medical challenge for many years. Most strategies have focussed on hormonal strategies, however the problem with hormonal approaches is that they have intolerable side effects such as affecting libido, sexual performance and the development of masculine characteristics.
This symposium will bring together speakers from a range of disciplines contributing to male contraceptive research. Speakers will share their discoveries on novel targets for male contraception including the structure and pharmacology of the P2X1-purinergic receptor and the remodelling of sperm cells that affect motility. The symposium will apply a global health lens to research findings, highlighting existing challenges and emerging solutions.
Speaker
Dr Felix Bennetts
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University
Structure-Function Guided Development of P2X1 Receptor Small Molecule Antagonists for Use as a Non-Hormonal Male Contraceptive
Biography
Felix Bennetts is a Research Fellow at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, working under the supervision of Associate Professor David Thal and Dr. Sabatino Ventura. He completed his PhD in October 2024, with a focus on the structural and functional characterisation of the P2X1 receptor. Felix’s current research aims to therapeutically target the P2X1 receptor for the development of non-hormonal, oral male contraceptives. With support from the Male Contraceptive Initiative, his research advances drug discovery efforts to identify and optimise potent P2X1 receptor compounds for future clinical use. Beyond this, Felix has a broader interest in membrane proteins, applying structural biology and pharmacology to uncover druggable sites and guide small molecule drug design.
Session chair
Heather Vahdat
Male Contraceptive Initiative
Sabatino Ventura
Monash University
