Contraline
Contraline is a clinical-stage company developing safe, reversible male contraceptives to expand options for men and couples.
- Business Profile
- Founders & Team6 sources scanned
- Market Size7 sources scanned
- Competitor Research4 sources scanned
- Funding7 sources scanned
- Momentum9 sources scanned
- Customer Sentiment6 sources scanned
- AI Visibility
- Risks & Red Flagspublic record checked
Summary
Worth a closer lookContraline is a clinical‑stage developer of a long‑acting ADAM hydrogel vas‑occlusive male contraceptive that positions itself against both procedure‑based rivals (NEXT Life Sciences / Vasalgel, Parsemus) and oral non‑hormonal competitors (YourChoice Therapeutics’ YCT‑529). The company just closed a meaningful $92.5M Series B (June 2, 2026; BVF Partners and RA Capital co‑lead), has reported completion of a Phase 2b and is advancing its NES/T program into late‑stage development, and struck a global exclusive license with the Population Council in Feb 2026 — signals of clinical and partnership validation. The clearest tension is commercial adoption: a procedure‑based, clinic‑delivered product requires convincing physicians, payors and partners versus an easier daily pill, and Contraline’s small team (19+) plus mixed employee reviews raise execution and scale risks. First meeting should focus on seeing the Phase 2b data, the Phase 3 and regulatory plan, IP/FTO versus Vasalgel, and the go‑to‑market/reimbursement model.
Bull case
- $92.5M Series B closed June 2, 2026, co‑led by BVF Partners and RA Capital — provides capital to push NES/T/ADAM into late‑stage development.
- Completed a Phase 2b readout and publicly stated intent to advance into late‑stage development, indicating an inflection from early clinical validation toward registrational work.
- Global exclusive license with the Population Council (Feb 2026) gives distribution/advocacy credibility and potentially eases global development or access pathways.
- Leadership team and board include experienced drug and commercial executives (CEO Kevin Eisenfrats; late co‑founder John Herr; CSO James Tursi; CCO Justin Mattice; CTO Yelena Tropsha; CMO Alex Pastuszak) covering clinical, technical and commercial functions.
Watch-outs
- Procedure‑based ADAM implant faces adoption, reimbursement and provider‑training hurdles compared with an oral pill (direct competition from YourChoice Therapeutics’ YCT‑529) and competing hydrogel efforts (NEXT Life Sciences / Parsemus).
- Public employee sentiment is mixed (Indeed ~3.0/5) and headcount is small (19+), which could hamper recruitment, retention and scale‑up for manufacturing and commercial rollout.
- Earlier financing history is inconsistently reported and public sources only fully document the $92.5M Series B — cap table, prior dilution and precise runway beyond the new round are unclear.
- No Phase 2b datasets or pricing/commercial unit economics are publicly disclosed, leaving efficacy durability, safety profile and go‑to‑market economics unverified.
Questions for the founder
- 1Can you share topline Phase 2b safety and efficacy results and the full dataset access process?
- 2What is the planned Phase 3 design, timeline and agreed regulatory pathway (FDA/other) for NES/T/ADAM?
- 3What is the commercial pricing, reimbursement strategy and modeled unit economics for a clinic‑delivered ADAM implant?
- 4Please summarize the patent estate and freedom‑to‑operate versus Vasalgel/Parsemus and any outstanding IP disputes or material licenses.
- 5How will the $92.5M Series B be allocated (runway, manufacturing scale, commercial hires) and what is current cash runway post‑close?
Company profile
Pricing
Not publicly disclosed. The company website does not list its pricing on any of the 6 pages we read.
Target segments
Product suite
- NES/T Gel
Investigational daily-use topical gel combining the synthetic progestin segesterone acetate (Nestorone®) with testosterone to suppress sperm production while maintaining testosterone levels.
- ADAM
Investigational long‑lasting, non‑hormonal, reversible contraceptive implant designed to provide extended contraception without hormones.
Stats they publish
Social accounts
Compliance & certifications
Founders & Team
22- Kevin EisenfratsFounderCo-Founder and CEO
- Dr. John HerrFounderCo-FounderDr. Herr was a visionary, a scientist, and an entrepreneur at the forefront of reproductive biology.
- James Tursi, MDChief Scientific Officer
- Justin MatticeChief Commercial Officer
- Yelena Tropsha, PhDChief Technology Officer
- Alex Pastuszak, MD PhDChief Medical Officer
- Robert GreenleafVP, Quality and Operations
- Robert GoldmanVP, Clinical Operations
- Ted LooneySr. Director of Finance and Business Development
- Nic Matsumoto, PhDDirector of Research
- Lindsey OttDirector of Program Management
- Tim BarryDirector of Engineering & Transfer
- Katie LloydDirector of Operations
- Tyler ChiartasAssociate Director, Preclinical Studies
- Ella StackClinical Trial Manager
- Bethany Young PhDSr. Design Engineer
- Kyle RipleyOperations Manager
- Olivia LuuR&D Engineer
- Ria AgrawalR&D Engineer
- Amon AliserExecutive Assistant to CEO
- Marty EmersonBoard of Directors (Director)Executive with over 30 years of experience leading companies through approval and commercialization.
- Gurdane BhutaniBoard of Directors (Director)Founder and Managing Partner at MBX Capital, an early-stage healthcare venture fund.
Contraline's public team list names co-founders Kevin Eisenfrats (Co-Founder & CEO) and the late Dr. John Herr, and shows a full leadership team covering scientific, clinical, technical, commercial, and operations functions (e.g., CSO James Tursi; CTO Yelena Tropsha; CMO Alex Pastuszak; CCO Justin Mattice). The company also lists board members including Marty Emerson and Gurdane Bhutani.
- All people and titles are drawn from Contraline's official team page (https://www.contraline.com/team).
- Founder status follows the company's own site (Kevin Eisenfrats and Dr. John Herr are listed as co-founders); external aggregators (Crunchbase, Tracxn) were not used to add or remove founders.
- Background lines are included only where the company page explicitly provided them; other public profiles mention additional biographical detail (e.g., prior roles or education) that are not reflected here.
- Team size reflects the number of individuals listed on the company team page (19+); third-party sources report different employee counts.
Market Size
No published market-size figure was found specifically for 'novel male contraceptive drugs' as a standalone, revenue-tracked category. The nearest, revenue-type match is the global contraceptive-drugs segment (USD 16.82B in 2025), while a male-specific published figure exists for the condoms market (USD ~12.39B, 2024) but is a different revenue type. Because Contraline has not publicly disclosed consumer pricing/ACV, a grounded bottom-up SAM and a SOM cannot be calculated from available public sources.
- Fortune Business Insights (Contraceptives Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends Report) ↗The contraceptive drugs segment is projected to generate USD 16.82 billion in revenue by 2025. · Global
- Grand View Research (Male condoms / male contraceptives statistics page) ↗As of 2024, the global male contraceptives market was valued at approximately USD 12.39 billion and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7% from 2025 to 2030, reaching an estimated USD 20.39 billion by 2030. · Global · 8.7% CAGR
- Potential US novel male contraceptive users (population estimate)Between 7 million and 15.5 million reproductive-age men in the US are potential users of novel male contraceptives (authors' conservative and less restrictive estimates).Nguyen et al., Contraception (2024) — https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001078242400101X
- No published ACV / Contraline pricing availableContraline has not publicly disclosed consumer pricing / annual revenue per user (no ACV found in company materials provided).Contraline corporate materials / public filings (contraline.com) — no pricing captured
- Male-specific revenue proxy (condoms)Global male contraceptives (male-condoms) market ≈ USD 12.39B (2024); this is male-specific but represents a different revenue type (condoms vs. pharmaceutical drugs).Grand View Research horizon statistics (male condoms) — https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/statistics/contraceptive-market/condoms/male-condoms/global
- Top-down, drug-market proxy used for TAMGlobal contraceptive drugs revenue ≈ USD 16.82B (2025) used as the closest published revenue-type match for where novel male contraceptives would compete.Fortune Business Insights (Contraceptives Market) — https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/contraceptives-market-100064
- The published 'contraceptive drugs' figure (USD 16.82B, 2025) includes female and male drug products and is a broad proxy — there is no published top-down figure specifically for novel male contraceptive drug revenue.
- The male-specific published figure available (USD 12.39B) appears to reflect the male-condom market (a different product and revenue model) and therefore is not directly equivalent to the addressable market for a pharmaceutical male contraceptive.
- SAM was not produced because a bottom-up SAM requires a grounded annual revenue per user (ACV/pricing) for Contraline's product or an explicit published per-user spend; Contraline's pricing/ACV was not publicly available in the provided materials.
- Some cited market reports are commercial/paywalled and segment definitions vary between publishers; growth-rate windows differ (affects comparability).
- SOM is intentionally omitted because without a grounded SAM and public pricing/trajectories, any obtainable-share projection would be speculative.
Competitors
Top 3Small, early-stage field split between vas‑occlusive hydrogel implants and oral non‑hormonal pills; Contraline is a leading clinical-stage hydrogel/implant developer.
- NEXT Life Sciencesnextlifesciences.org ↗Commercial developer of Plan A (Vasalgel); moving to clinical trials. Contraline competes directly on hydrogel vas-occlusion, differing in proprietary ADAM formulation and independent clinical/commercial path.
- Parsemus Foundationparsemus.org ↗Nonprofit behind Vasalgel hydrogel vas-occlusive contraceptive; pioneer research partner. Contraline is clinical-stage, industry-focused developer of a competing ADAM hydrogel implant.
- YourChoice Therapeuticsyourchoicetx.com ↗Develops YCT-529, a non‑hormonal oral male contraceptive pill; offers daily, reversible dosing. Contraline's ADAM trades convenience for long‑acting, procedure-based, lower adherence risk.
Funding
- Series B$92.5MJune 2, 2026BVF Partners leadRA Capital Management leadGV (Google Ventures)Lumira VenturesInvusCrunchbase ↗
The only fully and consistently documented financing in the cited material is a $92.5M Series B closed June 2, 2026 (co‑led by BVF Partners and RA Capital) reported by Crunchbase and multiple press outlets. Public investor lists and aggregator pages also show prior rounds and differing total‑raised figures, indicating earlier financings exist but are not consistently detailed in the material provided.
- The June 2, 2026 $92.5M Series B is confirmed by Crunchbase (structured data), Axios (news) and multiple press outlets (e.g., FiercePharma). Source URLs: Crunchbase (https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/contraline), Axios (https://www.axios.com/pro/biotech-deals/2026/06/02/contraline-92m-male-contraceptive-gel-nest), FiercePharma (https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/contraline-and-its-male-birth-control-candidate-rally-925m-series-b-amid-push-massive-white).
- Aggregator/database pages in the material disagree about prior funding and totals: Tracxn appears in two places with different totals (examples in supplied tracxn pages: $18.6M and $111M) and lists multiple earlier rounds but the line-item amounts/dates are not consistently presented in the excerpts (see Tracxn pages: https://tracxn.com/d/companies/contraline/__09jkNz7GOL5pDfDyrtywLtqt87cP5I-lFdfkiez42Mw and https://tracxn.com/d/companies/contraline/__09jkNz7GOL5pDfDyrtywLtqt87cP5I-lFdfkiez42Mw/funding-and-investors).
- Other sources in the material mention historical financings (for example a $10.7M Series A is referenced in press snippets) but no primary press URL bracket was provided for those specific lines in the supplied excerpts, so those earlier rounds are not itemized here as fully verified rounds with a primary citation.
- Total_raised_display is a floor based on the dated, well‑documented round(s) above; aggregator totals in the material are higher and inconsistent, so the company likely raised additional capital prior to the Series B that is not cleanly documented in the cited excerpts.
- Round‑level investor lists include only participants explicitly tied to the Series B in the cited articles; other named investors (e.g., MBX Capital, Rhia Ventures, Founders Fund, Amboy Street Ventures, etc.) appear across aggregator/press snippets and are included in the top‑level investors[] union but are not attributed to specific rounds here unless a citation directly links them to that round.
Momentum
- FundingJune 2, 2026Contraline closed a $92.5M Series B co-led by BVF Partners and RA Capital to advance NES/T into late‑stage development.Business Wire ↗
- HireJune 2, 2026Iris van Alderwerelt van Rosenburgh, PhD., from BVF Partners will join Contraline’s Board of Directors in conjunction with the Series B close.Business Wire ↗
- MilestoneJune 2, 2026NES/T recently completed a global Phase 2b trial (462 couples) and demonstrated encouraging efficacy, tolerability, reversibility, and user acceptability.Business Wire ↗
- PartnershipFebruary 4, 2026Contraline and the Population Council executed a global, exclusive license agreement for the Nestorone®/Testosterone (NES/T) male contraceptive gel.Population Council
- PartnershipSeptember 10, 2024Contraline signed an exclusive option‑to‑license agreement with the Population Council for the NES/T transdermal gel.Business Wire ↗
- MilestoneJuly 9, 2024Contraline reported promising initial safety and efficacy results from its First‑in‑Human ADAM clinical trial.Contraline News
Contraline's public momentum has accelerated: the company closed a $92.5M Series B on June 2, 2026 to advance NES/T into late‑stage development while reporting completion of a Phase 2b, and it executed a global exclusive license with the Population Council in February 2026. Earlier signals in 2024 show progress on the ADAM first‑in‑human program and an option‑to‑license with the Population Council.
- Many items are company or partner press releases; independent clinical or regulatory confirmation beyond those releases is limited in the provided material.
- The Population Council 'execute' announcement (Feb 4, 2026) appeared in the text without a direct URL in the provided material; the Business Wire Series B release is the clearest dated primary source.
- Phrases like 'recently completed' (Phase 2b) are reported in the June 2, 2026 release but do not include a specific completion date in the excerpt.
Customer Sentiment
7- Supportive / educational internship experienceAn intern reviewer reports strong on-the-job learning and appreciation for the team and lab.“Incredible team and lab, really enjoyed working here and learned so much.”Indeed ↗
- Culture and management rated above-average on some metricsIndeed breakdown shows higher scores for Culture (4.0) and Management (3.5) than overall rating.Indeed ↗
- Role mismatch / limited technical growthAt least one reviewer says they were hired for a synthetic chemistry role but did little related work and felt they were not growing as a chemist.“Hired as a synthetic chemist, have done none! Disappointed in day to day work, not growing as a chemist, more tech. type work”Indeed ↗
- Under-resourced lab / modest facilitiesA reviewer describes the physical lab space as only 'so so', suggesting limitations in facilities.“Lab space so so.”Indeed ↗
- Pay and benefits rated lowIndeed's category rating for Pay & benefits is 2.5/5, indicating employee dissatisfaction with compensation/benefits.Indeed ↗
- Low overall employee ratings on GlassdoorGlassdoor pages show low scores (1.9 for the listed location and 2.3 on a company/job page) and a sub-50% 'recommend to a friend' figure (49%).Glassdoor (All Contraline Office Locations) / Glassdoor (job listing / company page) ↗
- Small-startup constraints / variable role experiencesReviewers describe Contraline as a 'small start up' with associated variability in day-to-day work and expectations.“Small start up, Civil work environment.”Indeed ↗
Public employee reviews are mixed: interns praise the team and learning opportunities, but other reviewers report role mismatch, limited lab resources, low pay/benefits, and low overall Glassdoor scores. The small number of reviews and low Glassdoor ratings are notable risks for recruiting and retention.
- The available public reviews are employee reviews (Indeed, Glassdoor), not customer/patient feedback about Contraline's products or trials.
- Sample size is small (Indeed shows 2 reviews; Glassdoor shows low/unspecified counts), so ratings and themes may not represent the broader employee base.
- Some review content is dated (examples from 2018 and 2020) and may not reflect current conditions.
- No consumer or patient review sources or app-store data were found in the provided material; product-level customer sentiment is not available here.
AI Visibility
We ask ChatGPT WITH web search about the company and show its answers plus the sources it cited — the real AI-search experience. The key signal is share of voice: does the company come up when AI is asked about its space, not just when asked by name.
Models asked ChatGPT · web search
Accuracy of what AI said: Accurate — The assistant correctly identifies Contraline as a clinical-stage developer of the ADAM implant and NES/T topical gel and references the June 2026 Series B financing and trial progress consistent with the supplied profile.
Contraline is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Charlottesville, Virginia, specializing in the development of innovative male contraceptive solutions. Founded in 2015 by Kevin Eisenfrats and Dr. John Herr, the company focuses on creating effective, safe, and reversible contraceptive options for men and couples worldwide. (malecontraceptive.org)
As of June 2026, Contraline employs between 11 and 50 individuals. (linkedin.com) The company recently secured $92.5 million in Series B financing, co-led by BVF Partners L.P. and RA Capital Management, with participation from GV (Google Ventures), Lumira Ventures, Invus, and other investors. This funding is intended to advance the late-stage development of NES/T Gel, an investigational, daily, hormonal, reversible male contraceptive. (businesswire.com)
Contraline's product pipeline includes:
- NES/T: A once-daily topical gel combining the synthetic progestin segesterone acetate (Nestorone®) with testosterone, designed to suppress sperm production while maintaining physiological testosterone levels. NES/T recently completed a global Phase 2b clinical trial enrolling 462 couples and demonstrated encouraging efficacy, tolerability, reversibility, and user acceptability. The company anticipates initiating Phase 3 clinical development in 2027. (businesswire.com)
- ADAM: An investigational implant designed to provide long-lasting, non-hormonal, and reversible contraception. The ADAM Hydrogel is injected into the vas deferens through a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, where it is designed to block the flow of sperm. Similar to intrauterine devices (IUDs) for women, ADAM is intended to last for years and be reversible. (malecontraceptive.org)
In 2022, Contraline's ADAM™ System was awarded "Best Innovation" at the Reproductive Health Innovation Summit, recognizing its potential impact on women's health by providing new contraceptive options for men. (businesswire.com)
In March 2022, Dr. Yelena Tropsha, a medical device industry leader with over 25 years of experience, joined Contraline as Chief Technology Officer to spearhead efforts to bring the company's male contraceptive device, ADAM™, towards FDA approval. (businesswire.com)
Contraline's mission is to develop contraceptives that fit seamlessly into people's lives, offering new options for male contraception on the horizon. (contraline.com)
Here is a concise list of notable companies and products in the male contraception space:
- Contraline: Developing ADAM™, a long-lasting, non-hormonal, and reversible male contraceptive implant. (contraline.com)
- Revolution Contraceptives: Creating Vasalgel, a non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptive polymer injected into the vas deferens. (revolutioncontraceptives.com)
- NEXT Life Sciences: Developing Plan A™, a non-surgical, long-acting, and reversible male contraceptive device. (planaformen.com)
- Naxon: Pioneering SpermaBlock, a reversible, non-invasive male contraceptive alternative to vasectomy. (naxon.one)
- Gyrx LLC: Introduced Pro-Vas, a reversible male contraceptive procedure using a titanium spring clip to block sperm flow. (biospace.com)
These companies are at the forefront of developing innovative male contraceptive solutions.
As of June 2026, several companies are actively developing innovative male contraceptive solutions:
- Proventis: Founded in 2025, Proventis has developed a minimally invasive, reversible male contraceptive implant. The device is inserted into the vas deferens in a procedure lasting under 20 minutes, effectively blocking sperm flow. Fertility can be restored on demand by reopening the implant. (proventismed.com)
- Contraline: Established in 2015, Contraline is developing ADAM™, a non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptive implant. ADAM™ involves injecting a proprietary hydrogel into the vas deferens to block sperm transport. The company has initiated clinical trials in Australia to assess the safety and efficacy of this method. (malecontraceptive.org)
- Revolution Contraceptives: This company is advancing Vasalgel, a long-acting, non-hormonal, and reversible male contraceptive. Vasalgel is a polymer injected into the vas deferens to block sperm flow. The technology has been licensed to NEXT Life Sciences, which is developing it under the name Plan A™. (parsemus.org)
- NEXT Life Sciences: In collaboration with Revolution Contraceptives, NEXT Life Sciences is developing Plan A™, a male contraceptive based on the Vasalgel technology. Plan A™ aims to provide a nonsurgical, reversible alternative to vasectomy. (planaformen.com)
- Naxon: Naxon is working on SpermaBlock, a device designed to allow men to control their own contraception. The company focuses on providing safe, reversible, and non-invasive alternatives to traditional methods. (naxon.one)
These developments reflect a growing commitment to expanding male contraceptive options, offering men greater control over their reproductive health.
The AI surfaced Contraline unprompted when listing and recommending notable firms in male contraception (strong visibility). The direct description aligns with the provided company profile and can be relied on for high-level orientation, though primary sources should be checked for the latest clinical and financing details.
- AI/web-search outputs can vary between runs and may reflect the sources indexed at query time.
- Clinical timelines, trial outcomes, and fundraising amounts change rapidly — verify against company press releases or filings for investment decisions.
- Some details (founders, headcount) may be approximate when sourced from secondary pages like LinkedIn or aggregator sites.
Risks & Red Flags
No material public risk signals found. An absence of public concerns isn’t a clean bill of health — early or private companies may simply not generate coverage.
No specific, dated, attributable public incidents could be located; this absence of evidence is not a clean bill of health.
Clinical-stage and private companies often have limited public visibility — regulatory, legal, or financial issues could exist in non-public filings or emerge later.
If deeper diligence is required, review confidential regulatory filings, clinical-trial records, corporate filings, and speak with company references and regulators.
Compiled by AlgoTurk from public web sources · . Not investment advice.