Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36870409›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of obstetrics and gynecology2023

ZB-06, a vaginal film containing an engineered human contraceptive antibody (HC4-N), demonstrates safety and efficacy in a phase 1 postcoital test and safety study.

Andrea R Thurman, Thomas R Moench, Marshall Hoke, Joseph A Politch, Howard Cabral, Emilie Mausser, Ellena Nador, Josh Morton, Krystal Hamorsky, Kelsi Swope and 3 more

Abstract readClinical Trial, Phase I
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Complement protein concentrations and activity in human cervical mucus.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Vaginally-delivered fast-dissolving antibody tablets (FDAT) for on-demand non-hormonal contraception and multi-purpose protection.Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society · 2025
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Biotechnology reports (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2024
    Article
  11. Platform-Specific FcAntibodies (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024
    Article
  12. Review
  13. Review
  14. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Andrea R ThurmanCONRAD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA. Electronic address: thurmaar@evms.edu.
Thomas R MoenchMapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc, San Diego, CA.
Marshall HokeZabBio, San Diego, CA.
Joseph A PolitchDepartment of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
Howard CabralDepartment of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Emilie MausserDepartment of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
Ellena NadorDepartment of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
Josh MortonKBio, Inc, Owensboro, KY.
Krystal HamorskyKBio, Inc, Owensboro, KY.
Kelsi SwopeKBio, Inc, Owensboro, KY.
Barry BratcherKBio, Inc, Owensboro, KY.
Deborah J AndersonDepartment of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
Kevin J WhaleyDepartment of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA.

Funding

Project 3: Film Formulation, PK/PD and Safety Studies of ZB-06P50HD096957 · NICHD · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI ANDERSON, DEBORAH J, WHALEY, KEVIN · 2019 to 2025
$12.9M
NICHD NIH HHS P50 HD096957
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWith an unplanned pregnancy rate of 50% or more in many countries, there is an urgent need for contraceptives that are more accessible and acceptable. To meet the growing demand for new contraceptives, ZabBio developed ZB-06, a vaginal film containing HC4-N, a human contraceptive antibody that inactivates sperm.

objectiveThis study aimed to assess the potential contraceptive activity of the ZB-06 film using a surrogate assessment for contraceptive efficacy, the postcoital test. We also assessed clinical safety of film use among healthy heterosexual couples. Serum, cervical mucus, and vaginal fluid HC4-N antibody concentrations and sperm agglutination potency were determined after single film use. Changes in the concentration of soluble proinflammatory cytokines and vaginal Nugent score after film use were measured as subclinical safety endpoints. STUDY

designThis was a phase 1, first-in-woman, open-label, proof-of-concept, postcoital test and safety study.

resultsA total of 20 healthy women were enrolled in the study, and 8 heterosexual couples completed all study visits. The product was safe for both female participants and their male sexual partners. The postcoital test performed on ovulatory cervical mucus at baseline (no product use) revealed a mean of 25.9 (±30.6) progressively motile sperm per high-power field. After use of a single ZB-06 film before intercourse, this number dropped to 0.04 (±0.06) progressively motile sperm per high-power field (P<.0001). At the follow-up postcoital test visit approximately 1 month later (no product use), a mean of 47.4 (±37.4) progressively motile sperm per high-power field was observed, indicating contraceptive reversibility.

conclusionA single dose of the ZB-06 film applied before intercourse was safe and met efficacy surrogate benchmarks of excluding progressively motile sperm from ovulatory cervical mucus. These data indicate that ZB-06 is a viable contraceptive candidate warranting further development and testing.

Indexed as

Contraceptive Devices, FemaleSpermatocidal AgentsContraceptive AgentsFemaleHumansMalePregnancySemenVaginaContraceptive AgentsSpermatocidal Agentsantisperm antibodiescontraceptionimmunocontraceptionnonhormonalon-demandphase 1 clinical trialpostcoital test

Identifiers

PMID36870409
PMCPMC10247457

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.