Accutane improves sperm count for some infertile men in early study

Key takeaways:

In some men with nonobstructive azoospermia, twice-daily isotretinoin increased production of ejaculated motile sperm.

Treatment may eliminate the need for complex and invasive sperm retrieval procedures.

Men with nonobstructive azoospermia or cryptozoospermia treated with twice-daily isotretinoin, a common acne medication, experienced de novo sperm production, with 37% achieving usable ejaculated sperm, data from a small study show.

Nonobstructive azoospermia, or the complete absence of sperm in the ejaculate, is associated with severely impaired spermatogenesis and is very challenging to treat, John K. Amory, MD, MPH, MSc, director of the Institute of Translational Health Sciences, associate dean for translational science and professor of medicine at University of Wa