A NEW PILL could help increase the chances of successful IVF treatment, scientists say.
Initial tests showed “promising” results, with researchers saying the drug could lead to a 7% increase in the number of live births.
The researchers decided to test whether the drug – designed to act directly on the inner lining of the uterus – could improve the implantation process during fertility treatment, making the uterus more receptive to the embryo.
The pill, known as OXO-001 and created by Spanish biotechnology company Oxolife, is the first of its kind and has already undergone safety checks in initial studies – known as pre-clinical trials.
Oxolife did not give details about how the pill works, other than to say that it “allows the expression of key molecules that allow the embryo to stop rolling”. [across the womb’s surface]to invade and complete the deployment.”
The new study found that the pill increased women’s chances of getting pregnant.
Oxolife chief executive Dr Agnes Arbat said: “Most rounds of IVF or ICSI still end in failure – many because a viable embryo is not implanted.
“A simple-to-take pill that materially improves the chances of success would therefore be of enormous benefit to those who want a baby.
“This phase two proof-of-concept study shows that hope is now one step closer.”
Ninety-six women aged 40 and under who were receiving fertility treatment – in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with donor eggs – at 28 centers across Europe were enrolled in the study between September 2021 and January 2023.
They were given a dummy drug, also known as a placebo, or OXO-001 – to be taken twice a day, one menstrual cycle before the embryo transfer and for five weeks afterwards.
The researchers found that “continuous pregnancy rates” measured 10 weeks after embryo transfer were 46.3% for patients treated with OXO-001, compared to 35.7% for those who received placebo.
This is a “clinically significant finding,” according to academics who presented their study at the 40th annual meeting of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in Amsterdam.
There was also a clinically significant increase in the number of mothers having live births, they said.
The live birth rate was 42.6% for women who took OXO-001, compared with 35.7% among those who took the placebo, according to the study, which is also being published in the journal OXO-001. Human Reproduction.
Side effects were similar in both the placebo group and the group that received the new treatment, the most common being headaches, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal problems and dizziness – most women had mild to moderate symptoms.
The drug will now be tested on a larger group of women in a study known as a phase three clinical trial, and will include women using their own eggs.
Dr Arbat said: “Continued pregnancy rates, measured 10 weeks after embryo transfer, were 46.3% for patients treated with OXO-001, compared with 35.7% for those receiving placebo.
“This is a clinically significant discovery and we are excited to advance this promising treatment through next phases of clinical development.
“This study was purposely designed to only include women who used donor eggs, so that it could identify the true effect of OXO-001 on the endometrium.
“However, we believe that OXO-001 has the potential to work equally well in those using their own eggs, and we are already planning a pivotal phase three clinical trial in this larger group to support registration of the product.”
Ignasi Canals, Chief Scientific Officer at Oxolife, added: “We are excited about the results of this trial, which highlight the potential for OXO-001 to become the first therapeutic treatment to increase embryo implantation success, with a non-hormonal medicine that utilizes a new mechanism of action, acting directly on the endometrium.”
Commenting on the study, Professor Dr Karen Sermon, President of ESHRE, said: “Despite ongoing developments in ovarian stimulation, manipulation and embryo culture, the improvement in live birth rates in medically assisted reproduction has been, at best, , incremental.
“A jump of almost 7% is very good News for our patients, and we hope this can be confirmed in larger patient groups.”
What you need to know about fertility and IVF
MORE than eight in 10 couples will get pregnant within a year if they have regular unprotected sex.
For others, however, it may take longer.
It’s a good idea to see a family doctor if you still haven’t conceived after a year of trying.
Women aged 36 and over and anyone who already knows they may have fertility problems should see their GP sooner, the NHS advises.
They can check for common causes of fertility problems and suggest treatments that may help.
Infertility is usually only diagnosed when a couple is unable to get pregnant after a year of trying.
There are two types of infertility:
- Primary infertility – where someone who has never conceived a child in the past has difficulty conceiving
- Secondary infertility – when someone has had one or more pregnancies in the past but is having difficulty getting pregnant again
Treatments for infertility include medical treatments to make ovulation more regular, surgical procedures such as treating endometriosis, repairing the fallopian tubes or removing scars on the uterus, as well as assisted conception such as in vitro fertilization.
What is in vitro fertilization?
During in vitro fertilization (IVF), an egg is removed from a woman’s ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory.
The fertilized egg, called an embryo, is then returned to the woman’s uterus to grow and develop.
It can be performed using your eggs and your partner’s sperm, or donor eggs and sperm.
Who can do in vitro fertilization?
O National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines recommend that IVF be offered to women under 43 who have been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for two years.
It is also available to women who have had 12 cycles of artificial insemination, with at least six of those cycles using a method called intrauterine insemination (IUI).
What are the chances of success?
Younger women are more likely to have a successful pregnancy through IVF.
It is generally not recommended for women over 42 because the chances of a successful pregnancy are very low.
In 2019, the percentage of IVF treatments that resulted in a live birth was:
- 32 percent for women under 35
- 25 percent for women ages 35 to 37
- 19 percent for women ages 38 to 39
- 11 percent for women ages 40 to 42
- 5 percent for women ages 43 to 44
- 4 percent for women over 44
Source: SNS
It turns out that a separate study presented at the ESHRE meeting suggests that women exposed to air pollution before starting IVF may have lower chances of a successful outcome.
The researchers studied data on air pollution levels and compared it with information about when women had their eggs collected during the IVF process.
They examined data relating to 1,835 patients in Perth, Australia, who underwent a total of 2,155 IVF cycles with frozen embryo transfers over a period of eight years.
The research team also looked at air pollution concentrations at four different periods before women had their eggs retrieved – 24 hours; two weeks; four weeks and three months.
Women exposed to the highest levels of a type of air pollution – called PM10 – in the two weeks before egg retrieval had a 38% lower chance of having a subsequent live birth, compared to those exposed to the lowest levels of pollution.
The research team also found that those exposed to PM2.5 in the three months before egg retrieval also had a lower chance of being born alive.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
