First Baby Born with OvaScience's AUGMENT Fertility Treatment
- Innovative Fertility Treatment Developed to Improve Egg Health,
a Major Factor in IVF Success -
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 7, 2015 - OvaScienceSM
(NASDAQ: OVAS), a global fertility company focused on the discovery,
development and commercialization of new treatment options, announced
today that one of the first patients who received the AUGMENTSM treatment gave birth to a healthy baby boy in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
"Before
my husband and I learned about the AUGMENT treatment, we struggled with
infertility due to my egg quality and felt somewhat discouraged," said
the mother. "Now we are optimistic that our experience will show
couples, especially those who suffer from poor egg health, that they
have a new option to have their own biological child."
Egg health is a key factor in female
fertility. While many factors contribute to egg health, having adequate
levels of energy-producing mitochondria inside of the egg is essential
for healthy fertilization and embryo development. The AUGMENT treatment
is designed to improve the health of a woman's existing eggs, and
enhance the IVF procedure. The AUGMENT treatment uses the
energy-producing mitochondria from a woman's own egg precursor (EggPCSM)
cells -immature egg cells found in the protective lining of her ovaries
- to supplement the existing mitochondria in her eggs. The AUGMENT
treatment is not available in the United States.
"You expect to see compromised egg health as women age, but many younger women also have poor egg health for various reasons.
I was surprised to discover that the mother's eggs and embryo quality
were so poor, despite her 34 years of age," said Marjorie E. Dixon, M.D.C.M.,
F.R.C.S.(C), Medical Director at First Steps Fertility, Assistant
Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the
University of Toronto, and the patient's reproductive endocrinologist.
"Based on my assessment of significantly diminished embryo quality in a
failed IVF cycle and several other factors contributing to her
infertility, she had few options. When I learned about the AUGMENT
treatment, I was excited to offer this couple a new opportunity to have
their own biological child."
"We
were the first clinic to offer the AUGMENT treatment in Canada, and I
have seen firsthand the positive impact it has on pregnancy rates,
particularly in women with poor prognoses," said Robert F. Casper, M.D.,
F.R.C.S.(C), Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research
Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, and Medical Director of TCART
Fertility Partners, where this AUGMENT treatment procedure took place.
"The success of IVF depends on many factors; however, most fertility
experts agree that egg and embryo quality are key prognostic indicators.
The AUGMENT treatment was developed to address egg and embryo quality,
and we are pleased to continue providing the AUGMENT treatment to women
who are seeking new options."
One in six couples worldwide has trouble getting pregnant naturally. IVF is the standard infertility treatment; however, it often fails. Many physicians believe that poor egg health accounts for the majority of female-related infertility.
"Our
mission at OvaScience is to bring new fertility treatment options to
women with the goal of helping them build their families," said Michelle
Dipp, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of OvaScience. "We look
forward to bringing the AUGMENT treatment to more women around the world
as well as future treatment options from our egg precursor cell
technology."
About the AUGMENTSM Treatment
The AUGMENT treatment is the first fertility treatment available to patients based on OvaScience's proprietary egg precursor (EggPCSM) cell technology. The AUGMENT treatment is designed to improve the health of a woman's existing eggs, and enhance the IVF procedure. The AUGMENT treatment uses energy-producing mitochondria from a woman's own EggPC cells, which are immature egg cells found in the protective lining of the ovaries, to supplement the existing mitochondria in her eggs. This treatment is designed to improve egg health by increasing the eggs' energy levels for embryo development. Egg health is a key factor in IVF success. The AUGMENT treatment is available in select international IVF clinics, and initial positive clinical experiences of pregnancies with the treatment have been reported. The AUGMENT treatment is not available in the United States.
About OvaScience
OvaScience
(NASDAQ: OVAS) is a global fertility company dedicated to improving
treatment options for women around the world. OvaScience is discovering,
developing and commercializing new fertility treatments because we
believe women deserve more options.Each
OvaScience treatment is based on the Company's proprietary technology
platform that leverages the breakthrough discovery of egg precursor
(EggPCSM) cells - immature egg cells found inside the protective ovarian lining.TheAUGMENTSM
treatment, a fertility option specifically designed to improve egg
health, is available in certain IVF clinics in select international
regions outside of the United States. OvaScience is developing the
OvaPrimeSM treatment, which could increase a woman's egg reserve, and the OvaTureSM
treatment, a potential next-generation IVF treatment that could help a
woman produce healthy, young, fertilizable eggs without hormone
injections.For more information, please visit www.ovascience.com and connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.
