New low-cost IVF method could help couples in developing countries conceive

A new low-cost method of in-vitro fertilization developed at the University of Colorado Boulder may help thousands of infertile couples in developing countries.

The study using the CU-Boulder technology showed that the low-cost of IVF for developing and "resource-poor" countries is feasible and effective, with baby delivery rates roughly the same as those achieved in conventional IVF programs.

This proof-of-principle study suggests that infertility care may now be universally accessible, the investigators said.

The research team showed the IVF methodology can be significantly simplified and result in successful outcomes at levels that compare favorably to those obtained in costlier, more sophisticated programs.

The estimated cost of the simplified laboratory system, developed by CU-Boulder Research Professor Jonathan Van Blerkom, is estimated to be between 10 and 15 percent of current Western-style IVF programs.

The team estimates that a cycle of IVF with the simplified procedure can be performed for around 250 dollars. hile roughly 5 million IVF babies have been born since 1978, the treatment of infertility by effective methods remains largely practiced only in developed countries.

The study is part of the Walking Egg Project, http://www.thewalkingegg.com/thewalkingegg, an international project aiming to raise awareness surrounding childlessness in resource-poor countries and to make infertility care, including assisted reproductive technologies, available and accessible for a much larger proportion of the world population.

The findings were presented July 8 at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, or ESHRE, held in London.