Latest Developments In Infertility Treatment

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 29 Jan 2006 - 1:00 PDT

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The world's leading infertility experts convene to discuss new, cutting-edge research developments as well as practical patient management strategies at the Ferring-sponsored 'Updates in Infertility Treatment 2006' today.

"Infertility is one of Ferring's most important areas of interest and is a science that has seen enormous progress over the past 10 years", says the Chairman of Ferring Pharmaceuticals Mr Frederik Paulsen. "We started this series of meetings in 1994 and the Cape Town event marks the seventh international reproductive medicine conference. This ongoing support underscores our continuing commitment to leadership in ART."

Chaired by Professor Marco Filicori, Head of the Reproductive Endocrinology Centre at the University of Bologna, Italy, the three-day meeting explores all aspects of reproductive medicine. In particular, ovarian stimulation regimens, implantation regulation and mechanisms, cryopreservation techniques for both gametes and embryos, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, methods to maximise ART success and safety and novel therapeutic techniques in infertility are discussed.

Infertility a major global issue

"Infertility is a growing major issue, not only in Western nations where women are delaying childbirth and thereby reducing their natural ability to conceive, but also in many developing countries where there is a stigma attached to not having children", says Professor Filicori. "We need to become more sensitive to the issue of infertility as it has a huge impact on a couple's quality of life".

Over the past decade, the success of ART has improved dramatically with fewer complications and multiple births. There is an increasing trend towards single embryo transfer, largely facilitated through stimulation methods that improve oocyte retrieval and ultimately provide the opportunity for clinicians to transfer high quality embryos. "Gaining better quality embryos is a major factor in the success of infertility treatment", says Professor Filicori. "This meeting will discuss further refinements and techniques, allowing us to see a future of improved outcomes and reduced complications."

MERIT

The latest findings from MERIT (Menotrophin vs. Recombiunant FSH in vitro Fertilisation Trial), the largest randomised, prospective assessor-blind trail comparing MENOPUR (menotrophin) a treatment containing both FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and hCG-driven (human chorionic gonadotrophon) LH-activity (luteinizing hormone) and Gonal-F (recombinant FSH only) in IVF show that the development of top quality embryos improves the capacity to implant and establish a pregnancy.1

The study, involving 731 women, shows a beneficial influence of LH-activity on ongoing pregnancy rate in IVF cycles (27% with MENOPUR and 22% with GONAL-F).2 Significantly fewer oocytes were retrieved after stimulation with MENOPUR, but the proportion that developed into top quality embryos was increased compared to Gonal-F.2

"The pharmacodynamic differences in follicle selection, endocrine profile, embryo quality and endometrial status between highly purified menotrophins and recombinant FSH are clinically relevant", concludes MERIT lead investigator Dr Anders Nyboe Andersen from the Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark.2

MENOPUR

MENOPUR is well-tolerated,4 high quality and cost-effective5 treatment associated with a significantly higher ongoing pregnancy rate in IVF cycles compared with that seen for women treated with rFSH alone.6 It belongs to a class of drugs known as gonadotrophins and contains both FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and hCG-driven (human chorionic gonadotrophin) LH-activity (luteinizing hormone) . MENOPUR is used to stimulate the development of multiple follicles in women participating in an ART programme. MENOPUR is also used to treat infertility in women caused by anovulation (low-level production of eggs).

MENOPUR is used by more than 43,000 patients each year and is currently licensed in 44 countries.

About Ferring Pharmaceuticals:

Ferring is a Swiss-based research driven, specialty biopharmaceutical group active in global markets. The company identifies, develops and markets innovative products in the areas of endocrinology, gastroenterology, gynaecology, infertility and urology. In recent years Ferring has expanded beyond its traditional European base and now has operating subsidiaries in over 40 countries.

To learn more about Ferring or our products please visit
http://www.ferring.com

References
1. Acre J-C, Nyboe Andersen A, Collins J (2005) Resolving methodological and clinical issues in the design of efficacy trials in assisted reproductive technologies: a mini review. Human reproduction; 20: 1757-1771
2. Nyboe Andersen A, Devroey P, Arce J-C (2005) A randomized trial (MERIT) comparing highly purified menotrophin and recombinant FSH in IVF. Human Reproduction; 20 (suppl.1):i19
3. Nyboe Andersen A. Abstract. Updates in Infertility Treatment 2006, 25 - 27 January 2006, Cape Town, South Africa
4. European and Israeli Study Group on Highly Purified Menotropin versus Recombinant Follicle-Stimulating Hormone. Efficacy and safety of highly purified menotropin versus recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles: a randomized, comparative trial. Fertil Steril 2002; 78(3): 520-528.
5. Lloyd A, Kennedy R, Hutchinson J, Sawyer W. Economic evaluation of highly purified menotropin compared with recombinant follicle stimulating hormone in assisted reproduction. Fertil Steril 2003: 80(5): 1108-1113.
6. Nyboe Andersen A, Devroey P, Arce J-C for the MERIT (Menotrophin vs Recombinant FSH in vitro Fertilisation Trial) Group. A randomised trial (MERIT) comparing highly purified menotrophin and recombinant FSH in IVF. Abstracts of the 21st Annual meeting of the ESHRE, Copenhagen, Denmark, 19-22 June 2005, i19 (O-054).