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Fertility crisis: why IVF isn't working
- Rising infertility rates across developed nations, with one in six couples struggling to conceive, drive unfulfilled demand and project the assisted reproductive technology market to exceed $20 billion.
- Egg freezing utilization is projected to grow significantly, evidenced by a tenfold increase in Britain between 2009 and 2019 and anticipated expansion in the US through employer benefit packages.
- Success rates for existing methods are becoming clearer, with a major US study indicating 70% of women under 38 who froze and thawed at least 20 eggs subsequently had a baby, though clinics may risk overselling due to profitability incentives.
- New technologies, including in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) to create egg cells from skin or blood samples and a theoretical future pill to preserve ovarian reserve in the 20s, aim to reduce the need for invasive hormonal treatments.
- IVG currently faces significant hurdles, having produced baby mice at very low rates and requiring substantial safety validation regarding genetic manipulation and cell viability before human application.
- Commercialization risks include clinics with unknown track records potentially failing to meet patient expectations, as success odds vary significantly based on facility quality rather than just patient age.
- A researcher targets proof-of-concept human eggs within one year, though a pill-based method to freeze ovarian reserve remains distant, while broader research into artificial gestation is expected to enable previously difficult studies.