New IVF treatment will halve cost, says expert bringing it to the capital
A NEW form of IVF treatment is launching in London which will make the capital the cheapest place in the UK for users, it was claimed today.
It is the first time the “groundbreaking” technology is available on a commercial basis in the UK and is set to cut IVF costs by at least 50 per cent, its developers say.
Pioneered by fertility doctor Professor Geeta Nargund, the treatment will be available at a new clinic in Harley Street, with users saving up to £2,250 per cycle.
Professor Nargund said she wanted to improve access to IVF treatment as increasing cuts to NHS funding were leaving many families unable to afford treatment.
The amount of free IVF on the NHS for childless people varies across the country, with some areas offering up to three rounds of treatment, and others zero.
Research has shown that private IVF can cost £7,175 for a full treatment cycle. The new clinic, called ABC IVF, uses a technology called the Simpli- fied Culture System (SCS), pioneered by US scientist Professor Jonathan Van Blerkom at the University of Colorado, in collaboration with The Walking Egg Foundation, where Professor Nargund is a board director.
With standard IVF, the incubator system relies on an expensively equipped laboratory. According to the clinic, the new generation “microlab” in the SCS system is smaller than a shoe box.
Combined with a reduced amount of drugs, more “woman-friendly” medication, and a “far simplified” patient pathway, it has resulted in 90 healthy babies born globally and at least 47 ongoing pregnancies.
Professor Nargund said: “This is a transformative moment for IVF treatment and we are delighted to bring this technology to UK patients. We have pioneered this in an attempt to help those who are priced out of the private IVF market. We believe that this treatment has the potential to end the IVF postcode lottery and significantly increase accessibility, innovation and price transparency.”
About one in four couples have unexplained fertility problems, leading many to turn to IVF.
The chances of success vary hugely according to the age of the woman and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority says there is a 32 per cent chance of a live birth from one cycle for women under 40.
This falls to 12 per cent for those aged 40-42 and four per cent for those over 42. Some fertility doctors remain sceptical about the IVF industry, saying the best way to get pregnant is to have regular unprotected sex.
Professor Van Blerkom, the inventor of SCS, added: “It is my hope that its successful utilisation will provide infertile couples, who either have no access to treatment or cannot afford it, a new opportunity to fulfil their dream for a much-wanted family.”