New Startups Target Egg Aging to Boost IVF Success

Startups are pioneering new approaches to enhance IVF by tackling the biology of infertility, particularly as women increasingly delay childbearing into their mid-30s and 40s. This demographic faces higher risks of genetic errors in eggs, leading to decreased pregnancy success and increased miscarriages.

Two European companies, Ovo Labs and U-Ploid Biotechnologies, are developing treatments based on recent research that elucidates why egg quality diminishes with age. These firms aim to improve standard IVF protocols by targeting specific molecular mechanisms responsible for faulty eggs.

Ovo Labs is developing EmbryoProtect 1, a treatment based on the 'guardian spirit' protein Shugoshin 1, designed to prevent cohesin decay and thus reduce chromosomal errors. Early experiments in mice and human eggs show a significant reduction in chromosomal defects.

U-Ploid Biotechnologies has created Lyvanta, a molecule that slows down an enzyme that degrades cohesin, thereby indirectly improving egg quality. Preliminary results in human cells indicate a doubling of chromosomally normal eggs after treatment.

Both companies' research focuses on improving egg viability, with Ovo Labs also exploring ways to enhance spindle stability. Fertility specialists acknowledge the encouraging preclinical data but emphasize the need for proven safety and long-term efficacy. If successful, these advancements could offer unprecedented gains in IVF treatment efficiency.