A New IVF Alternative Promises a Less Invasive Way to Have Babies
More people are turning to in vitro fertilization (IVF) to build their families, but the process remains grueling, often involving daily hormone injections for up to two weeks, costing thousands of dollars, and bringing on difficult side effects like bloating, headaches, and mood swings. A New York startup, Gameto, is aiming to ease that burden with a new technology called Fertilo, which matures eggs outside the body using lab-grown ovarian support cells derived from stem cells.
This method significantly reduces the need for hormone stimulation by about 80 percent and shortens the treatment timeline from two weeks to just a few days. In early studies, Fertilo appears promising: in a trial involving 40 patients, eggs matured with Fertilo had a 70 percent maturation rate, compared to 52 percent with traditional in vitro maturation (IVM). More importantly, Fertilo produced more viable embryos and led to higher pregnancy rates, 44 percent of patients who received Fertilo became pregnant after just one cycle, compared to 20 percent using standard IVM.
Till date, the study has resulted in 15 ongoing pregnancies, 13 of which are from Fertilo treatment. One live birth has already occurred in Peru, and Gameto expects 20 more this year from across Latin America and Australia. The company is now conducting a larger Phase 3 trial in the U.S. to better understand how Fertilo compares to standard IVF.
While this isn’t the first attempt to mature eggs outside the body, what sets Gameto apart is its use of engineered ovarian cells to mimic the natural environment of the ovary. This could be particularly appealing to younger people who want to freeze their eggs, as well as to those with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a group that often reacts poorly to hormone-heavy IVF protocols.
Experts caution that it’s still early, and larger studies are needed to confirm Fertilo’s effectiveness. But if it continues to show strong results, Fertilo could offer a more patient-friendly, less invasive, and potentially more affordable alternative to IVF. Gameto’s CEO, Dina Radenkovic, believes this could represent a modern shift in fertility care, making it more accessible and less physically demanding for those trying to build a family.
