Science and Technology

Overview

Fertility decreases with age. Mitochondria are the primary source of cellular energy from within eggs, and this energy is a key determinant of egg quality. It has been demonstrated that the number and function of mitochondria decrease with age. With OvaScience’s innovative scientific approach, a woman’s eggs may be rejuvenated by injecting fresh mitochondria isolated from her own egg precursor cells into her egg during IVF. This has the potential to improve egg quality and thereby increase the success of IVF. With higher quality eggs, there is also the potential to transfer fewer embryos, which can result in a lower incidence of conceiving multiples (twins or triplets) and resulting complications. The company’s technology is designed to enhance the current standard of care in IVF and can be measured by well-accepted endpoints.