The New Embryo Capsule Treatment
An Innovative Device Could Spell An End To Expensive IVF
In traditional IVF treatments, egg and sperm are collected and fertilized outside of the body in a petri dish containing solution which helps the embryo to grow. About three days later, the best two embryos are put back into the womb.
With the Invocell capsule, eggs and sperm are extracted in the same way as a standard treatment and as many as seven eggs are placed inside the capsule, along with the sperm. The capsule, which is sealed, is then placed inside the woman's vagina to allow fertilisation to occur inside the body. After three days she would return to the clinic to have the capsule removed so that doctors could examine them to see if any are of good enough quality to use. The best two would then be put into the womb.
BioXcell has completed 800 cycles using the capsule in a clinical trial and achieved a successful pregnancy rate of 19.7% in women under the age of 35. The rate using standard IVF in the UK is 29.6% for women in this age group, so although the results aren't as good, the new technique shows promise.
Why Would The Invocell Capsule Be Useful?
- Fertilisation would take place inside the body in a similar way to natural fertilisation. This may be better for any resulting baby. Birth defects and miscarriages could possibly be less if the conception is closer to the way nature intended.
- Doctors would not need to incubate the embryos prior to implantation as they are incubated in the vagina, which means you would not need an expensive lab or equipment .
- The cost of IVF would therefore be cheaper. Currently in the UK, one cycle of IVF including the drugs needed for stimulation, cost between £4,000 and £5,000 (about $8,000-$10,000).
But there are certain issues the manufacturer's aren't taking into consideration. For instance:
- Half of all IVF treatments involve ICSI, where a single sperm is injected into the egg prior to implantation. This is done in male factor infertility cases where the man may have a low sperm count or poor motility, or if the egg's zona cannot be penetrated by the sperm. All cases requiring ICSI would need an IVF laboratory to perform the treatment.
- Embryologists cannot monitor the embryos during early cell development to ensure their quality. A woman may waste her time if there are no good embryos in the capsule.
- Extra embryos cannot be stored. In the UK, only two can be put back into the womb. If more are created, they would either have to be discarded or you would still need a lab in which to freeze them.
- Anyone wanting to freeze embryos to use as possible siblings for the first IVF baby, or to try in subsequent cycles, could not use this device.
- Finally, only licenced fertility clinics can provide any kind of IVF so it could not be performed in your family physician's office.
BioXcell is already seeking FDA approval for use in the States and hopes to market the capsule in the UK towards the end of 2008.
