Stem cell-based alternative to in vitro maturation reports double the pregnancy rate

Gameto, a biotech company focused on women’s health, has been developing a stem cell-based alternative to traditional in vitro maturation (IVM) called Fertilo, which just entered Phase 3.

Fertilo begins by making induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), differentiating those into ovarian support cells (OSCs), and creating a replica ovarian environment for IVM. I believe they source the iPSC tech from Reprocell out of Japan.

Gameto released a study showing positive data from a 40-patient cohort using Fertilo vs traditional IVM, which is pretty interesting. According to the report:
– 44% pregnancy rate per cycle after the first embryo transfer compared to 20% from traditional IVM
– 70% maturation rate compared to 52% from standard methods
– Eggs had higher fertilization rates, were more likely to reach the blastocyst stage, and had higher rates of euploid blastocyst formation (embryos with the correct number of chromosomes). 10% with Fertilo versus 2% with traditional methods
– 8 out of 10 patients had at least one viable euploid embryo suitable for implantation, compared to 3 of 10 in the control group

This follows their news in December of 2024, when they announced their first live birth, they’re currently enrolling participants for the Phase 3 trial here, and here’s the paper (it’s in pre-print).