Fertility Center CHR Doubles IVF Pregnancy Rates in Women Over 44

Online, June 5, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Center for Human Reproduction (CHR), a New York fertility center with special expertise in treating women with "older-behaving" ovaries, reported significantly improved ongoing clinical pregnancy rates for 2011 at practically all age groups. The improvement was, however, most pronounced in women above age 44 years, where the rate doubled from the previous year.

Pregnancy rates are calculated by dividing the number of clinical pregnancies by that of embryo transfers. While most age groups saw increases in IVF pregnancy rates, the most dramatic improvement in pregnancy rates were observed in women at ages 44-49, where pregnancy rates increased to 10.3%.

"This pregnancy rate for women 44-49 is almost unbelievable, considering that patients at these ages, at most other IVF centers in the world, are no longer even given the chance of pregnancy with use of their own eggs and are usually advised to use donor eggs, " notes David H. Barad, MD, Director of Clinical ART at CHR. "These results reflect our center's fight for every egg and every embryo in older women seeking fertility treatment, based on the accumulated results of very active, decade-long research in how to successfully treat 'older' ovaries."

In concentrating most of the center's research on "older-behaving" ovaries, CHR developed many major clinical breakthroughs, like DHEA (androgen) supplementation, which has since become standard treatment around the world. CHR investigators also recently confirmed the importance of androgens (male hormones) for follicle and egg maturation.

"What makes these pregnancy rates even more remarkable are the patients in whom we achieved them," adds Norbert Gleicher, MD, Medical Director and Chief Scientist of CHR. As a result of premature ovarian aging (POA), even younger patients of CHR, in most cases, have ovaries that behave like those of much older women." Dr. Gleicher continues: "The majority of our patients have previously failed IVF cycles elsewhere, and have been turned away by other fertility centers as 'hopeless' unless willing to use donor eggs. CHR was their fertility center of last resort. Achieving pregnancies at these rates in these women is practically unprecedented."

About Center for Human Reproduction
The Center for Human Reproduction (CHR, http://www.centerforhumanreprod.com), is one of the world's leading fertility centers, with, currently, over half of the center's patients coming from outside the larger New York tristate area, approximately a quarter from overseas and Canada. CHR has a worldwide reputation as the "fertility center of last resort," specializing in treatment of infertility in women with diminished ovarian reserve due to advanced age or, in younger women, due to premature ovarian aging (POA).

Dr. Gleicher and Dr. Barad are available for further comments.