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No Improvement Reported

A gene-based test to gauge when the best time to transfer embryos during in vitro fertilization might be may not be as effective as hoped, the New York Times reports.

It says that the test, an endometrial receptivity analysis from Igenomix, analyzes about 200 genes based on uterine lining biopsies to determine that timing. The new analysis, funded by the company and conducted by researchers from Shady Grove Fertility, has not yet been peer reviewed and is only available as an abstract at Fertility and Sterility. Still, it compared live birthrates among first-time prospective parents, half of whom who underwent blastocyst transfer based on endometrial receptivity analysis and half based on standardized timing. The researchers report that 54.5 percent of those who underwent endometrial receptivity analysis and 63.3 percent of controls had an ongoing pregnancy.

"It doesn't improve the live birthrates for all women," first author Nicole Doyle from Shady Grove tells the Times. "We had hoped for better results, but from a cost benefit, it's not worth it." She adds that the test can cost $1,000.

Doyle and her colleagues note in their report that additional studies are needed to assess the test among individuals with recurrent implementation failure.

Igenomix tells the Times that it was waiting to comment until after the analysis undergoes peer review.