Teva funds research to protect fertility in women diagnosed with cancer
pharmafile | March 11, 2016 | News story | Business Services, Research and Development | Cancer, IVF Worldwide, Teva, fertility, radiotherapy
Israeli generics giant Teva has announced it will support IVF-Worldwide with a research grant to improve knowledge of fertility preservation protocols for women diagnosed with cancer, before they start cancer treatment.
Some 40,000 women aged 18-40 are diagnosed with cancer in Europe each year, and while women of child-bearing age diagnosed with cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma have a high survival rate, treatments they receive for the disease, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy may cause permanent damage to their ovaries and greatly reduce their chances of having a child after treatment.
Often, the only way such women can protect their chance of future conception is to retrieve and preserve oocytes (eggs) or embryos derived from them before starting treatment – and these procedures must happen are often initiated within days of diagnosis to avoid delays in starting cancer treatment.
The research that Teva’s grant will help fund aims to improve knowledge of various ovarian stimulation protocols to produce eggs for cryopreservation before chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and establish the most effective protocol.
“At present, a lack of data regarding the number of preservation protocols and their success rates make it difficult for physicians to choose the best possible fertility preservation treatment for their patients,” says Professor Milton Leong, medical director, The Women’s Clinic Hong Kong and co-founder of IVF-Worldwide. “This research will allow us to gain insights into ovarian stimulation protocols for oocyte/embryo preservation and draw conclusions on optimal stimulation protocols for fertility preservation in women with cancer.”
Evidence shows that specialised counselling about fertility risk and preservation options is linked to a greater quality of life for cancer survivors. Recent research has found that women who did not undergo pre-treatment fertility preservation experienced more regret about their decision than those who did undergo treatment to preserve their fertility, and that this may consequently affect their psychosocial wellbeing.
“This research will enable collaboration between IVF-Worldwide and approximately one hundred IVF centres across seven European countries. It will raise awareness among oncologists of the opportunities for young women diagnosed with cancer who wish to try and preserve their future fertility,” said Professor Zeev Shoham, co-founder of IVF-Worldwide and co-editor of the Textbook of Assisted Reproductive Techniques.
Dr Ghislaine Leleu, vice president, head of Medical Affairs, Teva Europe, adds: “Teva has a long legacy in oncology and in women’s health. We strive to develop new solutions to unmet medical needs. In this case, by supporting IVF-Worldwide research, we aim to provide support to the scientific community to find a solution for young women facing cancer who want to increase their chances of motherhood later on.”
Joel Levy
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