Patient-centred innovation in assisted reproduction

The landscape of fertility treatment is shifting. As we move toward a new generation of oocyte-targeted and ex-vivo therapeutics, the industry faces a critical question: how do we transition from the laboratory to the clinic in a way that respects the intense emotional and physical reality of the patient experience?

As part of ongoing efforts to address this, U-Ploid Biotechnologies and The Fertility Alliance collaborated on a cross-sectional research study conducted between 15 July and 31 August 2025. By surveying 49 adults with current or previous IVF experience through an anonymous online questionnaire, we sought to explore the unmet need in fertility care and determine how clinical trial designs can better align with patient expectations.

The resilience of reproductive intent

The most striking finding from our data is the sheer persistence of those undergoing treatment. Despite the high burden associated with IVF, patients remain remarkably motivated. Our survey found that 100 percent of respondents agreed that fertility treatments are emotionally stressful and physically demanding, while 94 percent identified treatment as a significant financial strain.

Yet, this burden does not equate to a rejection of innovation. On the contrary, 74 percent of respondents would consider adding a new treatment to their programme if it were supported by evidence. For clinics and innovators, the message is clear: patients are not looking for an easy path, but a credible one. They are willing to endure significant hardship if the promise of a successful outcome is backed by rigorous data and regulatory oversight.

Quantifying the unmet need

We used intended treatment persistence as a practical proxy for unmet need. The data revealed that 68 percent of participants planned to undertake at least two more IVF cycles, with the median number of intended cycles rising sharply with age, reaching nine cycles in the 45-50 age group.

This highlights a specific demographic – older patients – who may be the most receptive to participating in first-in-human studies of efficacy-enhancing therapeutics. However, for this to be successful in practice, innovators must move toward active stakeholder engagement, leaving passive subject recruitment behind. These findings are exploratory and intended to inform hypothesis generation and practical trial‑design choices, rather than provide definitive, population‑level estimates.

What does patient-centricity look like in practice?

Taken together, our findings suggest that patients want innovation, but on terms that protect their chance of success and minimise avoidable burden. That should now be a priority for clinics and researchers. Our data provides a blueprint for how these actors should structure the introduction of new therapies to improve chances of a successful outcome:

• Prioritise add-on designs: 52 percent of respondents would only try a new therapeutic if it were administered alongside their existing treatment. Patients are rarely willing to abandon a known protocol for an unproven stand-alone intervention.
• Preserve the chance of pregnancy: A substantial 69 percent of respondents disagreed with enrolling in a study that offered no prospect of pregnancy (eg 'discard' cycles).
• Minimise additional invasiveness: Only 37 percent were willing to undergo an additional egg-retrieval cycle without a guaranteed benefit.

Recommended strategies

Based on these findings and broader industry best practices, we recommend consideration of the following strategies for successfully delivering innovation that holds patient needs and preferences at the centre:

• Implement co-production in protocol design: Involve at least two patient group partners as equal co-planners during the early design phase of a trial or service roll-out. This helps identify deal-breakers, such as overly frequent clinic visits or complex medication schedules, before they lead to recruitment failure.
• Utilise e-consent and multi-format education: Traditional paper consent forms can be overwhelming and lead to misunderstanding. Instead, transition to comprehensive e-consent platforms that allow patients to review information at their own pace with embedded videos or animated explainers. Providing bite-sized, jargon-free instructions reduces the cognitive load on patients already facing high emotional stress.
• Establish real-time feedback loops: Don't wait for a cycle to end to measure satisfaction. Use SMS-based or app-integrated real-time feedback to catch service issues (eg communication delays or pharmacy errors) immediately. This service recovery demonstrates that the clinic is on the journey with the patient, building the trust necessary for them to consider new therapeutic options.
• Normalise per-cycle emotional support: Instead of one-off counselling sessions, embed emotional check-ins at specific high-stress milestones, such as the two-week wait between transfer and testing. This acknowledges that patient (and partner) needs change dynamically throughout a trial.

Our survey results provide robust support for the adoption of patient-centricity as an operational necessity in assisted reproduction innovation. By linking patient burden with practical expectations, we can ensure that the next generation of IVF is scientifically sound whilst also deeply aligned with the goals of the people it serves.

If you would like a copy of our survey data, please email info@u-ploid.com