Birth of the world's first baby after assisted in vivo fertilization and complete in vivo development.

Anecova, the swiss medtech company, is proud to announce the birth of a healthy baby boy thanks to the application of its innovative in vivo approach to assisted reproductive treatment. For the first time in this field, a baby was born after in vivo fertilization and then developing fully in the womb of his mother. This birth constitutes a first in the world for the company dedicated to help families facing fertility issues.

The baby, born in October 2009, has grown his whole term inside the womb of his mother. “This is the first time a baby, in this field, is born after in vivo fertilization and that no incubator has been used but instead a device placed in the uterine cavity of the mother, has mentioned Dr. Pascal Mock, inventor of the technology, co-founder of Anecova and specialist in reproductive medicine in Geneva. “ This confirms that this more natural approach, less stressful for the embryo, is feasible and safe”.

“This birth, and our key article published in April 2009 in Human Reproduction are very encouraging news for Anecova, said Martin Velasco, Executive Chairman of Anecova. Since 2007, we have been putting all our efforts into the development of a capsule system simpler to use by the doctor. I’m very proud of this success that brings us closer to our goal of offering a more natural solution which will benefit all couples who encounter difficulties to have a child”.
Anecova is pursuing clinical trials to consolidate its results and further confirm this success. “We are all very excited by the news. Studies are currently ongoing in 5 centers in Europe and Switzerland, and we have currently 2 ongoing pregnancies in Lausanne, added Prof. Marc Germond, Head of the Centre of Medically Assisted Procreation, in Lausanne, and responsible for the Swiss studies at Anecova. This approach, closer to nature, could become a choice treatment if these results are confirmed”.

Currently, the in vitro fertilization procedure involves retrieving eggs from the ovaries and fertilizing each of them in vitro with a spermatozoa (in a test tube in a laboratory), with a development period of 2-5 days in the incubator of the laboratory. In Anecova’s approach, fertilization and embryonic development take place in vivo, in the Anecova capsule within the womb of the mother. The early stage embryos start their life in close communication with the maternal environment, recreating the two-way exchange of fluids and factors found in the natural development of embryos, improving the number of good quality embryos.