The FemTech industry has experienced spectacular growth in a relatively short space of time. As female-focused health technology continues to boom, providing significant health benefits to women all over the world, a clear upward trajectory in female health innovations promises to correlate with an increase in patent filings in this space.
Following on from her previous articles focusing on FemTech, trainee patent attorney Hester Sheehan takes a closer look at fertility tech, a crucial player in the FemTech field.
Infertility: a global issue
According to the World Health Organisation, 15% of couples of reproductive age are affected by fertility problems.
Despite being a global health problem, and something that as many as 1 in 6 couples experience, innovation in the fertility field has largely stalled since the invention of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the 1970s. Given the highly complex biology of successful fertilisation as well as the regulatory and ethical considerations governing research and development within this sector, fertility-focused innovation has been slow.
However, awareness about infertility is steadily growing and FemTech companies are making pioneering efforts to redefine available fertility options and create better diagnostic solutions to help both women and men understand the underlying cause of their infertility.
Many couples struggling to conceive are under the misconception that IVF is the only option for a successful pregnancy. In the UK alone, approximately 70,000 cycles of IVF are performed each year with disappointing success rates as well as significant emotional burdens placed on couples trying for a baby. There is clearly a growing demand for fertility treatment options that improve upon IVF and similarly invasive procedures.
IVF is not the only way
Béa Fertility is one company moving away from IVF as the “go-to” option, offering clinical-level fertility treatment in the comfort of women’s own homes. The company, which launched its Béa treatment in July 2023, offer the UK’s first intracervical insemination-based (ICI) fertility treatment alongside embryologist-led support and describes its technology as a “modern take” on the well-known clinical treatment of intracervical insemination. The principle behind the treatment is simple yet effective, and makes use of the “Béa applicator”, a specially designed medical device which places semen high up in the cervix to increase the chances of fertilisation. We expect this move away from invasive and hormone-reliant treatment to set a trend in innovation within this sector.
Infertility: not just a women’s issue
Another common misconception is that infertility is largely a female problem. This could not be further from the truth and, in fact, men are just as likely as women to suffer from infertility. The incidence of male infertility is rising globally and yet discussions about male fertility remain very much a taboo topic rarely touched upon in conversations about men’s health.
One startup company whose mission is to break down the barriers surrounding male infertility is Jack Fertility.
Jack Fertility, a valued client of Forresters, with a pending patent directed to semen collection kits and devices are revolutionising the sperm testing movement with a from-home, mail-in sperm test kit. The principle is simple: semen samples are collected at home and posted back to Jack Fertility’s labs for semen analysis. Within 48 hours of semen sample receipt, digital results indicating a man’s fertility potential are sent to customers including personalised insights for improving sperm health or tailored advice for seeking specialist help.
It is heartening to see signs of increasing awareness of the crisis in male infertility and we hope to continue witnessing activity in this sector.
What does the future hold?
As the market is expected to be worth a whopping $79 billion by 2026 with no sign of slowing down, we are likely to continue seeing a surge in patent portfolios in the fertility tech space and look forward to supporting new innovations with our practical and strategic advice.
