The Cash Cow in 'Fertility' Medicine

On average, the cost of a basic IVF cycle in the U.S ranges from $12,000 — $15,000 yet three out of four times it fails

20 million fails. This is one stat not discussed at the latest American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Scientific Congress and Expo. It’s also not posted on fertility clinic member websites nor shared on their social media feeds but it should be.

Last week thousands of physicians, nurses, scientists and lab technicians gathered in Salt Lake City joined by legions of pharmaceutical representatives, ‘fertility’ entrepreneurs and service providers in full on ‘sell mode.’

It’s been nearly 40 years since in vitro fertilization (IVF) became available. There has been explosive growth in the size and scope of clinics and profit taking but no commensurate improvement in IVF outcomes.

Here are five other facts that aren’t widely known but should be:

Fact #1: ‘Fertility’ is now a huge market. That’s right: a market. The global In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) market size was valued at $9.6 billion in 2014. A more recent report by Grand View Research, Inc. projects the global ...