In a major breakthrough for fertility treatment, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a simple oral swab test that could significantly increase the success rate of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments. This new genetic test offers the potential to personalise hormone therapy and improve outcomes for thousands of women worldwide undergoing Read More
With 15% of reproductive-age couples experiencing involuntary childlessness, demand for IVF is higher than ever. In Europe alone, around one million IVF cycles are performed each year, including 25,000 in Sweden. Many women delay family planning due to social and economic factors, which often leads to the need for fertility treatment. However, IVF is far from a guaranteed solution. Success rates remain low, with about 75% of IVF attempts ending in failure. A key reason for these failures lies in the hormone treatments used to stimulate egg maturation. Women typically receive either biological or synthetic hormone therapy to mature multiple eggs, which are then retrieved and fertilised in the lab. But these powerful hormone therapies come with significant risks. Up to 20% of women experience side effects—some requiring emergency care or intensive treatment. And until now, doctors have had no precise way of knowing which therapy a woman will respond to best. “We are still largely guessing when it comes to choosing hormone treatment,” explains Dr Ida Hjelmér, lead researcher and laboratory specialist at Lund University. “That’s where genetics can provide a clearer path forward.” In a landmark study, researchers analysed the genetic profiles of 1,466 women undergoing IVF at the Reproductive Medicine Centre at Skåne University Hospital. Women with endometriosis or PCOS were excluded to control variables. Of the total participants, 475 were randomly assigned one of two hormone treatments. The rest formed a control group. The team focused on a gene that regulates the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor—a crucial component in egg development. They discovered that women with a specific variant of the FSH receptor gene responded much better to biological hormones, while those without the variant did better with synthetic therapy. “This genetic insight allowed us to tailor hormone treatments, and the result was remarkable,” says Professor Yvonne Lundberg Giwercman, who led the research. “We saw a 38% relative increase in live births among women who received the hormone best suited to their genetic makeup.” In practical terms, that means 110 more babies born for every 1,000 women treated—equivalent to four extra school classes of children. However, full gene mapping is expensive and time-consuming, which limits its use in standard IVF care. That’s why the team’s next innovation could be a game-changer: a simple oral swab test that can determine a woman’s ideal hormone treatment in under an hour. Even more impressively, the result is visible to the naked eye, showing up as either a pink or yellow colour. The test is non-invasive, fast, and inexpensive—making it accessible for wide clinical use. The test is now in the patenting phase. The researchers have founded a company, Dx4Life AB, to commercialise the technology, with support from LU Innovation, LU Ventures, and the SmiLe Incubator. Their goal is to launch the product by early 2026. “Our hope is that this tool will reduce suffering for women, improve pregnancy outcomes, and save money for healthcare systems,” says Professor Giwercman, now also CEO of Dx4Life. “We believe this is a big step forward in making IVF safer, smarter, and more successful.”
As more people seek fertility solutions, this breakthrough test could offer new hope for countless families around the world—making personalised IVF treatment a real possibility for the first time.