Sperm tablet fertile grounds for trial debate
(sz) Fertility experts have cast doubt on a pill designed by an Australian scientist who claims it doubles pregnancy rates in infertile couples.
Menevit, a supplement containing seven anti-oxidants and minerals, claims to improve the chances of pregnancy for the one in 20 men affected by male infertility.
The pill, available over the counter for $1 a day, was developed by Kelton Tremellen from the University of Adelaide. It is sold through pharmaceutical company Bayer. It contains vitamins C and E, zinc, folic acid, lycopene, garlic oil and selenium.
Dr Tremellen said the pill worked by neutralising the free radicals that help break down sperm DNA, resulting in a greater risk of infertility, miscarriage and birth defects.
One in six couples has trouble conceiving and the man is the sole reason in 30 per cent of cases. Factors such as drinking, smoking and exposure to environmental pollutants can cause free radicals in the body.
In a trial of 60 men with severe infertility, two-thirds were given the tablet daily for three months before trying to conceive through IVF.
Dr Tremellen said those treated with the pill had a “statistically significant improvement in viable pregnancy rate compared to the control group” with 38.5 per cent of transferred embryos resulting in a pregnancy past 13 weeks. In the control group only 16 per cent maintained a pregnancy into the second trimester.
But University of Melbourne fertility expert Hugh Baker and Melbourne IVF scientific director David Edgar have criticised the trial in a letter to the Australian And New Zealand Journal Of Obstetrics And Gynaecology. more…
From: »The Sidney Morning Herald«