New deal hopes to increase IVF success

New deal hopes to increase IVF success

Couples having fertility treatment may in the near future benefit from a technology developed by biotechnology company KODE Biotech Limited, an AUT University partner institution.

KODE Biotech signed an agreement this week with Olso Stock Exchange-listed Danish company MediCult a/s giving them exclusive global rights to KODE Biotech's Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ART) applications.

KODE Biotech works in collaboration with the AUT's Biotechnology Research Institute. It has an active research team of 14 people and has developed a substantial intellectual property portfolio based on KODE technology.

This novel technology harmlessly attaches molecules onto cells, ranging from red blood cells to embryos. It has multiple applications in medical therapeutics and diagnostics.

KODE Biotech's Chief Executive Officer Peter Bradley says the partnership between them and Medicult a/s ensures further development and ultimately its conversion into products for ART applications hopefully within four-five years.

"We are looking forward to working with MediCult and developing products that will bring meaningful benefits to ART customers," says Mr Bradley.

Although several new techniques in recent years have been implemented to increase pregnancy rates through IVF, the chance for a couple to take home a baby after one IVF treatment is still on average only 25%.

"If our early research can be shown to produce favourable outcomes in human clinical trials, this technology will further improve pregnancy and baby-take-home rates and will be applicable within standard IVF and IVM therapies," says Mr Bradley.

KODE Biotech's work was supported by a Technology for Business Growth grant from TechNZ and a Growth Services Fund grant from NZTE.

AUT offers KODE Biotech infrastructural support while the university's PhD students have the opportunity to apply their academic skills in a commercial environment.

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