Fertilo In Vitro Research Study and Trial (FIRST)

June 3, 2026 updated by: Gameto, Inc.

Phase III Randomized Control Trial to Investigate the Safety and Efficacy of Fertilo Versus Medicult In Vitro Maturation (IVM)

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of using Fertilo for In vitro maturation (IVM) in participants 18-35 years of age. The main question it aims to answer is whether the use of Fertilo is superior to using Medicult IVM for In vitro maturation.

Researchers will compare the number of ongoing pregnancies at 12 weeks gestation for participants in each arm.

  • Arm 1 participants will have all cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs), or eggs surrounded by helper cells, cultured in Fertilo for 30 hours.
  • Arm 2 participants will have all cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs), or eggs surrounded by helper cells, cultured in Medicult IVM for 30 hours.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

500

Phase

  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Clovis, California, United States, 93611
        • Recruiting
        • Women's Specialty & Fertility Center
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Carlos Sueldo, MD
      • Encino, California, United States, 91436
        • Recruiting
        • HRC Fertility
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Robert Boostanfar, MD
    • Florida
      • Clearwater, Florida, United States, 33759
        • Recruiting
        • Florida Fertility Institute
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Mark Sanchez, MD
      • Pembroke Pines, Florida, United States, 33026
        • Recruiting
        • IVF Florida
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Luis Hoyos, MD
    • Maryland
      • Rockville, Maryland, United States, 20850
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10019
        • Recruiting
        • Columbia University Fertility Center
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Eric Forman, MD
    • North Carolina
      • Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, 28207
      • Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, 27607
    • Texas
      • Bedford, Texas, United States, 76022
        • Recruiting
        • Care Fertility
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Kevin Doody, MD
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75231
        • Recruiting
        • Dallas Fort Worth Fertility Associates
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Samuel Chantilis, MD
      • San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78528
        • Recruiting
        • Aspire Fertility San Antonio
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Jennifer Knudtson, MD
      • Webster, Texas, United States, 77598
    • Utah
      • Pleasant Grove, Utah, United States, 84062
        • Recruiting
        • Utah Fertility Center
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Shawn Gurtcheff, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Written informed consent.
  2. Premenopausal, Age 18-35.
  3. Body mass index (BMI) 21-40.
  4. Candidate for IVF according to the ASRM definition (infertile for ≥12 months, require the use of donor sperm, or the inability to achieve a successful pregnancy based on a patient's medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, physical findings, diagnostic testing, or any combination of those factors).
  5. No contraindications to the use of oral contraceptive pills (OCP) or gonadotropins.
  6. Plan to use embryos for transfer within 2 months of blastocyst cryopreservation.
  7. Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) ≥ 3 ng/mL within 6 months of Screening/Visit 1 or assessed at the screening visit.
  8. Normal uterine cavity as assessed by hysteroscopy, hysterosalpingography or sonohysterography within 12 months of Screening/Visit 1 or assessed at the screening visit.
  9. Having adequate visualization of both ovaries, without evidence of significant abnormality/pathology or major cyst documented by transvaginal ultrasound within 3 months of screening or assessed during screening period.
  10. No endometriosis of American Fertility Society (AFS) grade 3 or 4 or presence of endometrioma.
  11. Minimum of 1 month without treatment with either clomiphene citrate, GnRH agonist or gonadotropins prior to start of ovarian stimulation.
  12. Have a male partner with semen analysis within the past 12 months prior to randomization considered adequate to proceed with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) according to the center's standard practice. If this criterion is not met, the subject can only be entered if donor sperm will be used.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. History of recurrent pregnancy loss (defined as >2 clinical pregnancies without live birth).
  2. Baseline prolactin levels greater than 30 ng/ml
  3. Male: requirement for retrograde ejaculation procedures or surgical sperm retrievals.
  4. Any clinically relevant pathology that in the judgment of the investigator could impair embryo implantation or pregnancy continuation.
  5. Use of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) of oocytes, embryos, or transferred blastocysts during participation in the study.
  6. Use of donated oocytes, embryos or blastocysts for this treatment cycle while participating in the study or use of oocytes, embryos, or blastocysts from a previous treatment cycle.
  7. Participation in a concurrent clinical trial or in another investigational drug trial within the past 2 months.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Fertilo
Immature cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) are oocytes surrounded by cumulus cells that have not yet matured. The COCs are cultured in Fertilo coculture condition then fertilized, grown to the blastocyst stage, vitrified, and later transferred for reproductive purpose.
Biological: Fertilo
Fertilo is an engineered line of ovarian support cells that aid egg maturation.
Active Comparator: Medicult IVM®
Immature COCs are cultured in the standard IVM system MediCult IVM® then fertilized, grown to the blastocyst stage, vitrified, and later transferred for reproductive purpose.
Device: Medicult IVM
MediCult IVM is a system of culture media designed for the in vitro maturation of immature oocytes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Demonstration of the superiority of Fertilo compared to the currently approved MediCult IVM® for infertility treatment via IVF procedures.
Time Frame: 12 weeks gestation
Cumulative ongoing pregnancy from cycles initiated within 6 months post-randomization. The primary endpoint of ongoing pregnancy is assessed at 12 weeks gestation or later. Cumulative ongoing pregnancy is determined using the cumulative outcome of up to the first two embryo transfers. Subjects with a detectable fetal heartbeat, considered normal and healthy, are considered as having achieved an ongoing pregnancy. "Normal" will be determined as expected for the gestational age ranging from 110 bpm to 180 bpm and measured via ultrasound. Ongoing pregnancy is recorded as either a Yes or No for normal fetal heart rate present for each of the Subject's transfer cycles. Subjects without an ongoing pregnancy assessment are considered as a No unless a later observation indicates otherwise (i.e., a live birth). Cumulative ongoing pregnancy is derived as either a Yes, if at least one of the first two embryo transfers achieves an ongoing pregnancy, or a No otherwise.
12 weeks gestation

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Metaphase II (MII) Formation
Time Frame: 30 hours post-oocyte retrieval
MII formation rate is assessed at 30 hours post-oocyte retrieval. A Metaphase II (MII) oocyte is defined as an oocyte with a first polar body (PB1). The MII formation rate is measured as a Subject's total number of MII oocytes divided by their total number of COCs. The MII formation rate is multiplied by 100 and expressed as a percentage.
30 hours post-oocyte retrieval
Fertilization Rate
Time Frame: 16-18 hours post-ICSI
Fertilization rate is assessed at 16-18 hours post-ICSI. Fertilized embryos displaying 2 pronuclei and 2 polar bodies are considered normally fertilized. Fertilized embryos with no pronuclei are considered not fertilized. Fertilized embryos with one pronuclei are held to determine cleavage, as pronuclei visualization timing may mask the second pronucleus. The fertilization rate is measured as a Subject's total number of fertilized embryos divided by their total number of COCs. The fertilization rate is multiplied by 100 and expressed as a percentage.
16-18 hours post-ICSI
Embryo cleavage rate
Time Frame: Day 3 post-ICSI
Embryo cleavage rate is assessed at day 3 post-ICSI. Embryos with 2 or more cells are considered as cleaved. Fertilized embryos displaying a single cell will be considered not cleaved. The cell cleavage rate is measured as a Subject's total number of embryos considered as cleaved divided by their total number of COCs. The cell cleavage rate is multiplied by 100 and expressed as a percentage.
Day 3 post-ICSI
High quality blastocyst formation rate.
Time Frame: Day 5, 6, and 7 post-ICSI
High quality blastocyst formation rate is assessed at day 5, 6 and 7 post-ICSI. Embryos that have successfully passed the morula stage, as indicated by cavitation, will be designated as blastocysts and will be graded according to the Gardner Scale. Blastocysts having a Gardner Scale score of 3CC or higher are considered as high quality blastocysts. The high quality blastocyst formation rate is measured as a Subject's total number of high quality blastocysts divided by their total number of COCs. The high quality blastocyst formation rate is multiplied by 100 and expressed as a percentage.
Day 5, 6, and 7 post-ICSI
High quality vitrified blastocyst rate.
Time Frame: Day 5, 6, and 7 post-ICSI
High quality vitrified blastocyst rate is assessed at day 5, 6 and 7 post-ICSI. Embryos deemed high quality, as measured by a Gardner score of 3CC of greater, that have been vitrified, a method of rapid cryopreservation for future embryo transfer, will be designated as high quality vitrified blastocysts. The high quality vitrified blastocyst rate is measured as a Subject's total number of high quality blastocysts that are vitrified divided by their total number of COCs. The high quality vitrified blastocyst rate is multiplied by 100 and expressed as a percentage.
Day 5, 6, and 7 post-ICSI
Cumulative biochemical pregnancy.
Time Frame: 10 to 14 days following FET
Cumulative biochemical pregnancy from cycles initiated within 6 months post randomization. Biochemical pregnancy is assessed at 10 to 14 days following FET. Cumulative biochemical pregnancy is determined using the cumulative outcome of up to the first two embryo transfers. Subjects with BHCG value greater than 5 mIU/mL on two separate tests are considered as achieving biochemical pregnancy. Biochemical pregnancy is recorded as either a Yes or No for each of the Subject's transfer cycles. Subjects without a biochemical pregnancy assessment are considered as a No unless a later observation indicates otherwise (i.e., a clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, or live birth). Cumulative biochemical pregnancy is derived as either a Yes, if at least one of the first two embryo transfers achieves a biochemical pregnancy, or a No otherwise.
10 to 14 days following FET
Cumulative clinical pregnancy.
Time Frame: 4-6 weeks gestation
Cumulative clinical pregnancy from cycles initiated within 6 months post randomization is assessed at 4-6 weeks gestation. Cumulative clinical pregnancy is determined using the cumulative outcome of up to the first two embryo transfers. Subjects with a gestational sac visualized with TVU are considered as having achieved a clinical pregnancy. Clinical pregnancy is recorded as either a Yes or No for each of the Subject's transfer cycles. Subjects without a clinical pregnancy assessment are considered as a No unless a later observation indicates otherwise (i.e., an ongoing pregnancy or live birth). Cumulative clinical pregnancy is derived as either a Yes, if at least one of the first two embryo transfers achieves a clinical pregnancy, or a No otherwise.
4-6 weeks gestation
Cumulative live birth.
Time Frame: Greater than 24 weeks gestation
Cumulative live birth from cycles initiated within 6 months post-randomization. Live birth is confirmed at >24 weeks gestation by the presence of signs of life such as breathing, heartbeat, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definitive movement of voluntary muscles. Cumulative live birth is determined using the cumulative outcome of up to the first two embryo transfers. Subjects with at least one neonate meeting the definition of live birth are considered as having achieved a live birth. Live birth is recorded as either a Yes or No for each of the Subject's transfer cycles. Subjects without a live birth assessment are considered as a No. Cumulative live birth is derived as either a Yes, if at least one of the first two embryo transfers achieves a live birth, or a No otherwise.
Greater than 24 weeks gestation

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Gameto, Inc.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 17, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 27, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 27, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

March 5, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 3, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • GAM-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data that underlie the results reported in this article, after deidentification (text, tables, figures, and appendices).

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Beginning 3 months and ending 5 years following article publication.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal. Requestord will need to contact clinicaltrials@gametogen.com and sign a data access agreement.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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