A noninvasive method to assess female fertility using biomarkers has drawn the support of investors who have just pumped $1.5 million into a reproductive health startup.
Celmatix Inc., which develops molecular diagnostic products to assess genetic indicators of age-independent egg quality in females, just closed a $1.5 million series A led by Topspin Partners. The company says it will use the funding to continue R&D on its lead product, FertilArray.
With what it calls the world’s first test of this kind, Celmatix hopes to help physicians diagnose genetic cases of infertility in women upfront and allow for better guidance on treatments. It could also be used for egg donor screening and family planning, the company said.
A message left for CEO Laura Towart Bandak inquiring about a time line for development and commercialization of the test wasn’t returned.
Around $7.3 million women in the U.S. struggle with infertility, but 56 percent of the total number of assisted reproductive technology procedures each year are performed in Europe, according to the company.
The cause of infertility cannot be determined in about 10 percent of current cases, and in-vitro fertilization, the standard of care for these cases, succeeds only about 25 percent of the time.
By Deanna Pogorelc MedCity News
Deanna Pogorelc is a Cleveland-based reporter who writes obsessively about life science startups across the country, looking to technology transfer offices, startup incubators and investment funds to see what’s next in healthcare. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ball State University and previously covered business and education for a northeast Indiana newspaper.More posts by Author
- Get Livefyre
- FAQ
