Columbia University Fertility Center develops novel IVF treatment, at a fraction of the cost of traditional IVF

A revolutionary treatment option for in vitro fertilization (IVF), developed by the team at Columbia University Fertility Center could give hope to many who have not found success with traditional IVF – at a fraction of the cost.

Traditional IVF involves injections of hormone medication (most commonly gonadotropins), used to stimulate the woman’s ovaries to produce multiple follicles, which contain the eggs. While highly effective for many patients, the injections are costly, and if patients don’t find success with traditional IVF, they have historically had few options left to achieve pregnancy.

An innovative new treatment, Columbia Oral IVF (CORAL-IVF), offers hope to these patients. CORAL-IVF is an injection-free ovarian stimulation approach for women with low ovarian reserve. In place of injections, patients take pills to achieve ovarian stimulation, with the potential for 100-fold cost savings.

While the treatment is experimental, early studies have produced optimistic results.

“CORAL-IVF embodies Columbia University Fertility Center’s mission of ‘innovating for life,’” said Zev Williams, MD, PhD, Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “Our team is advancing the bounds of reproductive medicine in hopes of helping even more patients achieve their dream of growing their family. We are proud to offer treatments that not only expand the reach of reproductive medicine to more patients, but also make what is often a costly process more financially accessible.”

Dr. Williams is the Wendy D. Havens Associate Professor of Women’s Health and the director of Columbia University Fertility Center, located in a brand-new center with a state-of-the-art IVF lab in Columbus Circle in Midtown Manhattan. A nationally-recognized clinician and researcher in the area of recurrent pregnancy loss and infertility, Dr. Williams has received numerous NIH grants to support his work, which spans a range of topics related to reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

“Patients who seek care at Columbia University not only receive excellent clinical care, but also have the benefit of knowing their treatment is shaped by the latest research, conducted by our faculty members who are leaders in their fields,” said Mary D’Alton, MD, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at CUIMC. “Our clinicians and researchers are working not just to practice medicine, but to try and advance it through novel innovations that allow us to provide the best possible care to our patients.”

For more information about CORAL-IVF or to inquire about fertility care at Columbia University Fertility Center, please call (646) 756-8282 or visit columbiafertility.org.

See Coral-IVF in the news:

CBS News