Inside STAT: 'Gurus of sperm’: Ohana Biosciences takes a different approach to fertility

(MOLLY FERGUSON FOR STAT)

IVF “add-ons” — supplementary procedures that claim a more successful shot at a pregnancy, but are not necessary — are taking off, and Cambridge, Mass.-based Ohana Biosciences is getting in the game. The company’s focus is on sperm: improving its quality and motility to improve IVF or perhaps helping even people without fertility issues have healthier pregnancies or children. Ohana’s work is in early stages — its first clinical trial testing the company’s technology began last September. Still, experts say that it’s unclear whether improving the health of sperm has any long-term effects on the health of a pregnancy or a child, skepticism that the self-proclaimed “gurus of sperm” at Ohana will have to work to overcome. STAT Plus subscribers can read more from STAT’s Kate Sheridan here.