Dr. Eric J. Forman

This week in #FridayFertilityNews: breakthroughs in genetics, better IVF predictions, a creative take on sperm awareness, and more. 1️⃣ Massive Genetic Study Sheds Light on Infertility 🧬 A new study analyzing data from over 1 million people identified 25 genetic variants linked to infertility (22 in women, 3 in men). It revealed strong overlap between unexplained infertility and endometriosis—and between PCOS and anovulatory infertility. 🧐 Conceive Take: This is one of the most comprehensive genetic studies on infertility ever. The strong link with endometriosis makes us wonder: how many “unexplained” cases are actually undiagnosed endo? nature.com/articles/s41588-0… 2️⃣ Cofertility Raises Series A to Redefine Egg Freezing & Donation 💸 @Cofertility just announced its Series A round led by Next Ventures and Offline Ventures. The company’s unique model lets women freeze their eggs for free when they donate half to a family in need. 🕵 Conceive Take: AA fresh approach to egg donation—led by someone who's lived the struggle. Excited to see my friends @laurenmakler @halletecco and team reimagine family building. Disclaimer: I’m a very proud investor. LFG! businesswire.com/news/home/2… 3️⃣ America’s Best Fertility Clinics 2025 Announced 📋 @Newsweek just released its annual rankings of top fertility clinics across the U.S.—based on peer recommendations, success rates, and accreditations. 🧐 Conceive Take: Patients often feel lost choosing a clinic. While rankings aren’t a perfect science and we believe clinic recos should be personalized to YOU, they can help patients get started. Congrats to @EricFormanMD, MD, HCLD and Zev Williams, MD, PhD, and the team at Columbia for their first place ranking! rankings.newsweek.com/americ… 4️⃣ World’s First Competitive Sperm Race Is Coming to LA 🏁 Yes, really. LA is hosting the first-ever sperm race, where real donor sperm will “compete” on a custom-built track to raise awareness about male fertility. The event is backed by $1.5M in funding. 🧐 Conceive Take: We’re all for spotlighting sperm health—but we’re not totally sure this is the best use of $1.5M. That said, if it gets more people talking about male fertility, maybe it’s a win? thetimes.com/us/news-today/a… 5️⃣ New Study Finds Machine Learning Model Outperforms SART for IVF Predictions 📊 A study of 90,000+ IVF cycles found that clinic-specific machine learning models (MLCS2) predicted live birth outcomes more accurately than the national SART model. 🧐 Conceive Take: This study reinforces the need to move beyond generalized stats toward context-specific, personalized insights. It’s a step toward more accurate, trustworthy, and patient-centered fertility care. nature.com/articles/s41467-0…