Latest news with #embryomixup
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
IVF clinic's embryo bungle probe stays secret
Embattled fertility treatment company Monash IVF has refused to release the contents of an independent review into two separate IVF bungles that toppled the company's CEO earlier this year. The review of embryo mix-ups in the company's Brisbane and Melbourne clinics, conducted by high-profile Victorian barrister Fiona McLeod, will remain secret 'to protect the privacy of affected patients'. In an announcement to the ASX on Wednesday morning, the fertility clinic said in both instances, the treatments and circumstances were 'non-standard' and would 'not arise in the vast majority of IVF procedures'. The review found the Brisbane incident, which resulted in IVF staff mistakenly implanting the wrong embryo into a patient in 2023, was the result of human error, Monash said in its statement. The clinic was forced to apologise in June, after the Clayton clinic in Melbourne incorrectly transferred a patient's own embryo to that same patient 'contrary to the treatment plan which designated the transfer of an embryo of the patient's partner'. In the case of the Clayton clinic mishap, Monash said the review concluded '(The) incident resulted from a range of factors that included human error at multiple stages and IT system limitations in the very limited circumstances of an embryo transfer to a partner'. No further details on either case have been shared by the company. Acting CEO Malik Jainudeen, who replaced former head Michael Knaap following his resignation just two days after the company's June admission, reassured patients and investors that the company was implementing the recommendations outlined in the review. 'To the affected patients and everyone who entrusts Monash IVF with their dreams of building a family, we are deeply sorry for the distress these incidents have caused,' he said. 'We have implemented or will be implementing the recommendations of the independent review and have taken additional measures to reduce the risk of such incidents occurring in the future.' The company is set to announce its results for the 2025 financial year on Friday, with its share price sitting at 82 cents, down more than 42 per cent over the year.
News.com.au
19 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Independent review of Monash IVF bungle kept secret
Embattled fertility treatment company Monash IVF has refused to release the contents of an independent review into two separate IVF bungles that toppled the company's CEO earlier this year. The review of embryo mix-ups in the company's Brisbane and Melbourne clinics, conducted by high-profile Victorian barrister Fiona McLeod, will remain secret 'to protect the privacy of affected patients'. In an announcement to the ASX on Wednesday morning, the fertility clinic said in both instances, the treatments and circumstances were 'non-standard' and would 'not arise in the vast majority of IVF procedures'. The review found the Brisbane incident, which resulted in IVF staff mistakenly implanting the wrong embryo into a patient in 2023, was the result of human error, Monash said in its statement. The clinic was forced to apologise in June, after the Clayton clinic in Melbourne incorrectly transferred a patient's own embryo to that same patient 'contrary to the treatment plan which designated the transfer of an embryo of the patient's partner'. In the case of the Clayton clinic mishap, Monash said the review concluded '(The) incident resulted from a range of factors that included human error at multiple stages and IT system limitations in the very limited circumstances of an embryo transfer to a partner'. No further details on either case have been shared by the company. Acting CEO Malik Jainudeen, who replaced former head Michael Knaap following his resignation just two days after the company's June admission, reassured patients and investors that the company was implementing the recommendations outlined in the review. 'To the affected patients and everyone who entrusts Monash IVF with their dreams of building a family, we are deeply sorry for the distress these incidents have caused,' he said. 'We have implemented or will be implementing the recommendations of the independent review and have taken additional measures to reduce the risk of such incidents occurring in the future.' The company is set to announce its results for the 2025 financial year on Friday, with its share price sitting at 82 cents, down more than 42 per cent over the year.
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Calls for federal IVF regulation and DNA testing after second Monash embryo mix-up
IVF activists are calling for an urgent meeting with the federal health minister, and are suggesting children born through assisted reproduction should be DNA tested. It comes after the latest embryo mix-up this week, involving Monash IVF. The fertility giant apologised for a second time in as many months, for incorrectly transferring the wrong embryo to a patient. The company announced to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) the bungle had occurred last week at its laboratory in Clayton, Melbourne, resulting in a patient receiving her own embryo "contrary to the treatment plan which designated the transfer of an embryo of the patient's partner". Two months ago, the company revealed a Brisbane patient was mistakenly implanted with another patient's embryo. That patient gave birth to a baby who had no genetic link to her in 2023, but Monash IVF only discovered the error in February this year after the birth parents asked to transfer their remaining embryos to another provider. In a letter to Mark Butler and other Australian health ministers, who will meet in Melbourne tomorrow, IVF activists Anastasia Gunn and Katherine Dawson called for federal laws to regulate the assisted reproductive technology (ART) industry and the establishment of a national central donor register. While Victoria has been governed by ART laws for more than a decade, Queensland's legislation to regulate the industry was only passed last year. The women have argued IVF mix-ups are not "rare mistakes", as industry professionals say. "These are the direct consequence of systemic failures," the women said in the letter. "While some impacted families are choosing privacy, we are stepping forward to speak out, on behalf of all the people who can't, and all those who will discover they have been harmed." In Ms Gunn's case, her three sons were conceived through donor sperm at the Queensland Fertility Group between 2006 and 2014. She and her partner paid for the same donor to be used for each child. But DNA testing now shows their eldest son is not biologically related to their two younger boys, who have both been diagnosed with health conditions. QFG has maintained its records show the same donor was used for all three children. Given the latest issues, Ms Gunn has urged all ART patients to consider DNA testing of their children. "At best, it will give them peace of mind," she told the ABC. "At worst, it will show the degree of lack of regulation and adherence to standards that these clinics have engaged in. "The clinics should be offering this DNA testing to whomever requests it. If they have nothing to hide, then they would be happy to do so." Sydney Law School lecturer and Sydney Health Law (Centre) deputy director Christopher Rudge said these IVF events and mistakes were "relatively rare" however, he shared others' concerns that it was "hard to know without specific data". Victoria's health regulator is investigating the latest Monash IVF incident. Dr Rudge said the state's regulatory authority — the Secretary for the Department of Health — has a range of powers, including being able to impose specific conditions on a provider's registration, suspend it if there are grounds to do so, or refer matters for prosecution. He said the system was "well regulated" in Victoria, adding "the real key is for those regulations to be used" and for enforcement to take place. "I note some calls for a uniform federal form of regulation or oversight, however I think if there was a federal instrument it would probably look like the Victorian one looks like already," he said. "So it's probably more a matter of the Victorian regulator taking action." In a statement, Mr Butler said he had put the regulation of the IVF sector on the agenda for the health ministers' meeting on Friday. The ABC approached Monash IVF and QFG about DNA testing. Monash IVF referred the ABC to the fertility company's ASX statement and QFG failed to answer any questions.
