Your Fertility Pharmacist Your Fertility Pharmacist—Infertility and Reproductive Medicine, Fertility Medications

Resources
Bronson R. and Kruljac I, Butorac D, Vrkljan M. and Legro RS, Zhang H; Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD Reproductive Medicine Network. Letrozole or clomiphene for infertility in the polycystic ovary syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(15):1463-1464. doi:10.1056/NEJMc1409550
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and Diabetes. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/pcos.html. Accessed April 21, 2024.
Franik S, Kremer JA, Nelen WL, Farquhar C. Aromatase inhibitors for subfertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;(2):CD010287. Published 2014 Feb 24. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010287.pub2
Franik S, Le QK, Kremer JA, Kiesel L, Farquhar C. Aromatase inhibitors (letrozole) for ovulation induction in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;9(9):CD010287. Published 2022 Sep 27. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010287.pub4
Legro RS, Brzyski RG, Diamond MP, et al. Letrozole versus clomiphene for infertility in the polycystic ovary syndrome [published correction appears in N Engl J Med. 2014 Oct 9;317(15):1465]. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(2):119-129. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1313517
Legro RS, Diamond MP, Coutifaris C, et al. Pregnancy registry: three-year follow-up of children conceived from letrozole, clomiphene, or gonadotropins. Fertil Steril. 2020;113(5):1005-1013. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.12.023
Palomba S, Santagni S, Falbo A, La Sala GB. Complications and challenges associated with polycystic ovary syndrome: current perspectives. Int J Womens Health. 2015;7:745-763https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S70314
World Health Organization. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. World Health Organization; 2023. Accessed April 21, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/polycystic-ovary-syndrome
Zhang H. Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome II (PPCOSII). ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00719186 . Updated June 14, 2018. Accessed April 20, 2020. https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00719186

A new study examines the associations between COVID-19 infection with pregnancy and miscarriage rates, looking at the first ten weeks after fresh embryo transfer.

A study compared fertility and sexual markers in obese men with low testosterone and erectile dysfunction who took liraglutide, uFSH + HCG, or testosterone. These men separated into three groups based on their plans for parenthood; results showed impressive improvements on the GLP-1 agonist liraglutide.

A recent study compared GnRH antagonists in egg donor ovarian stimulation cycles. The first drug is a newer agent, elagolix (Orilissa), that is taken as a tablet at night. The older drug is an injectable agent called ganirelix (Fyremadel). How did elagolix stack up with eggs retrieved and embryos formed vs. ganirelix? Were there adverse events, like ovarian hyperstimulation or early LH surge? Results and what they mean for upcoming egg donor cycles are explored in this episode.

A new trial tested a new way to give FSH to improve ovarian function in obese women without PCOS who are struggling to conceive.

This study adds low-dose dexamethasone to letrozole in women with PCOS who failed to ovulate with letrozole alone. This study looked at ovulation, pregnancy, and live birth rates and took place at the Mayo Clinic from 2019 to 2022.