A STAT News investigation has uncovered an emerging international industry offering mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRT), commonly referred to as “three-parent IVF,” to infertile patients despite significant scientific uncertainty regarding its effectiveness. The procedure involves creating embryos that combine genetic material from both parents with mitochondrial DNA from a third donor, and is legal in limited circumstances in the United Kingdom but prohibited in the United States.
The investigation centered on International Fertility Group (IFG), a U.S.-based company that partners with fertility clinics internationally, including operations in Albania, to offer the procedure to clients seeking to overcome infertility challenges associated with advancing maternal age. According to IFG’s internal data, the average age of patients in its MRT program increased from 39.2 years old in 2022 to 45.6 years old more recently. The company’s marketing materials specifically targeted women over 35 years old, describing MRT as a breakthrough treatment offering renewed hope to those with advanced maternal age or histories of failed IVF cycles.
However, the scientific evidence supporting these claims remains limited. No peer-reviewed human studies currently demonstrate that MRT can overcome infertility issues caused by aging, particularly in women 35 years and older. A 2023 pilot study from Greece suggested potential benefits for women under 40, but live birth rates for patients aged 39 at the time of the procedure were less than 10%. Researchers affiliated with IFG presented data at a conference claiming live birth rates of 40% or higher among 66 patients with a mean age of 39, but scientists indicated the abstract lacked critical information and one conference organizer questioned its acceptance. Unpublished data from the Nadiya Clinic in Kyiv showed that among 19 patients aged 36 to 44, only one achieved a live birth following the procedure.
Following STAT’s publication of its investigation, IFG removed its marketing materials and acknowledged that evidence for MRT remains limited. The company placed its MRT program on pause and stated that patients are not promised pregnancy or live births. The Turkish embryologist who performed procedures for IFG clients in Albania announced he was stepping back from clinical work. Other unaffiliated clinics in Mexico and the Bahamas continue marketing MRT to women 40 and older without having published outcome data, raising concerns about profiting from uncertain treatments and the lack of long-term health monitoring for children born through the procedure.
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