First-Ever Non-Surgical Test Utilizes Newly Discovered Endometriosis Biomarker to Assist Patients Seeking Solutions to Infertility Issues

 E-Tegrity

BOSTON (September 2, 2015) – Innovative Reproductive Solutions, a leader in providing cutting-edge diagnostic tests for women’s reproductive health, is proud to announce the introduction of its Etegrity Plus test. Etegrity Plus (http://www.etegrityplus.com) is a new and improved non-surgical test, providing enhanced screening for endometrial receptivity defects, and detects all stages of endometriosis and other conditions, which may interfere successful IVF treatments.

 

“I have been working in the Fertility industry for over 20 years, and have spent my career supporting and helping couples who are experiencing Fertility issues,” says Ellen Berman, Vice President of Innovative Reproductive Solutions. “I have waited my whole career to finally connect with someone like Dr Lessey, a true expert in the field of Endometriosis, including receptivity and implantation issues.”

 

Berman adds, “To finally have a credible test to determine these issues is revolutionary for the industry. My true hope is to have Reproductive Endocrinologists and Fertility Centers all over the world have this test available to their patients.”

 

Etegrity Plus is the first test for endometriosis with high sensitivity and specificity, especially useful in women with unexplained IVF failure or infertility. Validation studies have found a high concordance between this test and the findings of endometriosis or hydrosalpinges (blocked tubes). Etegrity Plus combines the known biomarker Beta-3 integrin, with a newly discovered biomarker, BCL6.

 

The Beta-3 integrin is a glue-like protein, necessary for implantation to take place. If a patient is missing the Beta-3 integrin, the fertilized egg may not attach properly to the uterine wall, decreasing the chance for a successful pregnancy.

 

The BCL6 biomarker is a gene repressor, recently discovered by reproductive endocrinologist Dr Bruce Lessey and Dr Steven Young, associate professor in obstetrics and gynecology at UNC Chapel Hill. BCL6 is dramatically overexpressed in women with endometriosis, making it a good candidate for progesterone resistance, contributing to implantation problems. While the Beta-3 integrin can be normal in some women with endometriosis, BCL6 is an accurate predictor for the presence of inflammation caused by endometriosis, adenomyosis, or tubal disease.

 

These two biomarkers together provide greater potential for screening women for defects that may interfere with pregnancy, even if undergoing or considering IVF.

 

“It is incredibly useful having a test which can predict such things as pregnancy outcome and IVF failure,” says Dr Lessey. “We’re finding endometriosis is much more common than previously thought, present in many women without symptoms of endometriosis. I hope clinicians will discover this test and apply it to their own patient population.”

 

Endometriosis, one of the top 3 causes of infertility and affecting approximately 176 million women worldwide, is a painful, chronic disease 
that occurs when tissue similar to that which lines the uterus is found outside the uterus — usually in the abdomen on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and ligaments that support the uterus. This resulting inflammation can cause pain, infertility, scar tissue formation, adhesions, and more. In addition, more than six million people in the United States are affected by infertility. It is estimated 15-30% of women undergoing infertility evaluation have no cause identified; evidence suggests up to 80% of women with unexplained infertility have implantation defects, much of which is caused by endometriosis.

 

To undergo the Etegrity Plus test, a physician will ask their patient to determine when she is ovulating, by using a commercially available ovulation detection test administered at home. The physician will then collect a sample of the uterine lining 7 to 11 days after the ovulation test is positive. The sample is then sent to Pathology Consultants, the only licensed lab for the Etegrity Plus test.

 

Patients are encouraged to contact their doctor to request the Etegrity Plus test. Physicians interested in providing the Etegrity Plus test are invited to contact Ellen.etegrityplus@gmail.com.

 

For more information, visit www.etegrityplus.com.

 

 

About Innovative Reproductive Solutions / Etegrity Plus: 

Innovative Reproductive Solutions is a distinguished leader in the design, discovery, and marketing of innovative medical products, committed to bringing customers the latest advances in diagnostic testing devices to promote the health and wellbeing of women. Innovative Reproductive Solutions is a privately held, women-owned company based in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 20 years of experience in the women’s reproductive health industry, IRS continues to expand its product line and reinforce its commitment to becoming a leader in women’s healthcare by bringing the most advanced technologies and devices to the medical industry. Innovative Reproductive Solutions is the exclusive retailer of the E-tegrity test and the Etegrity Plus test. For more information, visit http://EtegrityPlus.com.

 

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