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Slater and Gordon investigating class action into IVF add-ons
Plaintiff firm Slater and Gordon is investigating the possibility of commencing a class action on behalf of women who have been sold ineffective add-on therapies while undergoing IVF treatment.
Natasha Taylor
Plaintiff firm Slater and Gordon is looking into launching actions on behalf of Australian women who were sold pre-implant genetic testing, a test that supposedly determines the likelihood of the embryo proceeding to live birth.
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The firm has estimated that 8,000 women across Australia and New Zealand have been sold the add-on therapies in the past 12 months.
Slater and Gordon practice group leader Margaret Kent said the add-ons were expensive and there were serious question marks over the efficacy of the techniques.
According to Ms Kent, the firm has been investigating the IVF add-ons for many months and has spoken to leading researchers and practitioners in the area about their validity.
“Particularly in the case of pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), there is significant evidence to suggest that the test is not an effective determination of an embryo’s chance of culminating in a live birth,” she said.
According to the firm’s statement, pre-implantation genetic testing can be expensive and costs up to $895 per embryo. If a woman is having multiple rounds of IVF, the cost of treatment can quickly add up to a significant additional cost.
“If you are trying to get pregnant of course you are going to want to maximise your chance of success, but there is insufficient credible evidence to show PGT-A does in fact increase the probability of having a baby,” Ms Kent said.
“In fact, there is evidence that PGT-A may even reduce the overall chance of a live birth in a cycle.
“Frankly, we think people who are already incredibly vulnerable are getting ripped off.
“Going through IVF is incredibly stressful – physically, emotionally and financially – and it is incredibly concerning that women are being encouraged to spend more for additional treatments or procedures that have no proven benefit.”
Moreover, Ms Kent said while the firm was particularly concerned about the efficacy of pre-implantation genetic testing, they were investigating the selling of add-on treatments more broadly.
