# IFG sold mitochondrial replacement IVF to older women; no peer-reviewed human data show it works

- Published: 2026-11-14 00:37 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-2e8fa32ff1e64d40bfdf4405_ifg_sold_mitochondrial/

**STAT reviewed the commercial "three-parent IVF" trade: published and clinic data show benefit mainly in women under 35, while IFG's average MRT client was 45.6 years old.**

![IFG sold mitochondrial replacement IVF to older women; no peer-reviewed human data show it works](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/f9282550c1671e59.jpg)
*Dr.jayesh amin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0*

A STAT investigation, published on statnews.com, examined the international market for mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRT), often called "three-parent IVF". The eight-month reporting centered on the U.S.-based International Fertility Group (IFG), which sends clients abroad for the procedure. It began with a tip from a British couple who paid tens of thousands of dollars for access [1].

MRT combines the nuclear DNA of a mother and father with mitochondrial DNA from a third person. It is illegal in the U.S. and in the U.K. is permitted at one academic medical center, only to lower the risk of passing on mitochondrial disease [1]. In Albania, a Turkish embryologist flew in monthly to perform the procedure on IFG clients' eggs or embryos [1].

## Evidence by age

According to the investigation, no peer-reviewed human studies support the idea that MRT overcomes age-related infertility, especially in women 35 and older [1]. A 2023 pilot study from a Greek clinic reported improved live birth rates for women under 40, with the largest gains in the youngest patients. Among 12 patients aged 39, the live birth rate was below 10% [1].

Unpublished data from the Nadiya Clinic in Kyiv show that pronuclear transfer did not improve IVF odds for older women: of 19 patients aged 36 to 44, one gave birth. Among 10 infertile patients under 35, MRT resulted in nine live births [1].

Researchers affiliated with IFG presented a conference abstract for a 2025 European meeting. It claimed live birth rates of 40% or higher among 66 patients with a mean age of 39. Scientists told STAT the abstract lacked key information, and a conference organizer questioned its acceptance [1]. The strongest support for an effect in older women is a single lab study in mice, and experts said direct evidence for the underlying hypothesis, that mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to age-related infertility, is scarce [1].

## Marketing and next studies

IFG advertised its MRT program as a treatment for women with advanced maternal age or failed cycles. According to an IFG webinar, the average patient age in the program was 39.2 years in 2022 and 45.6 years last year [1]. After STAT's inquiry, IFG removed the materials, which several experts called misleading and unethical. The company said it provides nonmedical support and does not promise any outcome [1]. The IFG MRT program is on pause, and the embryologist announced he was stepping back from clinical work to focus on research [1].

Clinics unaffiliated with IFG in Mexico and the Bahamas continue to market MRT to women 40 and older. Neither has published outcome data [1]. Concerns include profit from false hope and the lack of monitoring of children born through commercial MRT [1].

Ghent University researchers are starting a small MRT study for oocyte, zygote and embryo maturation arrest (OZEMA), with initial results expected next year [1].

## Sources

1. [statnews.com](https://www.statnews.com/2026/11/13/fertility-tourism-5-takeaways-mrt-investigation)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-2e8fa32ff1e64d40bfdf4405_ifg_sold_mitochondrial/