News Round-up

Kisspeptin Cure?
A study at the University College in London in which women who do not menstruate on their own responded 16 times higher to the hormone Kisspeptin than those given a placebo. Kisspeptin was, therefore, seen as a "cure" for one type of infertility.

Dr. Frederick Licciardi, the Reproductive Endocrinologist who heads the Wellness Program at the NYU Fertility Center, commented,
"Kisspeptin is a hormone with very important actions relating to puberty and fertility. The current study is a step closer to our understanding of Kisspeptin. However, much more work needs to be done to determine if we will be able to use it to promote ovulation and treat infertility."
Femera Dangers
While the use of the common breast cancer drug Femara is associated with increased risks to the baby, three in every 10 women take the drug to overcome infertility problems.

Femara, an aromatase inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, can treat post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancers through blocking the production of estrogen.

Also known as letrozole, Femara is assigned a pregnancy-risk category D by the FDA as its use was reported to increase the risk of birth defects in the newborn by threefold.

Despite these facts, the drug is often prescribed "off-label" to treat infertility in women with ovulation problems. No large studies, however, have supported its safety and effectiveness in treating this population.