Infertility Drugs: Helping Couples Fulfill Their Dream of Parenthood

Infertility is a condition that affects millions of couples worldwide who are unable to conceive children even after one year of unprotected intercourse. For many such couples, medical assistance is required in the form of infertility drugs to help overcome biological issues preventing pregnancy. These drugs aim to stimulate and regulate the hormonal environment in a woman’s body to support ovulation, fertilization and embryo implantation. Let’s take a deeper look at some commonly used infertility drugs.

Clomid (Clomiphene citrate)

One of the most frequently prescribed infertility drugs is Clomid, which is taken orally. Clomid works by stimulating the ovaries to produce more eggs. It binds to estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, tricking the body into thinking estrogen levels are low. This results in the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary, inducing egg maturation and ovulation. Clomid is generally the first line treatment for couples struggling with infertility related to issues like infrequent or absent ovulation. It has helped many women conceive and gives them a monthly chance of pregnancy.

Letrozole

For women who do not respond well to Clomid or continue to have irregular ovulation, Letrozole may be prescribed. Letrozole is an aromatase inhibitor that works similarly but more effectively than Clomid bysuppressing estrogen production in the body. This kickstarts the natural cycle of follicle growth and development, leading to ovulation. Letrozole has proven results for inducing ovulation and improving pregnancy rates compared to Clomid. It carries fewer side effects as well since it does not stimulate the ovaries as strongly as Clomid.

Gonadotropins

When natural or oral ovulation-inducing methods fail, injectable gonadotropins may be recommended. These drugs contain follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and/or luteinizing hormone (LH), which stimulate multiple follicle growth and egg maturation when administered in controlled doses. The most commonly used gonadotropins are Follitropin alfa (Gonal-F) and Follitropin beta (Follistim AQ). They require daily subcutaneous injections over 7-14 days along with close ovarian monitoring via ultrasound scans. This helps the physician determine follicle development and maturation for precisely timed intercourse or intrauterine insemination (IUI). Gonadotropins improve pregnancy success in cases related to poor ovarian reserve or response.

Cetrotide

When using gonadotropins, the risk of hyperstimulation exists due to overdevelopment of multiple follicles. Cetrotide is an infertility drug prescribed alongside gonadotropins to help prevent this complication. Cetrotide contains cetrorelix acetate, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist that binds to pituitary GnRH receptors. This suppresses the natural LH surge, allowing the follicles to develop at a controlled, synchronized pace under the influence of exogenous FSH alone. Cetrotide when combined with gonadotropins improves egg/embryo quality and increases the chances of pregnancy.

Infertility drug advancements now allow many previously infertile couples to achieve successful pregnancies and deliver healthy babies. Utilizing the optimal medication protocols tailored specifically for individualized medical histories and diagnoses provides the best chances for treatment success. With continued research into new treatments and technologies, reproductive endocrinologists hope to further expand fertility preservation and family building options to assist even more people struggling with infertility worldwide.

Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it