Gameto, a biotechnology firm headquartered in New York City, has secured $33 million in Series B funding. The capital injection is earmarked for bolstering the clinical advancement of its in vitro maturation (IVM) product, Fertilo.
Specializing in women’s health solutions, particularly infertility, Gameto introduces Fertilo, designed to replicate the ovarian environment. This innovation employs engineered ovarian support cells to foster egg maturation outside the body. Fertilo streamlines the process, providing patients with three days of stimulation through daily injections or an oral tablet. Subsequently, immature eggs are retrieved during an outpatient procedure at fertility clinics, followed by a day-long maturation period in a dish containing the Fertilo product. The matured eggs are then either frozen or utilized for in vitro fertilization (IVF), distinguishing this approach from conventional fertility treatments, which typically entail two weeks of hormonal injections.
Dr. Dina Radenkovic, Gameto’s CEO and co-founder, expressed optimism about the simplified process, noting its potential to alleviate the burdens associated with traditional methods. She remarked, “The standard IVF process is super long, medicalized, and carries side effects… We hope that with this shortened process, women will feel better doing it, it’s not going to be as difficult, and that it will result in more access and better success rates because it will be easier to repeat.”
Leading the Series B funding round were Two Sigma Ventures and RA Capital, with contributions from Insight Partners, Future Ventures, and BOLD Capital Partners, bringing Gameto’s total funding to $73 million. The company has received “tentative approval” from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to proceed with Phase 3 trials of Fertilo, which the funding will facilitate. Additionally, the financing will aid in the commercial launch of Fertilo in Australia and Latin America, regions where regulatory clearance has been obtained, and the product is already utilized in fertility clinics.
Dusan Perovic, a partner at Two Sigma Ventures, emphasized Gameto’s potential to effect global change. He stated, “In addition to making treatments much easier and more accessible for women, Gameto’s advanced IVF/egg-freezing solution addresses a massive societal need as we’re living longer and looking to start families later in life while facing rising female and male infertility rates.”
Citing statistics from the World Health Organization, which indicate that approximately 17.5% of the adult population globally faces infertility challenges, Gameto underscores its mission to simplify treatment. Dr. Radenkovic articulated this aim, saying, “As a woman myself, I do think that we deserve to have an easier option to perhaps expand that reproductive timeline, so that we can achieve everything we want to achieve in life on our own timeline.”
While Gameto’s current focus is infertility, Dr. Radenkovic expressed aspirations to address other health conditions, including menopause and ovarian cancer, in the future.
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