Recent Findings On Therapy To Help Women
With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Achieve Pregnancy

Women with a metabolic disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome often experience fertility problems due to issues with ovulation. Penn researchers and the National Institutes of Health Reproductive Medicine research network report results from a study evaluating two frequently used drugs to aid in ovulation for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

About the Study
Findings from the study show that metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes and once thought to have great promise in overcoming the infertility associated with polycystic ovary syndrome, is less effective than the standard fertility drug treatment, clomiphene. This study is the largest, most comprehensive effort yet to compare the two drugs in helping PCOS patients achieve successful pregnancy. The findings appeared in the February 8th, 2007 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

“With this study, my colleagues and I recommend and support the use of clomiphene alone and not in combination with metformin as a first-line therapy for infertility in women with PCOS,” said Christos Coutifaris, MD, PhD, Chief of Penn's Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and the principal investigator from Penn. “These results emphasize the need to test any new application rigorously, no matter how promising it may seem initially.”

Comparing Drugs – Metformin and Clomiphene
According to the study authors, women who took metformin ovulated more than the women who were given the standard treatment. Similarly, women in the combination therapy group ovulated more frequently than did the women in either the clomiphene-alone or the metformin-alone groups. However, as the current study revealed, an increase in ovulation did not result in more successful pregnancies and deliveries for either the metformin alone, or combination group.

The researchers theorize that although the combination of the two drugs might stimulate more cycles of ovulation than clomiphene alone, these extra cycles might result in a higher number of eggs that are not capable of fertilization or development.

“The bottom line here is that ovulation does not necessarily result in a successful pregnancy,” said Coutifaris. “The results suggest that ovulation due to clomiphene is two times as likely to result in pregnancy compared to ovulation caused by metformin.”

While metformin alone did not improve the chances for pregnancy, it was useful for lowering the high blood testosterone levels that occur with PCOS. This study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Center for Research Resources.

If you are experiencing PCOS symptoms or have concerns regarding your fertility, talk to your ob/gyn to determine if you should seek the care of a fertility specialist.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 1-800-789-PENN (7366) or request an appointment online.

	Need an appointment? Request one online 24 hours/day, 7 days/week or call 800-789-PENN (7366) to speak to a referral counselor.