ASX Health Stocks: Memphasys' Felix triumphs over traditional sperm-prepping methods for IVF

Memphasys’s Felix outperforms conventional sperm-prepping system

Memphasys (ASX:MEM) jumped by over +12% this morning on the back of news that its Felix System has outperformed a sperm preparation method comprising two of the  most widely used processes, Density Gradient Centrifugation and Swim-Up (DGC+SU).

The findings were from a recently completed Japanese clinical trial at the Reproduction Clinic Osaka, Japan.

The trial results showed that using the Felix System was superior to the DGC+SU methods for prepping sperm.

Instead of going through the whole rigmarole of centrifugation and incubation like with the DGC+SU process, Felix is much simpler to use, with processing time taking a mere six to seven minutes.

The Osaka clinic performed this trial with 45 couples dealing with infertility. Doctors at the clinic collected 401 eggs and split them up, using Felix for some, and DGC+SU for others. Then they tried making embryos with them through ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection).

The Felix results were better overall, especially when it came to how many embryos were actually used. But because the trial was only done on 45 couples, the results did not reach statistical significance between the DGC+SU and Felix groups.

The study however wrapped up with the verdict that the Felix System is a better choice for isolating sperm.

Using Felix is likely to make lab work smoother and faster compared to the DGC+SU method, while getting pretty much the same results, statistically speaking.

MEM says it will be taking these results on the road with a presentation at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) conference coming up in June.

CEO and owner of the Reproduction Clinic Osaka, Dr Tomomoto Ishikawa, said: “Not only does the system select high quality sperm for ICSI, but it does so very quickly, in a single, easy, and automated process.”

MEM’s CEO David Ali added: “This is a huge plus for process flow in IVF laboratories which are always seeking efficiency and cost savings.”

Chimeric gets ethics approval

Chimeric Therapeutics (ASX:CHM) meanwhile climbed almost +10% after announcing that it has received ethics approval for the initiation of its multi-site Phase 1/2 clinical trial of CHM CDH17 in patients with advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

An ethics approval is a significant milestone in advancing the program toward study initiation under FDA regulations.

CHM CDH17 is novel CAR T cell therapy that targets CDH17, a cancer target linked to some cancers like colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and neuroendocrine tumours.

Back in March 2022, immunotherapy expert Dr Xianxin Hua and his crew at the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania published some preclinical studies in Nature Cancer.

They showed that CHM CDH17 could wipe out tumours in seven different cancer models without causing any harm to healthy tissues.

“We are excited to achieve this milestone in anticipation of opening our clinical trial of CHM CDH17 for patients with advanced GI cancers; this marks a great step forward for the use of cell therapies in solid tumours,” said Dr Rebecca McQualter, chief operating officer of Chimeric.