Abu Dhabi to test new IVF technology in 2027

Abu Dhabi: A new fertility research project in Abu Dhabi will investigate whether an innovative laboratory system can help scientists better understand embryo development during in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), potentially paving the way for improvements in fertility treatment.

The clinical investigation, expected to enrol its first participant in 2027, follows a partnership between ART Fertility Clinics and Vienna-based biotechnology company dawn-bio GmbH.

The two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026 to collaborate on reproductive medicine research and evaluate new technologies used in IVF laboratories.

The agreement was signed by Suresh Soni, Chief Executive Officer of ART Fertility Clinics, and Dr Peter Greiner, Co-Founder and CEO of dawn-bio, in the presence of Dr Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH).

The partnership also reflects the emirate’s ambition to become an international centre for reproductive medicine, bringing together healthcare providers, researchers and biotechnology companies to explore new approaches to fertility care.

How it works

The research will focus on dawn-bio’s Offspring™ IVF culture system, which is designed for the laboratory environment in which embryos develop during fertility treatment.

During IVF, eggs are fertilised outside the body, and the resulting embryos are cultured in carefully controlled laboratory conditions before being considered for transfer to the uterus.

The planned study will examine the investigational system and generate clinical evidence to help researchers understand how laboratory conditions may influence early embryo development.

However, the technology remains under investigation, and the study will be needed to assess its performance. No improvement in pregnancy or birth outcomes has yet been established through this proposed research.

Patient safety a priority

Dawn-bio will sponsor the investigation, while ART Fertility Clinics in Abu Dhabi will serve as the research site.

The partners expect to enrol the first participant in 2027, subject to approval from the DoH Ethics Committee and compliance with internationally recognised medical-device research standards.

Participation will be voluntary, and the research will not change patients’ treatment decisions or standard care.

Patient information will be coded to protect identities, with research data handled according to applicable UAE and European Union data protection laws.

Dr Khuloud Al-Dhalei, Executive Director of the Healthcare Quality Sector at DoH, welcomed the partnership as another step towards strengthening Abu Dhabi’s reproductive health research capabilities.

“Through clear regulatory pathways and oversight, we enable responsible innovation that can inform future care and support more people in their hopes of building a family,” she said.

Soni said the partnership would allow Abu Dhabi-based clinicians and embryologists to contribute to internationally standardised research while keeping patient safety and informed choice at the centre of their work.

“Research is how fertility care moves forward,” he said.

Dr Greiner said the collaboration would bring together specialist clinical knowledge and biotechnology research to generate robust evidence on the new IVF culture system.

Expanding fertility research

The initiative forms part of Abu Dhabi’s wider efforts to strengthen reproductive healthcare through research, advanced technology and international collaboration.

These efforts include the Abu Dhabi Programme for the Future of Reproductive Health, genetic screening initiatives and the Global Reproductive Health Advisory Council.