A single in vitro fertilization (IVF) round can cost between $15,000 and $30,000 and is often not covered by health insurance. But Pozitivf Fertility, a San Antonio, Texas-based IVF clinic, has found a way to cut that cost to as low as $7,900.

The company was founded by Francisco “Paco” Arredondo in April 2022. He previously founded fertility clinic the RMA of Texas, which he sold in 2018 to Aspire Fertility, and had worked in the facility that performed the first IVF procedure in Mexico in 1989.

The company currently has about 25 employees, including two physicians, fertility coaches, nurses, an embryologist, and an administrative team.

From 2015 to 2019, about 11% of men and women ages 15 to 49 experienced infertility challenges in the US, according to a 2024 study. In the US in 2021, nearly 240,000 patients used assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments—which is most often IVF—to try to conceive, according to the CDC.

But the cost is “out of reach” for many patients looking to have children, according to KFF, which reported in 2020 that most patients pay out of pocket for IVF. The cost of medications for IVF has also jumped 84% in the last 10 years, drug discount company GoodRx said, compared to 37% for drugs in general.

Keep reading here.—CM

It seems a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool promising to improve efficiency in healthcare and reduce clinician burnout comes out nearly every day. According to Deloitte, 75% of “leading healthcare companies” are experimenting with generative AI.

In response, Mass General Brigham is getting health systems together to test out and compare notes on emerging AI tools from companies including Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI and also look at how these tools perform in clinical settings. In an announcement on November 13, the Boston-based health system touted the venture—called the Healthcare AI Challenge—as the “first-of-its-kind interactive virtual environment” that lets clinicians assess AI solutions.

Participants will gain access to new AI tools used for specific tasks, like evaluating medical images, which they can test in simulations and provide feedback on performance. That commentary will be publicly available so health systems that aren’t involved in the partnership can learn from the program, according to the news release.

The first in the series of challenges will focus on radiology, as AI has already had a “rapid and meaningful impact” in the specialty, according to Mass General Brigham.

Keep reading here.—MA

Amazon seems to have caught on to how profitable direct-to-consumer (DTC) medication sales can be.

The e-commerce giant on November 14 announced it’s once again expanding its healthcare offerings, creating a new subscription-based telehealth service through its One Medical subsidiary to sell medications for five common health conditions, including erectile dysfunction (ED), men’s hair loss, and motion sickness.

The new business line puts Amazon in competition with other subscription telehealth companies including Hims & Hers, Ro, and Lemonaid Health, which each offer similar treatments. In Q3 2024 earnings released November 4, Hims & Hers—which has about 2 million subscribers—reported its revenue was up 77%, climbing from $226.7 million the previous year to $401.6 million this year.

Amazon has roughly 200 million Prime members. And since it’s charging cheaper prices than both Hims & Hers and Ro, Bank of America analysts wrote in a note that they see Amazon’s new service line as a “serious competitive threat” for Hims & Hers, CNBC reported.

Keep reading here.—MA