Memphasys: It’s a boy! A remarkable feat for a biotech – a living breathing baby is born
Memphasys Managing Director Alison Coutts on 3AW, 2GB & 4BC Bulls N' Bears Report
Listen to ASX-listed Memphasys Managing Director Alison Coutts talk to Matt Birney on the Bulls N’ Bears Report about Memphasys’ crowning glory – the birth of a baby boy using its IVF technology.
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RADIO INTERVIEW - TRANSCRIPT
Matt Birney - Welcome to Bulls N' Bears brought to you today by biotechnology company Memphasys.
Matt Birney - ASX code: MEM. I'm Matt Birney and I'm joined now by the Managing Director of Memphasys Alison Coutts. Hi Alison
Alison Coutts - Hi Matt
Matt Birney - Okay Alison so Memphasys has just experienced some extraordinary success with its technology known as Felix. That separates high-quality sperm from semen for IVF treatment.
Matt Birney - A baby has just been born in India using your technology, firstly was it a boy or a girl?
Alison Coutts - It's a boy.
Matt Birney - Is this a first for you?
Alison Coutts - Yeah but there are many ongoing pregnancies and there'll be others.
Matt Birney - Okay so tell me, without getting all scientific on me, exactly how does Felix work and why the need for it? What does it do exactly?
Alison Coutts - Well it's unique. It uses electrics and membranes so there's a gentle current that pulls the most negatively charged sperm, they're the best, across the membrane and cellular debris trapped left behind in the membrane.
Alison Coutts - We have a reusable console, single-use cartridges and we plan to sell the cartridges, that's the business model.
Matt Birney - So the idea I guess if I'm getting it, is you're trying to weed out the best quality sperm to give somebody the best opportunity to fall pregnant, is that right?
Alison Coutts - Absolutely yeah.
Matt Birney - So it obviously works. An Indian baby has just been born courtesy of your technology. Tell me how and why did that mother come to use Felix?
Alison Coutts - Well she was a patient with her husband at the Indian clinic and the fella had high levels of DNA damage in his sperm which is a known factor of infertility so they agreed to go ahead and they're delighted they've got a baby now.
Matt Birney - Okay so how are you going to fully commercialise Felix? What is the business model? Will you sell through distributors in different countries? Where are you sort of at on the commercialisation journey?
Alison Coutts - Yeah well we will be using distributors in due course but we're going country by country and initially key opinion leader clinic by clinic. We've already made a sale to Japan which you would have seen.
Alison Coutts - Another key opinion leader site is trialling it with a view to buying. Same applies to Canada and we're trialling in Australia through Monash IVF seeking TGA and European approval.
Matt Birney - And so you'll see -
Alison Coutts - We'll talk to distributors later.
Matt Birney - Right and you'll sell the actual unit and then look to sell replacement cartridges, is that the theory?
Alison Coutts - Yeah as they use it they've got the console, you just buy cartridges.
Matt Birney - Alison Coutts from Memphasys.
Matt Birney - Thanks for joining me on Bulls N' Bears and remember we're only here to give you information not advice which you should of course seek independently.
Matt Birney - I'm Matt Birney and this is Bulls N' Bears.
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