Infertility is a significant issue for a growing number of people worldwide. In China, with the phasing out of the one-child policy, the number of couples trying to conceive is increasing. This has led to a tremendous demand for assisted reproductive technology (ART), and a rich landscape for new scientific discoveries. The prowess of Jinxin Fertility Group in meeting rising demand is demonstrated by the number of in vitro fertilization (IVF) cases it performed in the past decades, from a few hundred in its early years, to 25,458 cycles in 2018.
Harnessing the power of ART, while observing regulatory and moral issues, is a huge feat for even the most experienced practitioner of reproduction and embryology. Since its launch in 2003, Jinxin has been an illustration of such success, having secured patient trust, government approval, and business investment, while raising the bar of reproductive services and technologies.
Capturing the burgeoning market in China and overseas, it operates two hospitals, nine clinics, one IVF centre, and twelve laboratories in China and the United States. Jinxin’s success is attributed to enhancing care for patients at every step of the process. The group has enlarged its operation by moving into larger and more comfortable facilities, and elevating its technical capabilities to a world-leading standard.
Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology HospitalCredit: Jinxin Fertility Group
“Our rapid expansion also means we have to prioritize forging standard operating procedures across our growing number of hospitals and laboratories in China and the United States, to ensure patient safety, risk minimization, and achieving the highest success efficiently,” said Ling Chi, Chief Scientific Officer of Jinxin. For her, Jinxin’s priorities remain maximizing success and safety.
Chi’s team focuses on Jinxin’s two main treatment solutions: artificial insemination, which can be performed with sperm from a partner or a donor, and IVF technology, where fertilization is achieved either through conventional IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Jinxin’s overseas expansion includes the management of US-based HRC FertilityCredit: Jinxin Fertility Group
“In overseeing our IVF labs, I also want to make sure that our work always respects local legislations, regulations, as well as cultural and religious perceptions about ART,” said Chi. “We remain vigilant about all the potential risks.”
Safe and effective care for patients is backed by advanced technologies. Establishing a state-of-the-art research institute was integral to Jinxin boosting its competitiveness. “We focus on more basic research with a two-fold goal: a fundamental understanding of the physiology and pathology of human reproduction and related diseases; and the advancement of theories and techniques to directly benefit our clinical practices and patients,” said Jiang Gu, director of Jinxin Reproductive and Genetic Research Institute.
Keeping up with the latest developments and developing its own new technologies, Jinxin has published a number of research results in reputable scientific journals on non-invasive protocols to select the best embryos for implantation. Other research highlights include new ways to predict infertility in a certain population of women of reproductive age, and other new techniques to evaluate embryo quality. “Our discoveries will bring our service to a higher level and enhance our reputation as a first rate medical group in this field of medicine,” Gu said.
Coupling stringent quality control and robust research, the IVF success rate for Jinxin is higher than the average in both United States and China. The average clinical pregnancy ratio in China for 2018 was approximately 45%, and 52.5% in the United States ART market in 2016, compared to 54% and 62% for Jinxin’s network respectively in China and the United States. “The capability to seamlessly link laboratory research and clinical practice marks our advantage,” said Ying Zhong, Jinxin’s CEO.
Chengdu Xinan Gynecology HospitalCredit: Jinxin Fertility Group
Facilitating collaboration and talent incubation
Jinxin is never complacent in its drive to reach new heights of discovery. Scientific and clinical research is competitive on the international stage, and global collaboration is essential for their development and success, Gu noted. Given his concurrent role as the director of a Collaborative and Creative Center of Shantou University, he is also keen on promoting industry-academia partnerships.
Jinxin has built close partnerships with a number of renowned IVF centres, and engaged a scientific advisory committee composed of internationally renowned scientists and physicians, delivering guidance and advice on specific research projects and general research directions. It is building an international reputation in this field, while many researchers in Jinxin have had training in top medical schools, hospitals and research institutes abroad.
Chi’s recent appointment, with her US clinical embryology training and experience, exemplifies Jinxin’s ambition to enhance international exchange with clinical embryologists worldwide. As the team expands, Chi aims to attract talent with a clinical embryological education background to take up roles at Jinxin, especially as lab directors.
An advocate for affordability, Zhong also sees that any cost barrier has to be justified. With initiatives to give back to local communities and enhance accessibility of ART to a broader demographic, the company has been engaged in various social activities in Sichuan province, including free check-up services at remote regions for indigenous Tibetans.
“We strive to be an important and indispensable part of local and international community in the field of reproductive medicine,” said Zhong.