Researchers at the University of Hong Kong announced on Monday they found that a drug used to treat diabetes-related conditions could also be used to address a cause of infertility.

Up to three percent of women around the world suffer from premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) – meaning the ovaries of those under 40 stop functioning properly.

Conventional IVF is ineffective for them as their follicles fail to develop eggs.

Ernest Ng, from the Faculty of Medicine, said a clinical trial launched in 2024, involving 14 patients at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital, proved that the drug – finerenone – could help with follicular development in slightly over half of the participants by taking it twice a week for up to seven months.

"The current treatment is we just wait, until the patient sometimes in a very small proportion, they may have actually a follicle developed, but it can take several months or even in terms of years," Ng said.

"So basically we tell the patient that there's no effective treatment, especially drug treatment.

"We won't be able to proceed to IVF because we aren't actually be able to see any follicle and there's no point to stimulate the patients with drugs anyway.

"So I think this is very important breakthrough because at least now after giving the patient some drugs for some time, we'll be able to actually see the follicle on the ultrasound, and that they can actually be stimulated to develop the follicle."

Side effects, such as low blood pressure, would be minimal, compared with using the drug to treat chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes patients, Ng added.

He said the drug is affordable as it only costs up to HK$200 on the mainland, and he does not expect any drastic price increase after this discovery.

Looking ahead, the team will carry out trials involving more hospitals, and they hope to find out if the drug can be used to help those over 40.