Proov’s New Study Showing Sustained Elevated Progesterone Levels Increase Clinical Pregnancy Rates By 75%

Proov, makers of the first and only FDA-cleared PdG-test and the first full cycle tracking kit, today announces first of its kind findings that should help inform the medical community and American women surrounding the role of PdG (the major urine metabolite of progesterone, an indication that ovulation has occurred).

Set to publish next month in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology Research, Proov’s study has shown that Positive PdG cycles are associated with increased pregnancy rates and lower odds of a first-trimester pregnancy loss. This demonstrates an increased need for consideration for luteal phase support with progesterone or ovulation induction in women with negative PdG cycles and that this can be of benefit. Furthermore, the use of LH (Luteinizing hormone) and PdG testing prior to conception can be used as a screening tool to potentially identify women who are at risk of subfertility and at a higher risk of first-trimester pregnancy loss related to low progesterone.

“We are the only FDA-cleared and CE-marked at-home test to determine if there is a problem with ovulation. Since the process of ovulation is what makes estrogen and progesterone, if a woman is not ovulating properly, she can have symptoms of hormone imbalance that can affect every aspect of her life. We are the first to give women insights into their hormones completely at home, no blood test or waiting for a lab to analyze their samples,” explains Amy Beckley, Proov's founder and CEO.

These critical findings are now being released at a time when we are paying closer attention to potential inaccuracies with the traditional ovulation tests that have been developed and marketed for the last several decades. Proov has always focused its time, research, and diagnostic development on what happens after ovulation. Much of this is due to founder and inventor, Amy Beckley’s, own confusing experiences with these at-home tests.

Beckley was diagnosed with “unexplained infertility” after several attempts to get pregnant, and, being unexplained, she was told that IVF is the best option. So she and her husband did two rounds of IVF and were finally blessed with a son (who is now 11). She later found out when trying to conceive her second child that she simply had ovulation dysfunction.

“I was unexplained infertile because of a lack of diagnostics to truly understand ovulation health, so this research means doctors and patients now have better tools to diagnose and treat one of the leading causes of infertility. When I realized the treatment for my unexplained infertility was a $100 supplement and not invasive IVF, I set out to create better diagnostic solutions to help providers and patients understand the cause of their infertility and get to the solution in a faster and more cost-effective way,” she shares with me.

Recently as well, a new lawsuit has been filed against some of the top ovulation test kit manufacturers due to an overwhelming amount of unreliable results for consumers. Proov is aiming to shine a light on this issue and help educate the community not only about this concerning trend but new considerations to take into account with the often overlooked PdG hormone as a way to confirm successful ovulation has indeed occurred.

MFB Fertility, Inc. developed Proov, an at-home PdG test that measures the presence of progesterone metabolite PdG in urine to help a woman confirm that she has ovulated successfully. Originally co-founded in Boulder, Colorado, by two women who both struggled to conceive, MFB Fertility was created to empower women to know more about their menstrual cycles, ovulation health, and PdG levels.

“Mounting evidence is showing us that LH doesn't have anything to do with ovulation, it can surge at any time and doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re ovulating,” Beckley adds. “Yet, despite this, women worldwide are still turning to this method of testing when trying to get pregnant. It’s important to understand that LH shouldn’t be the only thing we’re following, after all this test was developed in 1989 - we need to start advancing our understanding for a more comprehensive picture of a woman's hormonal health. I'm so excited for a simple non-invasive test to potentially be used as a screening tool for preventing miscarriage. As a woman that has had seven losses, I know just how devastating pregnancy loss can be,” concludes Beckley.

The company has expanded in 2022 to now be available in over 1,100 OB/GYN offices across the U.S. and, with its test, has successfully helped thousands of women avoid costly IVF procedures. They closed a Series A round of $9.7 million last year with the lead investor being Hambrecht Ventures with investments from Portfolia, SteelSky Ventures, LightShip Capital, and Gingerbread Capital.