Sunfert International

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Opening up access to fertility clinics across Malaysia

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Fertility Services

REBORN Sunfert International is stepping up to fulfil the growing need for affordable treatment by expanding its network of state-of-the-art clinics across Malaysia Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Callam Waller

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y 2026, the global demand for in-vitro fertilisation is expected to be worth $36.2 billion.

Projected to grow at a rate of 10.2 percent a year, the IVF market is being driven by numerous factors.

These include the increasing incidence of infertility owing to lifestyle changes, government initiatives to provide better reimbursement policies, and

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efforts by industry contributors to open up access to such services.

In Malaysia, the need for affordable IVF and other fertility services is rising.

“Fertility treatment in Malaysia is largely unfunded,” explains Dr Wong Pak Seng, Founder and Managing Director of fertility clinic operator Sunfert International.

“Though there are some

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allocations for free treatment in some government hospitals, this funding is erratic. Hence, the fertility services are predominantly in the private practice.

“There are about 40 fertility centres in Malaysia, mostly small centres scattered predominantly throughout the larger cities in the peninsular.

As treatment is expensive, most couples who require treatment cannot

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The global demand for invitro fertilisation is anticipated to be worth $36.2 billion by 2026

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ufter Sdn Bhd operates within the life sciences, healthcare, biotechnologies and microelectronics sectors. It provides engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), to support companies in the development and manufacturing of medical products.

Lufter Sdn Bhd was incorporated in 2007 and, since then, the company has gained much acclaim in the industry, particularly in EPC, and currently has a local assembly of independent professionals. Lufter has a wide spread of clients such as GlaxoSmithKline, Pharmaniaga, CCM Duopharma group, Fonterra, Parkway Healthcare group and many more.

Sunfert International prides itself on being innovative and patientcentred in its approach to patient management

T +603.7859.6218 E simonloh@lufter.com.my

www.lufter.com.my afford it. There is a definite need for affordable fertility services in the country.”

This is where his company Sunfert International comes in.

“Having worked in and visited several clinics both locally and overseas, I felt that there was a need for a patient-orientated fertility centre, offering value and good outcomes,” Pak Seng continues. “We were also able to draw on the expertise of our international partners, New Zealand’s Fertility Associates.

“Based on these principles, Sunfert International became the fastest growing provider in Malaysia and the largest fertility group in terms of IVF cycles in 2018.”

Affordable access

This year marks the company’s 10-year anniversary, a period which has seen it rise to prominence and gain a 15 percent market share. Such a position equates to around 1,500 IVF cycles

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“With a strong emphasis on research and quality assurance, we are key opinion leaders in Malaysia”

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performed annually across its network of centres and approximately 100 staff.

Sunfert International is headquartered in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, which is also home to its flagship centre that attracts around a third of its patients from China and Singapore.

Further branches are located in Ipoh, Seremban and Kuching, the company offering a full range of fertility services, from the basic IUI and IVF treatment to the most advanced pre-implantation genetics and timelapse imaging for embryo selection.

These services are importantly certified

by RTAC, a prestigious mark of top safety and quality compliance to an internationally accepted benchmark.

“We are innovative and patientcentred in our approach to patient management,” adds Pak Seng, describing what he believes differentiates Sunfert International from other providers.

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“Our IVFkasih low-cost IVF programme I would describe as very We have excellent much a CSR initiative, where low resource couples are able to access infrastructure and world class IVF treatment at an invest in cuttingaffordable cost,” Pak Seng continues. edge technology yet “We enable this by clever use of low stimulation protocols focusing are affordable in our on better embryos to maintain the pricing” success rates comparable to standard IVF treatment.”

Indeed, it is the company’s ambition to expand this low-cost coverage, with “With a strong emphasis on research plans to open another IVFkasih clinic in and quality assurance, we are key northern Malaysia. opinion leaders in Malaysia. We have excellent infrastructure and invest Built on knowledge in cutting-edge technology yet are Pak Seng also highlighted investment affordable in our pricing.” in technology and thought leadership The latter point is of particular as another key component of Sunfert significance. Through its low-cost IVF International’s decade-long success. centre IVFkasih in Shah Alam, Sunfert Its laboratory in Kuala Lumpur International is targeting low income houses four IVF labs and two operating groups who may otherwise not be able theatres, a major asset being its clean to afford fertility treatment. room air quality which provides the

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The company is planning to have offices in both China and Indonesia

optimal environment for the growth of eggs and embryos.

“The fertility field is a rapidly developing one where cutting-edge technology continuously improves pregnancy rates,” Pak Seng says.

“Sunfert International has always been an early technology adopter and contributes to the knowledge and use of these technologies.

“For example, we are among the pioneers in using morphokinetic markers of embryo development for further selection of genetically normal embryos for implantation.

Our research will be presented in the upcoming ESHRE 2019 in Geneva,

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which is the largest fertility meeting in the world.

“Also, recently we have commenced Karyomapping, which is an innovative way to select embryos free from specific genetic diseases that are present in some families such as thalassaemia or cystic fibrosis.”

Other ground-breaking technology utilised includes laser assisted hatching, which helps embryos to implant in the womb linings, while the aforementioned time-lapse imaging allows Sunfert International to select embryos with the characteristics that will most likely result in a healthy pregnancy.

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Looking ahead

This attention to detail and use of innovative techniques has transpired into an enviable track record, the company consistently achieving a high pregnancy rate for both fresh and frozen transfer in the last five years.

It is Pak Seng’s goal to build on this, and the introduction of new clinics forms a crucial part of Sunfert International’s future plans.

“We are acquiring a medium-sized fertility centre in Kuala Lumpur and will focus on moulding it to be a progressive Muslim IVF centre,” he says. “We hope to be able to capture the growing Muslim market both in

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“Sunfert International became the fastest growing provider in Malaysia and the largest fertility group in terms of IVF cycles in 2018”

“We focus on employing passionate and driven individuals”

We hope to be able to capture the growing Muslim market both in Malaysia and the Middle East, where there is a demand for advanced IVF in a Shariah-compliant environment” Malaysia and the Middle East, where there is a demand for advanced IVF in a Shariah-compliant environment.”

The firm is also expanding Sunfert Genetics, its wholly owned subsidiary focusing on genetic screening of preimplantation embryos. This division will be moving to a larger facility at the end of this year to cater for its growth.

“As for outside Malaysia, we are

planning to have a representative office in both China and Indonesia to cater for medical tourists,” adds Pak Seng, who concludes by taking the opportunity to praise his expert team of staff who will be critical in ensuring these expansion plans are realised.

“We focus on employing passionate and driven individuals who are willing to learn and develop in our company. Our

priority at the moment is to focus on our staff development and wellbeing, something we called Sunfert 2.0.

“We are also celebrating our 10-year anniversary this year with both public and scientific symposia scheduled for the last quarter. It is certainly a time for optimism at Sunfert International.”

Sunfert International Tel: +60 (3) 2242 3211 Fax: +60 (3) 2242 3168 www.sunfert.com

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Sunfert @ Bangsar South Sunfert International Fertility Centre Sdn. Bhd. Unit 2-2, Level 2, Nexus, Bangsar South 7, Jalan Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

T +60 (3) 2242 3211 F +60 (3) 2242 3168 info@sunfert.com www.sunfert.com

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