Fertility Preservation Network Adds Pittsburgh Fertility Preservation Program

St. Paul, MN, April 18, 2012 --(PR.com)-- ReproTech, Ltd., a cryobank specializing in long-term storage of human reproductive tissue (sperm, eggs, embryos and ovarian and testicular tissue), reached an agreement with The Fertility Preservation Program of Pittsburgh today, adding the Program to the more than 100 facilities included in ReproTech’s Fertility Preservation Network. The Fertility Preservation Program of Pittsburgh joins the growing network of fertility centers providing much needed Fertility Preservation services to cancer patients, including testicular tissue cryopreservation, prior to the initiation of oncology treatments.

"ReproTech is proud to include the esteemed Fertility Preservation Program of Pittsburgh as one of our Network members. Particularly exciting is Pittsburgh’s work with testicular tissue freezing in prepubertal boys with cancer. While men can preserve fertility by sperm freezing, testicular tissue freezing is the only option available for prepubertal boys. ReproTech’s collaboration with fertility centers and Pittsburgh’s Fertility Preservation Program will help offer these young patients an opportunity for fatherhood in the future," says Brent Hazelrigg, CEO of ReproTech, Ltd.

"The Fertility Preservation Program of Pittsburgh is committed to educating patients and physicians about the reproductive side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer or other conditions. In coordination with the Center for Fertility and Reproductive Endocrinology at Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, we are pleased to be able to provide rapid access to standard as well as experimental options for preserving fertility prior to treatment. We are committed to pioneering new reproductive technologies for preserving fertility in the laboratory and safely translating these technologies to the clinic. In the process, we have the unique opportunity to train the next generation of clinicians and researchers specializing in fertility preservation. We are excited to partner with ReproTech because it will allow us to extend experimental fertility preservation options from Pittsburgh throughout ReproTech’s extensive Fertility Preservation Network," says Kyle Orwig, Ph.D., who leads the Fertility Preservation Program.

According to the American Cancer Society, 140,000 men and women of childbearing age are newly diagnosed with cancer each year. There often is a small window of time for them to preserve their fertility; therefore, access to cryopreservation services is extremely important. Both the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommend the education of oncology patients about the options available to preserve their fertility.

ReproTech, Ltd has organized the Fertility Preservation Network to educate oncology professionals and caretakers, as well as provide the much needed cryopreservation services. The network now includes members in 34 states and the Caribbean. Additionally, the work of fertileHOPE and LiveSTRONG hasadvanced the awareness of the need for Fertility Preservation among the oncology community.

About ReproTech, Ltd.
ReproTech. Ltd. was founded in 1990 for the purpose of providing long-term cryostorage services and now operates cryostorage facilities in Florida, Minnesota and Nevada. More information on ReproTech, Ltd is available at www.reprotech.com or 888-489-8944. Information specific to the Fertility Preservation Network and its members can be found at www.fertilitypreservation.com.

About The Fertility Preservation Program of Pittsburgh
The Fertility Preservation Program of Pittsburgh is a multidisciplinary working group that includes key stake holders at Magee-Womens Research Institute, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. The Fertility Preservation Program of Pittsburgh has established a dedicated phone line (412-641-7475) that patients and their physicians can call to learn about the reproductive side effects of their treatments and options for preserving their fertility. The Fertility Preservation Program of Pittsburgh is approved to freeze testicular or ovarian tissue that might be used in the future to restore fertility when experimental techniques emerge from the research pipeline. For more information on standard and experimental options for preserving fertility please visit www.mwrif.org/220 or call (412) 641-7475.