As the use of assisted reproductive technologies rises across India, leading fertility and embryology bodies have cautioned against the routine clinical use of a test marketed as a “non-invasive” way to assess the genetic health of embryos, citing high rates of misdiagnosis and insufficient clinical validation.
The test in question—non-invasive preimplantation genetic testing (niPGT), also known as non-invasive chromosomal screening (NICS)—claims to evaluate embryo genetics without the need for biopsy. However, in a first-of-its-kind, patient-focused initiative, the Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction (ISAR), the Indian Fertility Society (IFS), and the Academy of Clinical Embryologists (ACE) jointly reviewed global evidence to assess whether the technology is ready for clinical use.
The review, led by scientist Dr Deepak Modi at the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (ICMR-NIRRCH), concluded that niPGT is not yet suitable for routine clinical practice in India and should not be used to decide which embryo to transfer.
Given that in India most IVF treatments are paid for directly by patients, the experts stressed the need for add-on tests to be reliable, well-validated, and demonstrably beneficial. To evaluate niPGT, the panel analysed data from 24 published studies involving nearly 3,000 embryos, comparing niPGT results with those from standard biopsy-based genetic testing.
The findings raised significant concerns. According to the review, niPGT results matched conventional testing only about 78 per cent of the time, implying that nearly one in five embryos could be misclassified. This could result in genetically normal embryos being wrongly discarded or abnormal embryos being transferred, increasing the risk of miscarriage or chromosomal disorders.
The panel also found no convincing evidence that niPGT improves implantation rates, pregnancy outcomes, or live birth rates. Additionally, many niPGT protocols require embryos to be cultured for six days, a practice that has been associated with poorer outcomes in large studies.
Notably, nearly 97 per cent of an independent stakeholder panel comprising clinicians, embryologists, and geneticists across India endorsed the statement, reflecting broad professional consensus. The guidance provides clear, evidence-based direction for clinicians and embryologists to avoid using niPGT for embryo selection until its accuracy and clinical benefits are firmly established.
