International work led by CRH’s Mike Rimmer outlines a new set of core outcomes for future clinical trials into male infertility, so that results from across trials can be compared more easily, leading to quicker and better identification of potential treatments. A still from the explainer video below Male infertility trials are unique in that there are many different measurable outcomes: one participant receiving an intervention or a new drug could have measurable outcomes in the man (sperm count etc), his female partner (ability to conceive) and their offspring (live births). This makes designing and delivering clinical trials in male infertility challenging. This work helps researchers, methodologists and clinicians to better design future male fertility trials – specifically the key outcomes that future trials collect and report on. We hope this can transform the way we design and deliver clinical trials, to better understand which interventions are effective to treat male infertility, to help couples have the families they desire. Mike Rimmer Clinical lecturer and specialist registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology What is Male Factor Infertility, and how can a new set of Core Outcomes for clinical trials improve research in this area?This short video explains.Created with support from the Urology Foundation, alongside the publication of the Core Outcomes for research. This set of core outcomes is unique as it is the first time so many international parties have come together to agree on what outcomes should be collected for male infertility clinical trials. This work involved participants from 39 countries including, the UK, the USA, New Zealand, the EU. It is hoped that by standardising the outcomes, it will be simpler and quicker for researchers to compare the results for different treatments. Identifying which work and which don’t, and streamlining what gets advanced for further clinical trials and implemented into clinical practice. Dr Mike Rimmer is a clinician scientist working in the Centre for Reproductive Health in the Institute of Regeneration and Repair. He works clinically in NHS Lothian as an obstetrician and gynaecologist, undertaking sub-specialist training in reproductive medicine while his research work is focused on better understanding the causes of infertility in men and women. Mike has led an international team of clinicians, researchers and people with lived experiences of infertility in the hope he can change the way we design and conduct male fertility trials in the future. Read the Core Outcomes on Oxford Academic Read the Core Outcomes on Science Direct Mike Rimmer's research COMMIT study page Tags CRH Publication date 16 Apr, 2025
