OvaScience (OVAS) Appoints Hugh Taylor, M.D., to Scientific Advisory Board

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OvaScienceSM, (NASDAQ: OVAS), a life sciences company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of new treatments for female infertility, announced today the appointment of Hugh Taylor, M.D., the Anita O'Keeffe Young Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the Yale School of Medicine and Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale-New Haven Hospital, to its Scientific Advisory Board. OvaScience also established a research collaboration with Dr. Taylor to develop potential new treatments and diagnostic markers for endometriosis, a leading cause of female infertility.1

"Dr. Taylor is a world expert and pioneer in the field of endometriosis, a disease that is frequently misdiagnosed and lacking in new treatment options for patients," said Arthur Tzianabos, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of OvaScience. "We look forward to working with Dr. Taylor to develop new methods for treating and diagnosing this leading cause of female infertility."

Dr. Taylor has more than 25 years of experience as a clinician and researcher in reproductive medicine. His research focuses on stem cells, uterine development and endometriosis, work that has led to the publication of more than 125 articles. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Reproductive Sciences. In 2013, Dr. Taylor was recognized by the IVI Foundation for producing the best research in reproductive medicine and in 2012, he was named Honoree of the Year by the Endometriosis Foundation. Dr. Taylor received his undergraduate training at Yale University and received his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale. His postdoctoral training included a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility as well as a fellowship in Molecular Biology, both at Yale.

"This work will help us continue to explore how endometrial stem cells and certain biomarkers of disease can be used to develop new treatments and potentially non-invasive diagnostics for endometriosis," said Hugh Taylor, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the Yale School of Medicine and Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale-New Haven Hospital. "Our research and OvaScience's advances in its egg precursor cell technology platform offer exciting possibilities for helping patients who are experiencing the painful effects of endometriosis and infertility."

About Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an often painful disease in which tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus — the endometrium — grows outside the uterus. It is one of the top three causes of female infertility. Approximately 176 million women and girls worldwide suffer from endometriosis; 8.5 million in North America alone. Most women with endometriosis present symptoms up to a full decade prior to diagnosis. Endometriosis is commonly misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or pelvic congestion or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). No consensus has been reached on the definitive cause of endometriosis, though stem cells, genetics, dysfunctional immune response, and environmental triggers may all be part of the multi-factorial origin of the disease.2

About OvaScience

OvaScience (NASDAQ: OVAS) is a life sciences company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of new treatments for infertility. The Company's patented technology is based on the discovery of egg precursor cells (EggPCSM), which are found in the ovaries. By applying proprietary technology to identify and purify EggPCs, OvaScience is developing potential next generation in vitro fertilization (IVF) technologies. The Company currently has two product candidates in development: OvaTureSM, which seeks to create mature fertilizable eggs from a woman's own EggPCs without the need for hormone injections, and AUGMENTSM, which aims to improve egg quality and increase the success of IVF. OvaScience's team of scientists, physicians and advisers includes recognized leaders in the field of reproductive medicine. For more information, please visit www.ovascience.com and connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements about the prospects for the Company's technology in addressing female infertility, the Company's strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements regarding the development and planned launch of the Company's product candidates, including AUGMENT. Any statements in this release about our strategy, plans, prospects and future expectations, financial position and operations, and other statements containing the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "target," "aim," "potential," "will," "would," "could," "should," "continue," and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including risks related to: our expectations regarding the regulatory approvals required for AUGMENT; the science underlying our two product candidates (AUGMENT and OvaTure), which is unproven; our ability to obtain, maintain and protect intellectual property utilized by our products; our ability to obtain additional funding to support our activities; our dependence on third parties; the successful development of, and ability to obtain regulatory approval for, our product candidates; our ability to commercialize our product candidates, including AUGMENT, on the timeline we expect, if at all; competition from others; and our short operating history; as well as those risks more fully discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of our most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect our current views with respect to future events. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our view as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.

1,2Endometriosis Foundation of America, http://www.endofound.org/endometriosis

Contacts

OvaScience, Inc.
Theresa McNeely, 617-299-7356
EVP, Strategic Corporate Communications
[email protected]