Monash IVF ordered by ASX to explain why baby bungle was kept from shareholders so long
Monash IVF has been forced to explain to the Australian Securities Exchange why it withheld notice of its horror baby bungle from shareholders for two months, as share prices dived.
Fertility
Don't miss out on the headlines from Fertility. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Monash IVF has been forced to respond to the Australian Securities Exchange over why it withheld notice of its shock baby bungle from shareholders for two months.
In a letter to Monash IVF on April 16 — now posted on the Monash IVF Group website and seen by the Herald Sun — ASX said the share price had dropped from $1.08 to 69c when news of the incident at MVF’s Brisbane clinic broke, revealing the embryo of one patient had been incorrectly transferred to another patient resulting in the birth of a child.
Rules dictated a listed entity immediately give ASX any information concerning “what a
reasonable person would expect to have a material effect on the price or value of the entity’s securities”, it wrote.
“Noting that the announcement states that MVF became aware of the incident in February 2025, did MVF make any announcement prior to the date of the Announcement which disclosed the information?” it demanded.
“If not, please explain why the information was not released to the market at an earlier time, commenting specifically on when you believe MVF was obliged to release the information … and what steps MVF took to ensure that the information was released promptly and without delay.”
It warned that failure to respond to its letter by the nominated deadline could lead to a “trading halt immediately if trading in MVF’s securities is not already halted or suspended”.
In a response sent on Wednesday to ASX and also seen by the Herald Sun, Monash IVF chief financial officer Malik Jainudeen said the company did not consider an “isolated incidence of human error” was something that would significantly affect the market and was “expected to fall within the scope of MVF’s insurance”.
“MVF confirmed that it does not currently consider the incident as material to FY2025 financial performance, and notes that the independent investigation commissioned by
MVF is ongoing,” the response noted.
The Herald Sun revealed earlier this month a woman had unwittingly given birth to a stranger’s baby after a horror mix-up by Monash IVF saw her implanted with another couple’s embryo.
It is believed to be the first time in Australia that a baby has been born after the wrong embryo was transferred.
Melbourne-based Monash IVF, which only confirmed the case after the Herald Sun uncovered the bungle and put questions to the business, said an internal audit found no evidence that this had happened to other families, but also could not rule it out.
Both families are understood to be furious and heartbroken with major legal action being considered against the embattled fertility giant.
It is believed the baby was born last year in Brisbane, but the families only learned of the mistake in February when Monash IVF became aware of the “human error”.
Originally published as Monash IVF ordered by ASX to explain why baby bungle was kept from shareholders so long
Single women facing this huge cost in their 30s
Fertility specialists say the biggest reason women are choosing to freeze their eggs – at a cost of $10k per cycle – is because they are single. Should it be made more affordable?
Staffer at centre of IVF embryo mix-up may still work at clinic
Monash IVF has refused to say whether the staffer behind the “human error” that saw a woman give birth to a stranger’s baby is still working.