Around 220 patients, including at least 30 from the United Kingdom, have been left in uncertainty following the abrupt closure of Ovom Care, a fertility clinic based in Cascais, Portugal. The clinic, which used a high-tech, AI-driven approach to in vitro fertilization (IVF), ceased operations at the end of August after a Lisbon court appointed an administrator to pursue insolvency proceedings.

Ovom Care had relocated its operations from London to Portugal in May 2025, attracting British patients seeking more affordable fertility treatments. However, the sudden shutdown left many patients in the midst of treatment or planning procedures, facing unanswered questions and disrupted medical care. Some patients discovered that their frozen eggs were transferred to unfamiliar clinics without prior notice, while others found themselves without access to doctors essential for ongoing procedures.

Nicole, a British patient who began her egg-freezing cycle at Ovom, recounted how she was abruptly informed on August 28 that the clinic was closing and that she would be the final patient seen. After paying nearly £5,000 for tests, medication, and egg retrieval, Nicole’s treatment was interrupted amid clinical staff’s unexpected disappearance from reception that morning. She has since had her eggs transferred to a different clinic in Portugal but remains hesitant to pursue further treatment abroad.

The clinic’s founders—embryologist Cristina Hickman, reproductive scientist Lynae Brayboy, and entrepreneur Felicia von Reden—established Ovom in London in 2023 with the aim of leveraging artificial intelligence to reduce the costs of fertility care. Hickman stepped down in 2024, citing disagreements with the clinic’s financial backers, which include venture capital firms Ananda Impact Ventures, Alpha Intelligence Capital, and Merantix Capital. These investors hold positions on the board of Ovom’s German parent company, which is also undergoing insolvency proceedings under German law.

Criticism has been directed at the venture capital backers for an alleged failure to inform staff, patients, and the Portuguese health regulator, the Conselho Nacional de Procriação Medicamente Assistida (CNPMA), in a timely manner regarding the clinic’s financial difficulties. Portuguese regulations require fertility clinics to provide six months’ notice before closure, a requirement apparently not met, according to patient accounts. Two former staff members stated they were informed by email on August 24 that the clinic would enter administration but were assured their jobs were secure and operations would continue as normal.

British patients affected by the closure now face financial losses and medical uncertainty at a critical time when age significantly impacts IVF success rates. Laura Moncaster, 31, from Devon, had paid for a frozen embryo transfer scheduled before the clinic’s shutdown, which has been postponed while remaining embryos are moved to a UK clinic operated by one of Ovom’s founders. Legal experts note that patients undergoing treatment abroad are not protected under the United Kingdom’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates licensed clinics within the UK.

Ovom’s venture capital backers issued a brief statement affirming that management acted on legal advice and has cooperated fully with insolvency administrators and courts in both Germany and Portugal but declined further comment on ongoing judicial matters. Von Reden expressed regret over the distress caused by the insolvency proceedings but disputed some public claims without elaborating. Attempts to reach Brayboy for comment were unsuccessful.

For patients caught in the fallout, the immediate focus remains on recovering funds where possible and securing alternative treatment options as they navigate the uncertain aftermath of the clinic’s collapse.