Overview
- The UK fertility regulator said a very small number of British women treated in Denmark used this donor's sperm and have been informed, and none was supplied to licensed UK clinics.
- Subsequent testing found the donor carried a TP53 variant in about 20% of his sperm, which can cause Li-Fraumeni syndrome and a very high lifetime cancer risk in affected children.
- Investigators say at least 197 children were conceived using the donor across 67 clinics in 14 countries, and clinicians report some children have developed cancer and some have died.
- The European Sperm Bank blocked the donor in 2023 and notified authorities after the mutation was identified, and an international alert asked clinics to contact patients.
- Legal or recommended family limits were exceeded in several jurisdictions, including 53 children in Belgium despite a six-family cap, prompting regulatory scrutiny and new guidance work by professional bodies.