The book is a case study in the regulation of medical innovation and is one of the first to put on record the development of a new medical technology together with an account of the evolution of regulated regulation and legislation. Focussing primarily on the UK, it documents the development of human in vitro fertilization, the regulation of research and clinical provision by the Voluntary (later Interim) Licensing Authority and the move to legislation and statutory regulation. There is a discussion of the ethical issues involved and an analysis of the success of voluntary regulation. Finally, a summary is provided of the regulation of IVF around the world. The authors have unique access to the records of the Medical Research Council and the VLA.
