Adyn is a precision medicine company that combines hormone measurements with genetic analysis to generate medically actionable insights for every individual. This week the company is launching its first product, The Birth Control Test, that is designed to prevent birth control side effects.
While some side effects—like weight gain and acne—are a nuisance, others—like blood clots and depression—can be life-threatening. With approximately 200 prescription options on the US market and no scientific way for doctors to predict who will experience which side effect, women have had to rely on years of trial and error to find a birth control that works for them. Now, in as little as 30 days, birth control users can be on a birth control that matches their personal reproductive goals and biology.
Founder Dr. Elizabeth Ruzzo knows firsthand how painful it is to be on the wrong birth control. After becoming severely depressed and having suicidal thoughts on the pill, she consulted with a doctor, only to have her symptoms dismissed as “impossible.” A PhD in genetics and genomics, her past research uncovered genetic causes of complex diseases like autism and identified genetic markers predictive of a person’s response to medication. With this expertise, Elizabeth knew the connection between her symptoms and birth control were not only possible but avoidable.
“Birth control is famous for providing freedom from unwanted pregnancy but it’s also the most common medicine used to manage reproductive disorders like Endometriosis. Fifty two percent of women have tried four or more birth control methods (not including different types of the pill) before they are satisfied,” said Dr. Ruzzo. “My firsthand experience with life threatening side effects from birth control, coupled with my scientific background, inspired me to find a solution for this problem. There is a massive void in medical research that has resulted in a materially poorer understanding of female biology. We want to provide people with their own high-quality biological data to not only remove the guesswork from birth control selection, but also contribute by opting in to research that focuses on the 97 health conditions that solely, disproportionately, or differently affect people assigned female at birth.”
The Birth Control Test is shipped directly to the home; a small finger prick of blood is collected for measuring hormones and a saliva sample is collected for DNA analysis. adyn then creates a personalized report that identifies risk for certain side effects and schedules a virtual care visit with a medical provider trained in contraceptive counseling to help each individual make the best choice based on their reproductive goals and unique biology.
The test is now available throughout the U.S. (except in NY, NJ, RI) on adyn.com for $369 which includes the at-home collection materials, analysis, personalized reporting, and a virtual care visit.
