Today’s 5-minute report is dedicated to Endometriosis.
In the following 5 minutes you’ll learn:
- Introduction: Why This Matters
- Trends: What Opportunities Are There?
- Startups: Who’s Innovating?
So let’s dive right in!
Introduction: Why this matters
Just like many other conditions in the women’s health space endometriosis is under researched, underserved and underfunded although it affects around 170 million women globally (1 in 10). The most common symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain, which often correlates to the menstrual cycle.
The majority of women with endometriosis also report comorbidities such as migraine, depression, anxiety, IBS, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, uterine fibroids, and ovarian cysts.
Women with endometriosis are at slightly higher risk for several types of cancer (e.g. ovarian cancer), systemic lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease.
As the symptoms of the disease are not easily recognized as endometriosis - by providers and affected women - many experience a significant diagnostic delay. There is no simple test to diagnose endometriosis, the gold standard is currently a laparoscopy.
The diagnostic pathway is complex and inefficient, and unfortunately treatment options currently available for women living with endometriosis are limited as well. The causes of disease are unknown and there currently is no cure. To alleviate symptoms women are usually either given hormonal treatment or may have to undergo complex surgery.
Endometriosis places a significant economic and social burden on patients, their families, and society as it affects most aspects of a patient’s daily life, including sexual wellness, physical wellbeing (nutrition, sleep, fitness), emotional wellbeing, social life, child care and the ability to have children.
It is estimated that total workplace productivity loss averages 6.3 hours per week (absenteeism), while household productivity loss averages 4.9 hours per week.
- Lack of Research
As mentioned the causes of endometriosis are unknown. Minimal funding for research has limited our understanding of the disease and significantly slowed progress in treatment. - Lack of Patient-friendly Diagnostics
Many women are suffering in silence as the average time to diagnosis is 8 years. This is largely due to a lack of options for diagnosis. - Lack of Patient-friendly Treatments
Currently there is no cure for endometriosis and available treatment is limited to pain medications, oral contraceptives or surgery.
Trends: What opportunities are there?
The gaps in research make it more difficult for healthcare startups aiming to create evidence-based solutions. Overall the opportunities in the endometriosis space are well aligned with the challenges outlined above:
- Diagnostics
The gold-standard in diagnosing endometriosis is currently laparoscopy, which many women choose to not undergo. Startups are working on ways to diagnose endometriosis without undergoing major abdominal surgery. - Treatment / Management
Treatment options are currently limited to surgery, oral contraceptives, and pain killers. Startups are working on digital therapeutics and develop various tools to help with symptom management. There are some biotech initiatives as well. - Research / Data
The data collected by digital therapeutics is often used for research - either by the startups themselves (machine learning) or through research collaborations.
Startups: Who’s Innovating
Diagnostics: DotLab ($12.7M)
Dotlab is a women’s health and endometriosis diagnostics company that uses novel biomarkers and machine learnings.
Diagnostics: NextGen Jane ($11.3M)
NextGen Jane is a data-driven women’s health company that offers insight into a woman’s reproductive health system and is working on using menstrual blood to diagnose endometriosis.
Diagnostics: Oratel
Oratel Diagnostics uses plant pigments to develop rapid, non-invasive and cost-effective, diagnostics tests for reproductive health issues.
Management: Lyv
Lyv is working on an app-based educational platform, community and tracker for women with endometriosis
Management: Bloomful
Bloomful offers personalized virtual care for women with endometriosis.
Management: Syrona (700K)
Syrona Health’s SORA app provides a personalized digital health platform for chronic gynecological conditions like endometriosis.
Management: Inu Health
Inu Health is an app integrating a highly personalized symptom tracker, a scientifically proven iCBT program and education and support concerning nutrition to help women manage their pain and symptoms.
Management: Endometrix
Endometrix is an app that allows users to better understand how endometriosis uniquely affects them.
Management: Phendo
Phendo is an app to track, manage, and understand endometriosis. The app was created as part of a Columbia University research project.
Management: Nannocare ($817K)
Nannocare has developed an innovative sanitary pad to naturally relieve menstrual discomfort.
Treatment: Bayer x Evotec ($90M)
Bayer and Evotec formed a multi-target alliance to develop non-hormonal treatment options for chronic conditions with a focus on endometriosis in 2012. Four molecules with the potential to provide long-term treatment are progressing through clinical trials.
