Calla Lily Clinical Care has partnered with Merck to support the intravaginal drug delivery platform Callavid in an effort to improve how vaginal medicines are given.

The collaboration will continue development of Callavid, described as a leak-resistant device that addresses challenges with self-administered vaginal therapies.

Callavid uses a small, tampon-shaped device with an integrated absorbent liner. It is inserted, remains in place during drug absorption, then is removed.

The platform is intended for use with medicines in fertility treatment, oncology and hormone therapy. Administration via the vaginal route can prompt patient anxiety about positioning, dosing accuracy and leakage.

The partnership is the first industry collaboration for the Callavid technology, which was developed by Calla Lily Clinical Care.

Thang Vo-Ta, co-founder and chief executive of Calla Lily Clinical Care, said: “This collaboration with Merck marks an important milestone in the development of Callavid, our novel vaginal drug delivery platform.

“Merck’s scientific heritage and forward-looking approach to innovation make them an ideal partner as we work to address long-standing unmet needs in women’s health.

“By improving how vaginal therapeutics are delivered and experienced, Callavid has the potential to enhance both patient outcomes and quality of life.

“We see this collaboration as a meaningful step towards translating our technology into real-world clinical and patient impact.”

Calla Lily Clinical Care is seeking to develop what it describes as the world’s first drug-device combination product to prevent threatened miscarriage and for IVF luteal phase support, the phase after ovulation when the body produces progesterone to support early pregnancy.

The device is also being developed to deliver therapeutics for oncology, menopause, infectious diseases and live biotherapeutics to reduce repeated antibiotic use.

Dr Lara Zibners, co-founder and chairman of Calla Lily Clinical Care, said: “Our initial engagement with Merck through the Merck Innovation Challenge in October 2024 was an important moment of alignment around the need for more patient-centric innovation in women’s health.

“As both a clinician and a patient, I have seen how profoundly drug delivery can shape treatment experience.

“This collaboration builds on that early dialogue and reflects a shared interest in rigorously exploring new approaches that may improve how therapies are delivered and experienced by patients.”

Rapidly scaling startups often make rushed hiring choices that disadvantage women, a recent study has found.

The findings draw on more than 31,000 new ventures founded in Sweden between 2004 and 2018.

Researchers at the Stockholm School of Economics report that in male-led startups, scaling reduces the odds of hiring a woman by about 18 per cent, and the odds of appointing a woman to a managerial post by 22 per cent.

Mohamed Genedy is co-author and postdoctoral fellow at the House of Innovation, Stockholm School of Economics.

Genedy  said: “During those moments of rapid growth, even well-intentioned leaders can fall back on familiar stereotypes when assessing who they believe is best suited for the role.”

The patterns emerge even in Sweden, regarded as a highly gender-equal national context.

Founders with human resources-related education counteract these challenges.

In ventures led by founders with HR training, the odds of hiring a woman increase by more than 30 per cent, and the odds of appointing a woman to a managerial role increase by 14 per cent for the same level of growth.

Genedy said: “When founders have experience with structured hiring practices, the gender gaps shrink, and in some cases even reverse.

“This shows that getting the basics of HR right early on really pays off.

“When things start moving fast, founders with HR knowledge are less likely to rely on biased instincts and more likely to hire from a broader talent pool.”

Prior experience in companies with established HR practices also helps, though to a lesser degree.

It raises the likelihood of hiring women as ventures scale, but does not significantly affect managerial appointments.

The study additionally shows these patterns are not driven by founder gender alone.

Even solo female-led ventures display similar tendencies when growing rapidly, though to a somewhat lesser degree.

In female-dominated industries, rapid growth increases the hiring of women for regular roles but still reduces the likelihood that women are appointed to managerial positions.

“When scaling accelerates, cognitive bias kicks in for everyone. Female founders are not immune to these patterns,” said Genedy.