Canadian start-up raises US$1.85m to help women with pelvic health disorders

The Canadian medical device company FemTherapeutics has raised US$1.85m to help women struggling with pelvic health conditions.

The Montreal-based start-up has developed the world’s first category of “patient-specific” gynaecological prosthetics to help women manage symptoms of conditions, such as pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.

Pelvic floors change with pregnancy, labour, delivery, and time. Urinary and fecal incontinence are common symptoms of postpartum pelvic floor issues.

Although the reported prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) among women varies widely, the condition is a common symptom that affects 50 per cent of adult women.

Prevalence of this problem increases with age, as up to 75 per cent of women over 65 report urine leakage.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP), when the organs in the pelvis slip down from their normal position and bulge into the vagina, is another common pelvic health disorder.

Thought to affect around 40 per cent of women over the age of 50, POP prevalence is expected to increase with the ageing of the population.

“The dynamic behind POP is likely more diverse than any other health condition women will experience, however, it is treated as a “one solution fits all” problem,” Inara Lalani, co-founder and CEO of FemTherapeutics, shared with Forbes.

Through its personalised gynaecological prosthetics range, FemTherapeutics aims to provide women with non-invasive solutions to help them navigate the pelvic floor changes that come with pregnancy, menopause and, in some cases, cancer.

“Leveraging the latest advancements in cloud computing and artificial intelligence, we have developed an all-rounded data-driven platform for pelvic health that allows us to visualise each patient’s condition in 3D software and subsequently propose pessary designs that are modeled to the patient’s unique anatomical characteristics,” Lalani explained.

“Once the designs have been finalised, we utilise cutting-edge 3D printing techniques to directly print biocompatible silicone devices.”

The new funds will enable FemTherapeutics to develop its platform and devices, expand its team and kick off “pivotal” clinical studies.

With more awareness around pelvic health dysfunction and other similar conditions, the company believes its technology can be expanded across other areas of women’s health, including developing custom cerclage pessaries to prevent preterm birth, custom dilators to treat vaginal stenosis forming from post-cancer therapy as well as menstrual and sexual wellness products.