FemTherapeutics

This project was born from the realization that women's health has been neglected for decades. Current gynecological solutions are often standardized, available in a limited number of shapes and sizes, and uncomfortable for long-term use. For example, pessaries, which are used to treat pelvic organ prolapse, are mass-produced with simple geometric shapes and fail in 50% of cases, causing erosions, lacerations, and falling out of the vaginal canal. The Team aims to address these issues by offering a more effective, customized solution that adapts to the unique anatomy of each patient.

The mission of FemTherapeutics is to personalize pelvic medicine for women. The team aims to achieve this by providing non-invasive, customized gynecological prosthetics at every stage of a woman's life, from menstruation to menopause. The goal is to reinvent women's health by offering personalized and non-invasive solutions for common gynecological conditions.

FemTherapeutics focuses on enhancing women's health through personalized, non-invasive solutions. Here are their key values, summarized:

• Effectiveness and Non-Invasiveness: Providing alternatives to surgical interventions, improving comfort and quality of life.
• Gender Equality: Bridging the gap in healthcare by focusing on women's specific needs and combating stigma.
• Sustainability: Reducing environmental impact by using biodegradable materials and promoting device reuse.
• Personalization: Creating solutions tailored to each woman's unique anatomy, rather than one-size-fits-all products.
• Innovation: Leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI, cloud computing, and 3D printing to develop advanced solutions.
• Patient-Centric Approach: Prioritizing patient needs and experiences, addressing discomfort, and empowering women to regain control over their bodies.
• Collaboration with Clinicians: Will be providing a digital platform to facilitate decision-making and improve clinical workflow.

The disruptive idea of FemTherapeutics is to create the world's first gynecological platform for customized non-invasive prosthetics. The plan is to use an exclusive measurement tool to obtain measurements of the vaginal canal and then use software to design a personalized pessary that will be 3D-printed with medical-grade silicone. Patients and clinicians will also have access to a digital platform to track clinical outcomes. This personalized approach will allow the creation of pessaries that provide dynamic support, are easy to insert and remove, and are more likely to stay in place.

FemTherapeutics is committed to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals by driving innovation in women’s health and sustainability.

• SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being: The company develops effective, non-invasive solutions that provide safer alternatives to high-risk surgical interventions.
• SDG 5 – Gender Equality: By building the first and largest dataset on female pelvic floor health, FemTherapeutics helps advance research, reduce stigma around prolapse and incontinence, and address long-standing inequalities in women’s healthcare.
• SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production: Through sustainable processing and the promotion of reusable devices, the company actively works to reduce medical waste and foster more responsible healthcare practices.

FemTherapeutics leverages the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to accelerate innovation and clinical impact. The team uses the platform to iterate and refine the design of their pessary until achieving design freeze, using SOLIDWORKS design and SIMULIA simulation testing capabilities to validate performance and further optimize the design.

In the future, the FemTherapeutics team plans to use the Medidata application to facilitate clinical trials.

FemTherapeutics has previously partnered with the Mayo Clinic to enhance its predictive models and continues to collaborate closely with healthcare providers. Clinicians use the company’s exclusive measurement tool to capture precise vaginal canal measurements, enabling the design of personalized pessaries tailored to each patient. 

Beyond product innovation, FemTherapeutics aims to build a supportive community where patients can share testimonials and access reliable information, helping to reduce stigma around pelvic floor disorders. By engaging a broad network of stakeholders, the company not only improves its products and deepens its understanding of patient needs but also fosters a stronger, more informed community around women’s pelvic health.