ARTICLE SUMMARY:
With an approved portfolio of minimally invasive reproductive-assist technologies that bring new solutions to staid markets, Femasys is having its moment. Will this emerging growth company be the shining success story that finally spurs funding for medical devices in women’s health?
Those who develop medical interventions for needs particular to women face a vicious cycle of underfunding that delays the progress of innovation or stymies it altogether. Explanations for this vary; perhaps it’s the historical (pre-1990) lack of enrollment of women in clinical trials and the resulting paucity of clinical data specific to females, or the male domination of venture capital and the simple fact that people are more comfortable with what they understand. Even today, only 26% of general partner investors are women, according to “Femtech: Posed for Growth,” a 2024 report by Deloitte. There is an overhang as well, caused by some high-profile medical device failures in women’s health (i.e., morcellator safety issues and the safety issues that led to the recall of the Essure permanent contraceptive sold by Bayer). In a field with fewer innovative start-ups than, say, cardiology, these missteps loom large.
Today, one often reads that women’s health is finally having its moment, and that might be true politically, especially as this is an election year. In the US, we saw the announcement, in November 2023, of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. But in terms of medical device investment, are things really changing?
