IVF Patch and Single-Dose Injectable In R&D Phase
There’s nothing fun about injecting yourself. Every woman that I’ve talked to that has gone through IVF has nothing good to say about the process. You have to stay on track with your meds, keep them at a specific temp, and plan where you will be at a specific time. IVF injectables take over your life. Think you have a flexible schedule? Better to block out your calendar during your next IVF round.
Most IVF medications require a subcutaneous injection meaning it goes beneath the skin typically in a fatty area in your lower abdomen. IVF treatments with progesterone oil and the hCG “trigger” shot are typically done in the booty as an intramuscular injection. If you’re a follower of the #TTC (Trying To Conceive) community, you can’t help but scroll through the thousands of reels posted each day showing women getting poked. Whether it’s self-administration or having your partner help as you look away, it’s not an enjoyable part of the process.
But what if there was a way to change the status quo? Insert Maman Biomedical. I met with Latchmi Raghunanan, Ph.D, a Materials Scientist and a trailblazer in the fertility space. Latchmi is courageously transforming her experience with IVF to help ease the patient experience through two innovative developments: an IVF daily patch and single-dose, slow-release injectable. She notes that through her own personal experience, she felt the need to develop an innovative solution that would bring impactful change to millions of women.
“I've been on this journey myself, and as a Materials Scientist with years of experience with slow release technologies, I realized how archaic the current treatment options were. I founded Maman Biomedical because I felt a strong sense of responsibility to use my passion and expertise to change the status quo - because infertility is already painful enough without having to add the burden of a painful treatment experience onto it.” - Latchmi Raghunanan
Landmark innovations
After going through two rounds of IVF herself and tragically losing her 11-week-old euploid after their second round, Latchmi wanted to transition her pain into an innovative concept to ease the daily administration of IVF meds. After her painful loss, she’s recently gone back to work for herself at her recently-launched startup, Maman Biomedical, an early-stage combination therapeutics/medical device startup. They’re on a mission to improve the fertility treatment experience – because there has to be something that is better than the standard status quo. One in six globally struggle with fertility. This is difficult enough without the added financial, emotional, and physical burden of going through multiple rounds of treatments. Maman is paving the way by working on the launch of two landmark products:
Maman Patch™, a slow-release microarray needle patch, which would eliminate discomfort from daily injections, provide accurate dosages, and minimally impact a patient’s lifestyle.
A single-dose injectable to combine slow-release drug delivery technologies with current IVF technologies to reimagine the current standard of care.
Competitive advantage strength
Both products are currently being developed with the help of a robust core team. Collectively they have over 17 years of experience in medical science, engineering, marketing and operations. Latchmi also has a strategic advisory board including a reproductive biologist and serial entrepreneur. All believe in the strength of the company’s ethos in providing innovation approaches to traditional IVF approaches. By finding applications in comparative medical applications such as diabetes treatment, Latchmi is convinced there is a strong market readiness compared to other fertility startups in the much earlier phases of their R&D.
Market appetite
Before progressing into R&D, Latchmi has done her due diligence by surveying the market.
Based on customer feedback sessions, she’s found that approximately 20% of women are interested in the product and/or would pay a premium for either the patch or single-dose injectable. But is there any interest in Maman Biomedical from reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist (REIs) and clinics? Preliminary discussions point to yes. However, each has stipulated that they would require data-proven evidence that the products work. Given that this would provide the highest standard of care, Latchmi agrees that providing statistics will help evolve these conversations with partners and patients.
Potential obstacles
FDA approval process: When I asked about the strenuous process going through FDA approval, Latchmi didn’t fluster. She is well aware of the hoops that she’ll need to go through to get FDA approval, but she is confident that both the patch and single-dose injectable will be able to enter the market by 2030-2034. They are working to mitigate some of the risks that may derail progress through early FDA engagement during R&D/preclinical Pre-IND stages. This will help ensure pre-clinical experimentation meets FDA expectations early-on in the process.
Patient/insurance costs: What about the financial barriers to access? We all know of the significant costs of IVF, which a large percentage can be attributed towards drug costs alone. I recently was provided an estimate of $20k for a single round – not including the cost of the medications. Latchmi hopes that insurance companies who are currently covering IVF medications will similarly cover both the patch and/or single-dose injection. She empathizes with all patients and understands the financial implications of going through multiple rounds. Although exact pricing is still to be determined, there’s potential hope that the single-dose injectable may come out as the more convenient, affordable option because of its minimal packaging and logistics. Costs for the patch may be similar to today’s IVF costs because of its premium technology. Pricing is too early to tell, but these conversations are kept in mind when developing business model forecasts.
I am hopeful for the success of Maman Biomedical. Latchmi quickly identified a broken patient experience using archaic technologies that haven’t been changed since the launch of IVF treatment in the 1950s. Her extensive background in medical science uniquely contributed to her ideation of both a patch and single-dose injectable to revolutionize the patient experience. Meeting with Latchmi and hearing about Maman truly made me excited as an infertility patient.
Say goodbye to daily IVF injectables and say hello to your choice of either convenient patches or a single-dose, slow-release option. Yes, please. Sign me up. The future of fertility is in the hands of founders. Latchmi is a testament to that.
Sunny side bump,
Olivia
