Inne, a healthtech startup empowering women to understand their reproductive health, has ‘broken through decades of stagnation’ in women’s health and become what it says is the first new tech-enabled contraception to receive certification in the UK and Europe with its Minilab saliva test device.
Following a year-long clinical study in which 300 women tracked over 1,500 cycles, inne received certification as a new modern, technology-enabled contraception method. The study found that inne’s biosensor Minilab was 100% effective for perfect use – how well a contraception method works under perfect conditions – and 92% for typical use – which reflects normal use under real-life conditions. This is similar to the pill, which is 99% effective for perfect use and 93% for typical use.
Inne’s Minilab, a small device that can be easily used at home each day, is on sale now, with thousands of women already using the tool to track and monitor their cycles according to the company.
Eirini Rapti, co-CEO and founder of inne said: “After nearly 80 years without innovation, we’ve created the first new contraceptive method that puts women’s biological data at the centre. Our certification is an important milestone that has taken three years to achieve and demonstrates that technology can finally give women a hormone-free alternative to the contraceptive pill our mothers and grandmothers used. Monitoring progesterone based on a saliva test will set many thousands of women free from contraception that did not suit them, making them happier and healthier.
Access to contraception is a human right, yet 160 million women globally have unmet contraception needs according to a Lancet study. This is an area of research that has remained ignored and underfunded: pharmaceutical companies spend around 20% of their revenues on R&D, yet contraception receives only 2% of research funding. Across Europe, nearly 40% of women rely on old-fashioned methods like withdrawal. Meanwhile, more women are turning away from hormonal methods, in frustration with long waits for appointments and side effects.
Inne says its Minilab is the first new method for women that doesn’t rely on hormones like the pill or implant or temperature tracking. Through a daily saliva test, which can be taken in a four-hour window, women can discover and track their progesterone levels every day.
Progesterone is a key indicator of reproductive health and ovulation and the Minilab has been proven to be as accurate as a lab progesterone test. Women can use the hormone data to identify fertile periods and avoid unprotected intercourse during those times. They can also use it to increase their chances of conceiving.
By providing insights into their biological data, inne says it is helping women build a bigger picture of their fertility health. Its customers range from 22 to 55 and inne is also introducing additional hormonal tracking, such as cortisol for stress and perimenopause, to more fully support women with critical biological data that would be impossible to access otherwise.
Rapti added: “Our Minilab isn’t just for contraception, however, but is a burgeoning healthcare platform. In the future, we will add additional analysis and algorithms such as cortisol and perimenopause, further enabling access to important data and information for women that hasn’t been possible before. We’re excited to take inne to the next level and continue to provide the tools for women to understand their health at critical life stages.”
