Ovaprene®, a non-hormonal, monthly birth control ring for women, has been identified as a first-in-category contraceptive product to watch in 2019. Ovaprene® consists of a vaginal silicone ring encompassing a a permeable mesh in the center which creates a partial barrier to sperm. Additionally, the ring releases ferrous gluconate to create a vaginal environment that is inhospitable to sperm. In the second half of the year, data from post-coital tests of Ovaprene®, developed by Daré Bioscience, are scheduled to be released. In previous trials the device was successful in preventing most sperm from penetrating cervical mucus. If the current trial, supported by The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human development, exhibits both target profiles of safety and efficacy, Daré plans to begin a pivotal clinical study next year.
There is evidence that women increasingly desire non-hormonal, on-demand contraceptive methods. Sabrina Martucci Johnson, President and CEO of Daré states “As the potentially first and only non-daily and non-implanted, hormone-free product in the category, Ovaprene® has the potential to be an important and disruptive new entrant into a marketplace that has not seen a great deal of recent innovation. A non-hormonal contraceptive can also plan important role in preserving women’s sexual functioning”. Read more here and here. ,