Vaginal Dryness Madorra

"When I think about what motivates me every day as an innovator and entrepreneur, it’s not one specific patient but rather the hundreds of women we’ve interacted with so far.

When we first started working in the area of vaginal atrophy, we weren’t sure how big the need really was. Many physicians told us it wasn’t a big deal, and that currently available hormone solutions were adequate for most women. But when we started talking with patients who suffered from the condition, especially breast cancer survivors, we saw a real disconnect. For one thing, many weren’t able to use hormones. And, even more importantly, they told us how their vaginal dryness was taking both a physical and emotional toll on their lives. They described how sad and scary it felt to have their loving partners turn into 'roommates' due to their inability to be intimate. They talked about how difficult it was to lose this important part of themselves and their relationships. And they explained how they’d resigned themselves to accepting that things would never be the same again.

When we started working to develop a non-hormonal alternative for these patients, we were astounded by the response. Dozens of women signed up for our interviews and studies. They asked repeatedly how they could help and what they could do to move the project forward. We even had one women ask us in an interview to keep her phone number and call her if we ever decided to give up so that she could help find someone else to take up the effort.

It’s helping these women regain this important part of their lives that keeps me going."