Women's Sexual Health Innovation with Sabrina Johnson, CEO of Dari Bioscience
For decades, men had Viagra. Women were told to relax and have a glass of wine. That imbalance in pharmaceutical innovation is finally changing, but it hasn't been easy.
In this episode, I talk with Sabrina Johnson, the founder and CEO of Dare Bioscience the only publicly traded pharmaceutical company focused entirely on women's healthcare. We discuss why the pharmaceutical industry has historically avoided investing in women's sexual health, the stigma and sexism that surround female arousal and pleasure, and what it actually takes to develop and bring products to market.
Sabrina walks us through the development of Dare to Play, a topical cream for sexual arousal that's coming soon, the science behind how it works, and the extensive clinical trials required to prove safety and efficacy. We also discuss other products in development a probiotic for vaginal health and a once-a-month vaginal ring for menopause with estradiol and progesterone. This is about changing what's possible for women's health.
From regulatory hurdles to cultural stigma, the barriers to innovating in women's sexual health are real. In this conversation, we explore how companies can create real-world solutions that actually work for women's lives, the importance of rigorous clinical testing, and why investing in women's health matters. We dive into the science, the business side, and how you can support this work.
Highlights:
Only 1% of private investment in pharmaceutical development goes to companies innovating solely for women which is why there's so little funding and so many gaps.
The stigma is real: one NPR station refused to air an interview because Sabrina said the word "vagina" too many times.
Dare to Play increases blood flow to genital tissue for sensation and lubrication the same mechanism as Viagra, but in cream form. The major innovation was developing specialized delivery technology to get sildenafil through skin and manufacturing at pharmaceutical grade standards rather than compounding standards.
Dare worked with the SEC and NASDAQ to create a direct public offering so anyone can invest with just $250, not just institutional investors.
I hope this episode inspires you to think differently about women's health innovation and what's possible when we demand better. If you believe in the work DARE is doing, you can support it. You don't have to donate you can become an investor with as little as $250. All the information on how to do that will be below.
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