20/03/2025
March marks Endometriosis Action Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about a disease that has been historically overlooked by both the medical community and the public, and subsequently both under- and mis-diagnosed.
Endometriosis is a debilitating inflammatory disorder caused by endometrium-like tissue implanting outside the uterus. It often causes severe pain, and in some cases IBS, chronic fatigue, internal scarring and even organ damage. It is also the number one cause of infertility.
Endometriosis made headlines last week because of a new treatment, relugolix combination therapy (Ryeqo) – a daily pill which is a faster-acting, at-home alternative to hormone injections. Ryeqo blocks hormones linked to endometriosis whilst also providing the necessary hormone replacement. It allows for easier stopping and restarting, aiding those planning pregnancy or managing side effects.
While this new treatment is a step forward in symptom management, for many with endometriosis, the biggest challenge is getting diagnosed in the first place.
It takes an average of nine years to diagnose endometriosis – despite it affecting around 1.5 million women in the UK and 200 million women worldwide. Additionally, endometriosis is still primarily diagnosed through laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery; an invasive procedure that is not widely accessible. We urgently need to accelerate the development of non-invasive diagnostic technologies.
In our previous article, we spotlighted three companies leading the charge in transforming endometriosis diagnosis:
- DotLab, the female-led company behind DotEndo, a blood test that analyses the expression of microRNAs associated with endometriosis to identify the disease;
- Endodiag, a French biotech company who have recently completed their validation studies and launched EndoDTect, a test which analyses changes in the expression levels of anti-CD71 antibodies (indicators of cellular proliferative capacity) to identify and eliminate endometriotic cells;
- Ziwig, another French biotech company who developed the first saliva-based diagnostic device for endometriosis—the Ziwig Endotest—which can detect endometriosis from a saliva sample based on the analysis of 109 different salivary microRNAs.
Last August, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) took a bold step towards revolutionising endometriosis diagnosis by launching the RADx® Tech ACT ENDO Challenge: an innovation competition offering $3 million in cash prizes. The challenge calls for innovative solutions, including imaging technologies, wearable devices, smartphone-enabled tools, and digital health platforms, to modernise the diagnosis of endometriosis.
Whilst we wait for the winners to be announced in March 2026, various companies and researchers across the healthcare landscape are independently developing technologies to transform how endometriosis is detected and diagnosed.
NextGen Jane are pioneering the use of menstrual blood for routine and longitudinal health monitoring. Jane collects tampons from individuals with various conditions, including endometriosis, to generate vast amounts of genomic data. By analysing the “menstrualome”, that is, the information contained within expelled menstrual tissue, Jane aims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of diagnoses and develop more precise treatment strategies. They are currently conducting a study which aims to build a non-invasive diagnostic for endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids.
NextGen Jane have several patent families with claims directed towards their sample collection kit, methods of collecting and preserving the menstrual blood sample, and methods and systems for characterising the menstrualome.
Serac Healthcare, a clinical radiopharmaceutical company, have developed a molecular imaging agent (99mTc-maraciclatide) that has correctly identified superficial peritoneal endometriosis, an early-stage endometriosis, in those who went on to have their diagnosis confirmed by laparoscopy. Endometriosis is not well visualised with current non-invasive imaging tools, ultrasound and MRI. However, Serac’s findings are promising, and highlight the potential of maraciclatide as a non-invasive method of visualising early-stage endometriosis.
99mTc-maraciclatide is a radio-labelled tracer that binds with high affinity to a cell adhesion protein and images angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels), a key process in the growth of endometriotic lesions.
Serac have two patent families: one with claims to radiopharmaceutical compositions comprising 99mTc-maraciclatide, and one with claims to methods for imaging integrin expression and imaging endometriosis sites in a subject.
Filing patents is of paramount importance to protect inventions from being commercially exploited. This is particularly the case for start-ups, where one idea or product often forms the core of the business. Having a granted patent, especially in major markets such as Europe and the US, can also be attractive to potential investors.
As seen above, start-ups can protect their core invention in different ways depending on its nature. Claims can be drafted towards particular components, methods of production, or methods of use. Having a patent portfolio covering different aspects of the central idea can add significant value and make it more difficult for competitors to operate in the same technological area. If a start-up only has one patent, a competitor could successfully challenge its validity and clear the way for their own operations.
The companies mentioned in this article are driving a long overdue paradigm shift in the way we approach and manage endometriosis. In doing so, they play into Femtech’s wider mission; to provide actionable technologies that empower women to self-manage aspects of their health and make informed decisions about their bodies.
This article is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking any action in reliance on it.
