Lund-based Invent Medic develops products that promote women's health. After receiving market approval for its first product in 2019, Efemia continence support, began the journey from previously being a pure development company to becoming a marketing company. They have already come a long way, but this year they are taking another important step when they add the next product to the portfolio. Together with the Norwegian industrial designer Line Iren Andersen The company is developing a menstrual cup with planned launch in the second half of 2021.
Patent application filed
Invent Medic recently announced that it has filed a first patent application for the product. This is a so-called priority application filed in Sweden and will then be expanded to priority markets, including Europe and the US.
In addition, the company has also initiated a first round of testing with two prototypes of the menstrual cup, in which a total of 60 women will participate. In the test, the participants will be divided into three groups; experienced users of menstrual cups, women who have previously tried menstrual cups but who state that they are not satisfied with the results, and women who have not used a menstrual cup before. The results of the tests will form the basis for any final adjustments to the product before market launch.
»It is inspiring to be able to present these advances in the development of our innovative menstrual cup. It feels exciting that the product is now ready to be tested, and that we will receive valuable feedback that will allow us to complete the menstrual cup in the best possible way.« – Karin Bryder, CEO of Invent Medic.
The menstrual cup has been around since the mid-1800th century, but the first commercially viable model was patented in 1937 by the American actress Leona ChalmersToday, the market for menstrual cups amounts to approximately 1,5 billion USD globally, which roughly corresponds to just over five percent of the total market for intimate hygiene products for women. Among the advantages mentioned compared to, for example, tampons are that the menstrual cup does not cause dehydration, that it is reusable and is free of chemicals.
Development Manager comments
BioStock has contacted Elisabeth Stengel, development manager and responsible for new products at Invent Medic, to hear more about the upcoming product.
For those who don't know the menstrual protection market that well, what does it look like and what potential is there for the Efemia menstrual cup?
– The market for menstrual protection is obviously huge, it goes without saying since 26 percent of the world's population menstruates. Sanitary pads, closely followed by tampons, are the most commonly used protection. But in many developing countries, cloth pads or no protection at all are used. A concept that is talked about a lot today is "period poverty". In Kenya, for example, 50 percent of schoolgirls do not have access to any menstrual protection and are forced to stay home from school. We imagine that all women who can think of using tampons could also use menstrual cups, if they were available and comfortable enough.
What is the trend in the use of menstrual cups?
– Today, 2 to 10 percent of menstruating women in the Western world use menstrual cups, but the growth is in double digits and the menstrual cup is evolving from a niche product to an obvious choice. The development is driven by environmental awareness, that it is a cheap alternative and also that more and more women have heard that menstrual cups are a good alternative to tampons and pads. However, there are cultural and economic barriers to using menstrual cups, especially in developing countries.
How is this menstrual cup different from products on the market today?
– The innovative design makes it easier to fold, is softer, has thinner walls and weighs several grams less than the cups on the market today. This makes it more comfortable and takes up less space when inserting it. A tapered neck reduces the risk of spills and messes when removing the cup.
What interest have you noticed in the product so far?
– We see a huge interest! When we were looking for participants for our test panel, we had to close the ad after just one day because so many wanted to join. We interpret this as a sign that we are not the only ones who believe that the cups that you can buy today need to be improved.
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