Burst Diagnostics, FemmeLoop secure NIH funding

FORT COLLINS –—The National Institutes of Health has awarded a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to two companies affiliated with Innosphere in Fort Collins.

The grant totalling $301,299 will assist the companies as they develop an at-home hormone test to be used in the treatment of perimenopause and menopause.

Burst Diagnostics Inc., an Innosphere graduate company, in a joint venture with FemmeLoop, will develop a low-cost, at-home hormone test and integrated digital health platform to provide women with insights into perimenopause and menopause. Perimenopause is a multiyear period between a woman’s reproductive years and menopause.

According to information from Innosphere Ventures, the Fort Collins-based incubator, the first phase will “advance a multiplexed urine-based assay and accompanying smartphone-connected reader capable of quantitatively measuring estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone.” The companies are working to fill a gap in menopause care by replacing clinic testing with testing at home. The at-home tests will provide patients with a continuous flow of information so they can track fluctuations over time. 

The project will use BurstDX’s Capillary Driven Immunoassay platform that is capable of results within 10 minutes. The platform will be used in conjunction with FemmeLoop’s digital platform, which integrates biomarker data with symptom tracking, Innosphere wrote in a press statement. 

BurstDX and FemmeLoop will conduct the research in collaboration with Nanette Santoro of the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Santoro is a nationally recognized expert in reproductive endocrinology and menopause research.

“A well-validated way to measure hormonal fluctuations can be a valuable self-monitoring tool to help women make sense of their menopause symptom experience,” Santoro said in a press statement. 

“BurstDX is excited to provide an important tool to help women going through the menopause journey by providing valuable data on their hormone cycles,” said Charles Henry, CEO and co-founder of Burst Diagnostics. “Our goal is to enable women to navigate this time while maintaining their quality of life.”

“FemmeLoop believes, to truly care for women through menopause, we must listen not only to their stories but also to their biology,” said Felicia Sandoval-Spraggon, CEO and founder of FemmeLoop. “Through our joint-venture with BurstDX, we are excited to incorporate biological data that will allow women to see the full picture — the rhythms, changes, and signals of the body — so we can understand, support, and empower them through this profound transition.”

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