From pioneering new medical technology to supporting women’s health, Dr. Lara Zibners has a unique perspective on some of the most pressing issues affecting diagnosis and treatment in the healthcare industry today.
As co-founder of Calla Lily Clinical Care, Dr. Zibners has brought a new medical device to the healthcare industry that helps women with their gynecological care, named by Time Magazine as one of the Best Inventions of 2020. Through her startup, she has recently launched a groundbreaking trial over in the UK with the National Health Service, enabling her device to break into new markets.
With a background in pediatric care and having worked at Columbus Children’s Hospital, Ohio, as an attending physician at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York, and St. Mary’s Hospital in London, she’s brought her knowledge to the startup scene to develop new medical solutions for patients. Along with the support of leading medical experts and scientists in their fields in both the U.S. and the U.K., she’s taking her business forward with ambitious goals for the future.
Through her leadership, Dr. Zibners has been a prominent advocate of women’s health. Following her trip to this year’s Annual Healthcare Conference in San Francisco hosted by J.P. Morgan, Dr. Zibners sat down with us to discuss some of the prevalent issues affecting women’s personal health and the obstacles to treatment.
Discover in our latest interview her thoughts on the startup environment, getting a medical device to market, how New York has made strides in supporting women’s health, and much more.
In conversation with Dr. Lara Zibners
How did you get started as an entrepreneur and what made you decide to shift your career focus?
This was very much a case of stars aligning. The decision to go back to school for my MBA occurred when I was at a fork in the road and not sure what my future held. That decision was one of the best I’ve ever made. Then halfway through my MBA@UNC, I was given an opportunity to dive head-first into a healthcare start-up. I was both an investor and advisor to the parent company which had successfully brought to market a commercial period care product named one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions 2020. The moment came where it seemed changing direction and restructure as a women’s healthcare company focused first on vaginal drug delivery would be the right path forward. With my personal infertility history and my passion for both women’s health and business, I thought I could bring something to the table. Of course, relying heavily on my co-founder and the team he has built because I had no idea what I was actually getting into.
As the co-founder of Calla Lily Clinical Care you’ve recently introduced a new medical product for women. Could you tell us a bit more about it?
Callavid® is a vaginal drug delivery platform that simultaneously prevents leakage. There are a multitude of medications that should be given vaginally but the existing methods are extremely flawed. Gels, creams and pessaries are messy and leak, meaning no one really knows if the right dose is getting to the right place. This causes so much stress in some conditions—such as miscarriage prevention—that some women will lie down for an hour twice a day to ensure absorption. In other cases, doctors will prescribe oral or injected forms of the same drug but this brings systemic side effects. Not to mention my own experience with daily injected progesterone for fertility support. That was hands down the most traumatic and painful part of IVF for me. Besides not getting a baby. With our device, women can be certain that the right dose is being delivered to the right place without any disruption to their day.
What have been some of the challenges you faced in getting your startup off the ground and where do you see your product making a difference?
Funding. Funding. Funding. On average, women’s healthcare receives 2% of VC investment. Now add the word “vagina” to the mix and, well, it’s been a challenge. But we’ve managed to persevere thanks to a fabulous network of family, friends and angels who have not only supported us financially but are out there advocating for us and making critical introductions. That support for what we are doing drives us every single day. I believe there is a better way to deliver the drugs that are already being given vaginally. And I believe there are a number of therapeutics out there that could be extremely useful to women but no one has figured out a good way to deliver them. Not to mention what’s in the R&D pipeline. As other companies figure out how to treat conditions such as cervical cancer, endometriosis and create a healthy microbiome, we are standing in the wings waiting for them. Our platform is completely adaptable to a range of therapeutics. We can take a drug, integrate it into our device, selectively absorb the leakage and give confidence to the women who need it that it’s doing its job.
What are your thoughts on the current state of healthcare for women in New York and across America?
I’m concerned. As a doctor, my mission is to help people. Medicine in the United States has, unfortunately, been politicized. New York has been progressive in many ways and has prioritized access to women’s health services. In other parts of the country, doctors aren’t even being trained how to perform an abortion. Whatever your personal views are, this can be a life-saving procedure. With the recent freeze of information from the CDC, healthcare providers lost access to the most up-to-date recommendations on topics such as contraception and HIV prevention. I believe Americans are resilient and we’ll find ways to deliver the best care we can to patients but currently there are a few bumps in the road.
Where do you see new medical devices making the most impact on patient outcomes in 2025?
AI in healthcare is both exciting and terrifying. The idea that we can draw upon data to delivery better, more efficient, more personalized care is amazing. At the same time, we need to be watching the algorithms to ensure that the right conclusions are being drawn. Wearables, digital apps and new imaging techniques are incredible pathways toward disease prevention all together. After all, the best outcome is not getting sick in the first place.
Can you share with us any upcoming plans for product development and future trials?
We are kicking of 2025 with our first in-woman trial of Callavid® to deliver progesterone. Currently, there is no product on the market that is authorized for miscarriage prevention, although progesterone is widely used for just that. In the US, the prescribed formulations are mostly off-label and, as I said early, less than ideal. Once we’ve shown that we can deliver progesterone, then the real party begins as we are adaptable to virtually any vaginal—or rectal—therapeutic.
Where would you like to see Callavid being introduced in the coming years? What would be an ideal outcome for your device?
I see a day where every woman, at some point in her life, uses our device. Women shouldn’t have to put up with inadequate methods of drug delivery for any number of conditions that pertain to their reproductive organs. Cancer, infectious disease, infertility, pre-term birth prevention, endometriosis, and the list goes on. I see so many applications for Callavid® that address real needs. While I dream big, we are starting with progesterone and targeting the US, UK and Europe, with significant interest also coming from countries like Japan where birth rates are below desired levels. I want my kids to one day see our device so commonplace that they get tired of saying, “Hey that’s my mom.”
What would be your advice to entrepreneurs and medical doctors looking to make a difference in the industry with their experiences and knowledge?
Follow your heart. Find the right partners. Don’t be afraid to speak up. But also listen. Your idea might be amazing. Just make sure it addresses a real problem and solves an unmet need. The worst thing you can be is a solution looking for a problem. The imposter syndrome is real, particularly for women, but the world is full of people who are happy to give their opinion on things they know nothing about. If you know something, don’t think twice about sharing your ideas. Innovation can’t happen unless you do.
Where can we learn more about your work and upcoming events?
Come follow me on LinkedIn and check out our News and Media page at https://www.callali.ly/
