Marissa Plescia
Vaginal discomfort is one of the most common reasons women seek healthcare advice, but standard care isn’t always meeting patients’ needs. That’s why Evvy, a vaginal microbiome startup, has launched a new prescription product line for vaginal symptom relief.
The treatments in the product line use non-toxic ingredients and were compounded in a 503a NABP-accredited pharmacy. The product line includes:
- Pure Boric Acid Suppositories ($35): A fragrance-free vaginal suppository that is meant to restore vaginal pH balance and alleviate discomfort, including vaginal odor and irritation
- Hyaluronic Acid Suppositories ($59): A hormone-free, moisturizing vaginal suppository that relieves vaginal dryness and pain during sex
- Anti-Itch Vulva Cream ($59): A topical cream with hydrocortisone, aloe and vitamin E that soothes external itching and inflammation
- Soothing Vulva Cream ($59): A topical cream with hyaluronic acid, aloe and vitamin E that relieves external dryness and irritation
In the past, New York City-based Evvy only offered these treatments after consumers took its vaginal microbiome test, which costs $129. The test helps women understand the root cause of their vaginal discomfort by checking for bacteria and fungi in the vagina and providing an analysis of the entire genome. Based on the results, customers receive customized treatment plans and a one-on-one virtual session with a coach. However, the company realized that consumers were interested in more urgent relief of their symptoms.
“What we’ve heard from our tens of thousands of patients at this point is, of course, they want to get to the root cause and protect themselves in the future, but they also want to feel better right now,” said Priyanka Jain, co-founder and CEO of Evvy, in an interview. “And I think it’s really hard to access the types of products and services that people need to get trusted, quality, clean products to help relieve their symptoms right now, while they’re also taking the journey of really trying to improve their vaginal health long term.”
To access the treatments, consumers can go to the Evvy website. They’ll be asked to fill out a health intake form and share information about symptoms and health history. That information is reviewed by a medical provider, who is able to prescribe the treatment. The product is then delivered to the patient’s home.
The release of the product line comes as many struggle to access effective relief products for vaginal discomfort.
“A traditional physician is just going to prescribe an antifungal or an antibiotic,” said Dr. Kate McLean, Evvy’s chief medical officer, in an interview. “They’re honestly not prescribing any relief products, typically. At most, they might have access to a hydrocortisone product, but it’s just going to be hydrocortisone mixed with some kind of irritating base, potentially. It’s not going to be mixed with aloe and vitamin E and a hypoallergenic moisturizing base like Evvy’s is. So these are simply better products. If a physician wanted to try to do this themselves, they’d have to have a relationship with a compounding pharmacy. And those can be really difficult to find.”
Looking ahead, Evvy aims to expand the treatments available to its customers. It also hopes to leverage its vaginal microbiome test to improve other areas of women’s health, such as fertility, pregnancy and cervical cancer, Jain said.
Photo: Drazen Zigic, Getty Images