Cyclana Bio Secures £5M to Revolutionize Endometriosis Drug Discovery

Cyclana Bio has secured £5 million in funding to advance drug discovery for endometriosis. The company aims to transform treatment development by studying the disease at the tissue level, focusing on the extracellular matrix (ECM). Current research has long been hindered by underfunding and societal taboos around menstrual health and pelvic pain.

Olivia Friett, editor of FemTech on Med-Tech Insights, recently spoke with CEO Dr. Léa Wenger about the firm’s innovative approach. Unlike traditional methods, Cyclana Bio uses patient-derived menstrual fluid to create more accurate disease models, offering new hope for personalised therapies.

Endometriosis affects millions but remains poorly understood due to decades of limited research. Cyclana Bio’s work centres on the ECM, a structural network making up to 90% of tissue. This matrix not only supports cells but also influences disease progression, particularly in endometriosis, where it becomes fibrotic and inflamed.

The company’s models rely on menstrual fluid donations, providing non-invasive, biopsy-grade tissue for study. By replicating the patient’s cellular environment, they aim to mirror human physiology more closely than existing methods. This approach could reveal better drug targets and even repurpose existing treatments, speeding up clinical trials.

Longitudinal data from patients further refines their models, enabling tailored therapies and improved outcome predictions. Cyclana Bio’s core hypothesis is that repairing the dysregulated ECM could reduce inflammation and allow the immune system to reverse the disease. Their focus on tissue-level analysis sets them apart in a field where progress has been slow and fragmented.

With £5 million in new funding, Cyclana Bio is pushing forward with a fresh strategy for endometriosis treatment. Their use of menstrual fluid and ECM-focused research could unlock faster, more effective therapies. The company’s work may also pave the way for repurposed drugs, offering quicker relief to patients who have long lacked options.