Rodents don’t have a menstrual cycle, yet they remain the gold standard in drug discovery—despite their poor track record in predicting outcomes for women. Even the FDA has called for alternatives, as 30% of drug recalls stem from female-specific adverse effects, costing billions and putting lives at risk.

If pad and tampon companies want better-performing products, they need to ditch the blue liquid and start testing with something that actually behaves like menstrual blood.

For chronic gynecological disorders like endometriosis and fibroids, hysterectomies are the go-to strategy. However, the long-term repercussions for women are profound including increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, increased risk of premature menopause, and decreased cognitive and mental health. Why aren’t there more alternatives?

The FDA’s shift toward organoid-based and AI-powered drug testing marks a new era in biotech. Opal Therapeutics is leading in women’s health with our uterus-in-a-dish platform—using patient-derived uterine organoids to model diseases like endometriosis and fibroids with human-relevant precision.