Calla Lily secures Merck as first industry partner for intravaginal drug delivery platform
Strategic partnership will support the continued development of Callavid®, its novel intravaginal drug delivery platform
Calla Lily Clinical Care, a women’s health medical technology company, has entered a strategic collaboration with Merck to support the continued development of Callavid®, its novel intravaginal drug delivery platform. The agreement marks the first industry partnership for the Callavid® technology.
The collaboration is focused on addressing long-standing challenges associated with the self-administration of vaginal therapeutics, including patient anxiety around positioning, dosing accuracy and concerns about leakage. These issues are particularly relevant for treatments used in fertility care, oncology and hormone therapies.
Callavid® is a leak-resistant medical device developed by Calla Lily Clinical Care. The platform is based on a patented, tampon-shaped device combined with an integrated absorbent liner. It is designed for hygienic insertion, remains in place during drug absorption and can be easily and cleanly removed. The company says the design aims to support more consistent drug delivery while improving the overall patient experience.
The technology builds on a safe, award-winning and FDA-cleared medical device and is intended as a versatile platform that could be applied across multiple vaginal therapeutics.
Thang Vo-Ta, co-founder and CEO of Calla Lily Clinical Care, said:
“This collaboration with Merck marks an important milestone in the development of Callavid, our novel vaginal drug delivery platform. Merck’s scientific heritage and forward-looking approach to innovation make them an ideal partner as we work to address long-standing unmet needs in women’s health. By improving how vaginal therapeutics are delivered and experienced, Callavid has the potential to enhance both patient outcomes and quality of life. We see this collaboration as a meaningful step toward translating our technology into real-world clinical and patient impact.”
Dr Lara Zibners, co-founder and chair of Calla Lily Clinical Care, added:
“Our initial engagement with Merck through the Merck Innovation Challenge in October 2024 was an important moment of alignment around the need for more patient-centric innovation in women’s health. As both a clinician and a patient, I have seen how profoundly drug delivery can shape treatment experience. This collaboration builds on that early dialogue and reflects a shared interest in rigorously exploring new approaches that may improve how therapies are delivered and experienced by patients.”
The companies say the collaboration will support the continued development of the Callavid® platform as a potential new approach to intravaginal drug delivery, with the goal of improving treatment experience and care for patients.