Cadence OTC

We’re working with the FDA to enable The Pill to be sold over-the-counter– without a prescription– via the well-established first-in-class Rx-to-OTC switch process. Our product is the combination pill, which is the type of oral contraceptive used by more than 90% of women using a birth control pill.

Simultaneously, we’re amplifying access to existing over-the-counter contraceptives, creating the first emergency contraceptive (i.e. Morning After Pill) available in convenience stores such as 7-11, Circle K, Xtra Mart, and Jiffy Mart. Cadence OTC’s flagship birth control product has already generated a $3M revenue run rate in its first month of sales.

Cadence OTC is redefining the $21B reproductive health product industry, with backing from Soros Economic Development Fund, VCs including RH Capital and NJF Capital, the Global Fund for Women, the Disney family, and A-list celebrities like Elizabeth Banks.

On track to become the #1 OTC birth control brand in America, with a portfolio of products, Cadence OTC is reducing barriers to contraception and reproductive health, fostering a healthier future for all.

In the United States, there are 2.3M unintended pregnancies annually. This high rate primarily stems from limited access to contraceptives. Despite widespread necessity and acceptance, the birth control pill, essential for many, has remained prescription-only for more than 60 years.

Among teenagers, this rate is even higher, with three-quarters of teen pregnancies being unintended. Despite a decrease in teen pregnancy rates in recent years, the U.S. still reports significantly higher figures at 13.5%, compared to countries like the UK and Canada, which have rates of less than 1%. 

Unintended pregnancies can lead to detrimental outcomes for both the mother and child, including poverty, lower educational achievements, and health issues.

For some, obtaining birth control is complicated and restrictive. The process requires prescriptions, medical consultations, and navigating insurance. Difficulty obtaining a prescription or missing a refill can lead to unintended pregnancies even when access is normally available.

While condoms are easily accessible over-the-counter, female-centric birth control is restricted by archaic healthcare regulatory policy created in the 1960s. 

The path forward requires dismantling barriers to ensure equitable access to birth control for all.

Cadence OTC makes obtaining birth control as easy as buying condoms.

We overcame a major barrier-to-entry by acquiring rights to 3 of the most popular oral contraceptive formulas to lead the Rx-to-OTC switch for combined oral contraceptives. The process cannot be initiated with a new product or a generic product, only with previously approved brands with a long history of safety as a prescription product. 

Over the past seven years, Cadence OTC has diligently worked with the FDA to transition our first combination birth control pill, Zena, to OTC status. Zena is formulated with the lowest effective dose of estrogen and the safest form of progesterone, making it one of the safest birth control options available. 

The OTC switch will enable immediate access to birth control - without the need for a prescription, a doctor's visit, or insurance approval. 

Zena's innovative packaging design distinguishes active pills from placebo pills, addressing the common errors associated with traditional rectangular blister packs. The two types of tablets are often mixed up during both manufacturing and use, leading to 12 recalls in the past decade. Our unique packaging has been granted both trademark and design protection by the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). Since Cadence OTC has the only triangular blister packs, the design has become a proprietary and distinctive element of our brand.

At the same time, we’re making comprehensive, reliable, and hassle-free birth control a reality for all people now. As we proceed through the FDA approval process for Zena, we’re tackling the other barriers to contraceptive access: distribution and cost.

Our exclusive partnership with Lil’ Drug Store, the #1 supplier of health products to convenience stores, means we have access to their network of over 180K stores nationwide– even in hard-to-reach ‘healthcare deserts’.

Our first commercial product, launched in January 2024, is an OTC emergency contraceptive called “Morning After Pill”. The product is designed to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or condom failure. It’s not only a single, easy to use pill, but it’s also inexpensive to manufacture. Ours is half the price of the leading competitor.

Cadence OTC's Morning After Pill is safe and effective, not harming an existing pregnancy and not an abortifacient. The pill contains 1.5 milligrams of Levonorgestrel (the progestin used in most daily birth control pills) and effectively prevents an egg's fertilization by delaying egg release.

We aim to make Cadence OTC Morning After Pill and our upcoming portfolio products, including an ultra-sensitive pregnancy test and a UTI emergency relief kit, widely available across every single convenience store in the U.S.

The extensive FDA approval process ensures that potential users can confidently and safely use our product without a doctor's prescription. Per the FDA, our products will incorporate technology-assisted labels and online health questionnaires to help consumers effectively assess any risk, ensuring they can make informed decisions about their birth control without a doctor's guidance.

Achieving FDA approval for the Rx-to-OTC switch grants Cadence OTC three years of market exclusivity in an expanding industry. This period is a significant opportunity for us to build and establish our brand as a leader in accessible contraception.

Major medical and public health organizations, such as the American Medical Association, the largest association of physicians and medical students in the U.S., and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the leading professional organization for obstetricians and gynecologists, strongly support Cadence OTC's initiative to make birth control pills available over-the-counter.

We've secured funding from a dedicated group of investors committed to universal birth control access, including innovative companies like Soros Economic Development Fund and VCs like RH Capital and NJF Capital.

Our impactful investors include A-list celebrities such as Elizabeth Banks, families like that of Abigail Disney, and prominent foundations such as the Global Fund for Women.

Our team blends award-winning entrepreneurs, medical doctors, professors, and dealmakers with deep expertise in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, proven success in business and social advocacy, and a shared commitment to improving access to contraceptives for women.

With previous experience leading Rx-to-OTC switches for other drugs and generating billions in value for commercial brands, we are exceptionally qualified to bring Zena over-the-counter and build the leading contraceptives brand in the U.S. and beyond.

In the post-Roe era, demand for accessible OTC contraceptives has become more critical than ever. Cadence OTC is strategically tapping into a combined market opportunity of $21 billion that spans contraceptives, pregnancy tests, and UTI treatments.

The oral contraceptive OPill made headlines recently for being approved OTC. Their product is a progestin-only pill (POP), also known as a 'mini-pill'. This is different from Cadence OTC's Zena, which is a combination estrogen/progestin pill, often referred to as 'The Pill'. For context, approximately 94% of birth control prescriptions are for the regular (combination) Pill, with only about 6% for the mini-pill.

The recent approval of the mini-pill is highly beneficial to our process for Zena because it establishes a precedent for OTC oral contraceptives and has demonstrated remarkably strong support among the FDA’s expert advisory committee for transitioning all oral contraceptives to OTC status.

Cadence OTC is leveraging retail and direct-to-consumer sales strategies to meet the modern consumer where they are, online and offline. Our partnerships with major retail chains and wholesale distributors ensure our OTC birth control and healthcare solutions are widely available throughout the U.S. Additionally, Cadence OTC offers subscription services for regular, continuous access to our products.

Our products are priced below market rates due to cost-efficient licensing and manufacturing processes, ensuring significant profit margins.

Following the successful launch of Cadence OTC’s Morning After Pill, we’re on track to introduce our ultra-sensitive pregnancy test followed by the UTI emergency relief kit by the end of the year. 

Once Zena, our combination birth control pill, is approved, we will have already established our brand across three product lines. Zena XT, a higher-dose, extended-cycle daily birth control pill, will follow as the fifth product in our lineup.

Cadence OTC is on track to become the leading provider of OTC contraceptives within the next five years, with plans to extend our international footprint upon receiving regulatory approvals to introduce OTC birth control options globally.

Cadence OTC is launching on Wefunder so our customers, friends, and everyone passionate about reproductive rights can own a stake in our journey to revolutionize contraceptive access. 

Our campaign on Wefunder is a critical part of a larger institutional fundraising round, led by the Soros Economic Development Fund. By investing in Cadence OTC, you'll be investing on the same major terms as renowned investors and visionaries, including VCs like RH Capital and NJF Capital, the Disney family, celebrities like Elizabeth Banks, and impactful organizations such as the Global Fund for Women.

Join us in creating a world where contraceptives are universally accessible—eliminating friction and advancing health equity for all. Because everyone, everywhere, deserves the autonomy to make their own reproductive health decisions.