From a scientific perspective, the realm of women’s health has not progressed significantly since the 1980s, particularly in areas such as infertility treatments. Many women still endure painful daily progesterone injections that require assistance from another person. However, innovative changes are on the horizon.
Dr. Rahima Benhabbour, a tenured associate professor specializing in biomedical engineering at the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at NC State University and UNC-Chapel Hill, is on a mission to revolutionize women’s health. Her goal is to transition a groundbreaking 3D printed drug delivery system from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill laboratories directly into the homes of women in need.
Having grown up in Algeria, Benhabbour has a profound connection to Africa, fueling her drive to create women-controlled preventative measures, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV rates among women are alarmingly high. Since establishing her lab at Carolina in 2017, she has dedicated her research to developing cost-effective drug delivery systems that provide women globally with enhanced preventive care and treatment swiftly and comfortably.
“Women’s health remains an under-researched area,” Benhabbour says. “My focus has been on women’s health for three pivotal reasons: empowerment, access, and choice. By moving away from traditional healthcare methods, we can enhance healthcare delivery, improve prevention strategies, and save countless lives.”
Benhabbour’s lab has explored various innovations, including ultra-long-acting injectable formulations for HIV, thin film technology for chronic vulvar pain management, and biodegradable implants capable of releasing multiple medications simultaneously. One of her notable achievements is the AnelleO PRO, a 3D-printed, self-administered intravaginal ring designed to assist in infertility treatment.
The AnelleO PRO Device
Thanks to the generous backing from the KickStart Venture Services Commercialization Award, the Eshelman Institute for Innovation, and various UNC entities, Benhabbour has successfully transformed years of dedicated research into a practical product. In 2016, she co-founded the startup AnelleO with Rima Janusziewicz, PhD, an alumnus of the DeSimone lab and a former postdoctoral fellow in Benhabbour’s lab.
Their flagship product, AnelleO PRO, delivers progesterone, an essential hormone for initiating and maintaining pregnancy. A single ring can release progesterone over a span of 28 days, and when used in combination with two or three rings, it encompasses the entire treatment duration required for successful assisted reproductive technology (8–10 weeks). Acknowledging that every woman’s body is unique, these rings are designed with a “one-size-one-dose-fits-all” approach.
This January, Benhabbour published insights on their 3D-printed intravaginal rings and their potential for expansion in Nature Reviews Biomedical Engineering.
The rings are crafted using Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP™), an advanced 3D printing technique pioneered by the AnelleO team for women’s health applications. Unlike traditional layer-by-layer printing, CLIP utilizes liquid resin cured by ultraviolet light to create high-resolution rings. This method draws on data from computerized designs, ensuring precise drug release specifications tailored to each product.
AnelleO’s CLIP-manufactured rings are distinguished by their long-lasting, controlled drug release and their smooth, comfortable configuration.
“With an injection-molded ring, the maximum you could achieve for infertility treatments is one week’s worth of release,” Benhabbour explains. “Thanks to CLIP technology, we have surpassed the limitations of conventional intravaginal drug delivery systems, providing a month’s worth of release that is universally compatible and easy to administer.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of AnelleO PRO
The AnelleO team is now concentrating on advancing their technology to human clinical trials and obtaining FDA approval. As the first 3D-printed intravaginal ring to undergo FDA evaluation, the team is partnering with regulatory specialists to navigate new pathways for regulatory approval and outline the necessary studies.
Currently, the options for women’s health care are extremely limited, often necessitating off-label medication use. Utilizing the design of AnelleO PRO as a foundational framework, Benhabbour aims to expand treatment options beyond assisted reproductive technology to include therapies for conditions such as endometrial and cervical cancers and menopausal hormone replacement therapy.
In a recent editorial for the Journal of Controlled Release, Benhabbour emphasized the significant progress technologies like AnelleO PRO represent and the crucial collaborations necessary to meet the unmet needs of women’s health.
“The future is clear: collaboration among researchers, clinicians, policymakers, philanthropic organizations, and industry leaders is essential to maintain and propel this momentum,” she wrote. “With ongoing investment and interdisciplinary partnerships, we can inch closer to a reality where every woman has access to the innovative, diverse, and inclusive healthcare she deserves, ensuring tailored and effective treatments.”
Innovation Driven by Women, for Women
Upon entering Innovate Carolina’s Kickstarter Incubator within the Genome Science Building at UNC-Chapel Hill, you’ll notice that this lab is predominantly led by women. Janusziewicz, who manages a team of research scientists, underscores that the group’s composition reflects a collective commitment to addressing unmet needs in women’s health.
“The predominantly female team at AnelleO, alongside male colleagues in key roles, embodies the belief that tackling unmet healthcare needs is a noble and viable pursuit, irrespective of gender,” Janusziewicz remarks. “Furthermore, the team’s diversity across various career stages cultivates a natural exchange of knowledge and mentorship.”
For Benhabbour, the most rewarding aspect of her career is witnessing the passion and dedication of her undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and fellow scientists at AnelleO striving to effect meaningful change.
“There exists a vibrant community of remarkable women at UNC engaged in pioneering research and technologies, and that is truly commendable,” Benhabbour affirms. “The field of women’s health must welcome more women to join, especially those in STEM, who grasp engineering principles, comprehend women’s biology, and understand what women truly need.”
