Vira Health acquires HRT prescriber Alva
Vira Health, the company behind the Stella menopause support app, has acquired online HRT prescriber Alva for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition enables Vira Health to launch a new service Stella+, offering personalised, affordable menopause care and access to all treatment options, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - entirely online.
Stella+ is the first online menopause clinic for workplaces, offering a complete menopause care pathway for employees, including drug-based therapies and non-hormonal options via, Stella, an app to help lifestyle change, which launched last year.
As employers look to offer better support to employees by paying for healthcare, there is increasing demand for products that allow people to manage their own health. Stella+ offers the highest quality menopause treatment options personalised to the individual’s medical history and preferences at the lowest cost.
Menopause is complex and each woman has a unique combination, frequency and severity of symptoms. Getting the right care is difficult with brief appointment times, an uneven spread of specialists across the country and HRT shortages. This has prevented women from accessing the care and treatment they need. Data from Vira Health, gathered from over 5,000 anonymised patient consultations, has shown that less than 10% of women got the support they needed from their doctor for menopause symptoms. 40% of women said they didn’t get any help at all.
Without help, those with menopausal symptoms are struggling in the workplace. Some 44% say their ability to work has been affected, one in 10 has left a job due to symptoms and eight in 10 say their workplace has no basic support for them, according to a report by the Fawcett Society.
Vira Health has focused on expanding in the UK market where workplaces are adapting to the changing conversation around menopause since the government’s launch of the UK Menopause Taskforce to improve menopause support and care. Employers are taking action, such as NatWest and ASOS who are providing menopause support packages for their staff.
Menopause care needs to change and fast. Vira Health’s first product, Stella offers personalised plans to support behaviour change in managing menopause symptoms. Stella’s research shows that 80 percent of women who completed their Stella plans felt better and 75 percent reported their symptoms improved.
Dr Rebecca Love, Co-Founder, Vira Health, said: “While menopause is increasingly in the news and workplaces are being asked to do more, there are no new products that make treatment fundamentally better. The Alva acquisition allows us to rule out alternative conditions, diagnose their stage of menopause and, when appropriate, recommend the appropriate HRT for their specific symptoms. This complements our behavioural care offer through the Stella app which gives everything needed to manage menopause so they canget on with their lives. Employers who are truly looking to support those managing menopause symptoms now have a high-quality and affordable option.”
Dr Kate Bunyan, Medical Director, Vira Health, said: “Menopause is not a linear journey and each experience is unique. That’s why it is so important to launch an online menopause clinic that comprehensively assesses menopause symptoms and triages people to treatment that is safe, effective and right for their individual profile. We are offering convenience, choice and information about how to manage menopause and a service that can adapt to their changing needs.”
In March, Vira Health announced $12 million in funding led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from Optum Ventures and existing investors, LocalGlobe, MMC Ventures, Amino Collective, among others.
