Preventing Preterm Birth With a Negative Pressure Cervical Cup: a Feasibility Study

Preterm birth (PTB), occurring at 20-36 weeks gestation, is a crisis. Out of 15M babies born preterm, 1.1M pass away yearly worldwide. Survivors face short- and long-term medical and neurodevelopmental complications. PTB contributes to long and frequent hospital stays. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) support initiatives that enable better care of maternal-infant dyad at risk for PTB. PTB costs the US $25B per year. Racial disparities (Black-14.39%, White-9.26%, and Hispanic-9.97%), suggest organizational and interpersonal biases.

All Spontaneous Preterm Birth (SPTB) results from early cervical change created by numerous biologic pathways causing contractions (preterm labor), lack of contractions (cervical insufficiency), or early amnion rupture (PPROM). Preterm labor, contractions leading to early cervical change, is experienced by 200,000 US women yearly resulting in PTB and PPROM affects 120,000 US mothers yearly. Cervical insufficiency, cervical change without contractions, has varied rates among reports. Current care (cerclage, progesterone, and tocolytics) centers on expectant rather than active management.

Cervical cerclage is a surgical procedure tying the cervix closed. Drawbacks include invasiveness, a tendency to tear through the cervix, the need for anesthesia during placement, and low rates of efficacy (18% for all types). Progesterone, a hormone given to prevent SPTB, is most strongly supported as a vaginal supplement, although this route isn't FDA approved. In 2003, it was recommended that IM hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) be given to women with a prior PTB to prevent SPTB. Following implementation, use hasn't shown benefit although it is still the only FDA approved medication. In 2019, the FDA motioned to begin removing 17-OHPC from the market. It is estimated that progesterone use lowers the risk of SPTB by only 0.01%. Tocolytics are medications used to prevent contractions and include magnesium sulfate, calcium channel blockers, betamimetics, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). Although tocolytics may, in some instances decrease preterm contractions, they have not been proven to be effective in preventing SPTB nor demonstrated improved neonatal outcomes. Tocolytic are associated with side effects, the most serious of which include fetal stroke, and maternal death. Tocolytics only temporarily address preterm contractions, cause harmful side effects, do not improve neonatal outcomes, and are ineffective at preventing SPTB.

No past interventions have effectively addressed early cervical change, even though premature cervical change is the commonality of all SPTB. Therefore, focusing on cervical change is the best place to concentrate in order to prevent SPTB, since it is the last step prior to birth.

Galena Innovations has created a medical device, the Hannah Cervical Cup, that addresses the unmet medical need in SPTB by focusing on preventing or reversing early cervical change. In every pregnancy, the cervix retains the fetus in the uterus and then allows delivery. The internal cervical os contracts closed with cervical stiffness. Through pregnancy, collagen breakdown crafts softening, enabling internal cervical os relaxation, leading to cervical change, which culminates in birth. However, in SPTB, this process happens earlier than is optimal. For those at risk for SPTB, the process of cervical softening can be prevented or reversed with an increase in cervical stiffness. The Hannah Cervical Cup is designed to improve cervical function both through an improvement in immediate cervical stiffness and long-term improvement in collagen function.