Company Description
Daré Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: DARE) is a biopharmaceutical and health biotech company with a sole focus on women’s health. The company describes its mission as closing the gap between promising science and real-world solutions in areas that have historically been underserved, including contraception, sexual health, pelvic pain, fertility, infectious disease, vaginal health and menopause. Daré positions women’s health as its priority and concentrates on evidence-based products that address longstanding unmet needs.
According to company disclosures, Daré advances innovations that are grounded in advanced science and supported by rigorous, peer‑reviewed research. Its development approach emphasizes randomized, controlled trials, validated clinical endpoints and adherence to current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) requirements. In many cases, Daré focuses on potential products that already have clinical proof of concept or existing safety data for the active ingredient, which the company states can provide flexibility in how it seeks to bring solutions to market and optimize access for women in a fiscally responsible manner.
Women’s health product portfolio
Daré reports that its first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‑approved product to emerge from its portfolio is XACIATO (clindamycin phosphate) vaginal gel 2%, a lincosamide antibacterial indicated for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis in female patients 12 years of age and older. XACIATO is under a global license agreement with Organon. This approved therapy sits alongside a pipeline of investigational and precommercial products that target contraception, sexual function, menopause symptoms and other aspects of women’s health.
The company highlights several potential first‑in‑category candidates in clinical development and advanced stages of evaluation. These include Ovaprene, described as a novel, hormone‑free monthly intravaginal contraceptive that combines physical and chemical mechanisms and is designed as a self‑administered, one‑size‑fits‑most product used over a menstrual cycle. Ovaprene is being evaluated in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical study and is characterized by Daré as an investigational, hormone‑free intravaginal contraceptive with the potential to represent a new category if approved.
Daré also discloses development of Sildenafil Cream, 3.6%, a novel cream formulation of sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in an oral erectile dysfunction drug for men, being developed to treat female sexual arousal disorder. In parallel, the company has introduced DARE to PLAY Sildenafil Cream as a proprietary topical arousal cream designed specifically for women to enhance genital blood flow and arousal response. Company materials describe DARE to PLAY as a first‑of‑its‑kind topical sildenafil formulation for women, developed and evaluated specifically for female genital arousal and supported by toxicology studies and multiple clinical trials, including a randomized placebo‑controlled study.
In the menopause space, Daré is advancing DARE‑HRT1, a combination bio‑identical estradiol and progesterone intravaginal ring for menopausal hormone therapy. The company has also described plans for a related monthly hormone therapy to be made available via a Section 503B compounding pathway under the name DARE to RECLAIM, intended to provide an intravaginal option for hormone therapy while Daré continues to pursue an FDA approval pathway for DARE‑HRT1.
Contraception and smart drug delivery
Beyond Ovaprene, Daré is working on additional contraceptive innovations. The company has disclosed DARE‑LARC1, a preclinical‑stage investigational long‑acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) that uses an intelligent drug delivery system platform referred to as DARE‑IDDS. DARE‑LARC1 is being developed as a programmable drug delivery device to administer levonorgestrel for an extended period without daily effort. Daré reports that the underlying DARE‑IDDS platform is a programmable, wirelessly controlled implantable device capable of delivering individualized doses over months or years, and that it is supported by non‑dilutive grant funding for nonclinical development and IND‑enabling work.
The company also describes a preclinical research program called DARE‑NHC, focused on identifying and developing a novel non‑hormonal intravaginal contraceptive suitable for women in low‑ and middle‑income country settings. This program is supported by grant funding under an agreement with the Gates Foundation and is intended to advance a potential first‑of‑its‑kind non‑hormonal intravaginal method that aligns with women’s unmet needs and preferences in those settings.
Additional pipeline and grant‑funded programs
Daré’s disclosures highlight several other programs in development. DARE‑HPV is described as a novel intravaginal therapy in development to treat persistent high‑risk genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in women and reduce the risk of cervical disease. This program is supported by awards from ARPA‑H and the National Institutes of Health. The company also references DARE‑PTB1 in the context of research and development activities, as well as work related to preeclampsia through a Gates Foundation engagement that involves mentorship and project management support for third‑party research projects addressing this serious pregnancy complication.
In addition to prescription products and investigational therapies, Daré has described plans for non‑prescription vaginal probiotics under the brand DARE to RESTORE, designed to support vaginal microbiome health and complement its prescription offerings. These consumer health products are part of what the company calls a dual‑path strategy that combines near‑term commercial opportunities with longer‑term value creation from its clinical pipeline.
Business model and strategic approach
Daré characterizes itself as a female‑led company that aims to challenge the status quo in women’s health. Its stated strategy is to bring to market innovative, evidence‑based solutions as soon as practicable, often leveraging existing clinical or safety data on active ingredients. The company notes that this approach can create optionality in regulatory and commercialization pathways, including the use of Section 503B outsourcing facilities for compounded drug products and the development of branded consumer health products alongside prescription therapies.
The company also reports significant use of non‑dilutive grant funding and contracts with organizations such as the Gates Foundation to support preclinical and clinical programs in contraception and maternal health. These arrangements include multi‑year grant commitments for DARE‑LARC1 and funding tranches for non‑hormonal intravaginal contraceptive research, as well as contracts to conduct strategic landscape assessments and provide mentorship for preeclampsia research projects.
Regulatory status and listing
Daré Bioscience’s common stock trades on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol DARE. SEC filings indicate that the company has, at times, addressed Nasdaq continued listing requirements related to stockholders’ equity and market value of listed securities. In 2025, Daré reported receiving correspondence from Nasdaq regarding compliance with Listing Rule 5550(b) and described a multi‑step plan to demonstrate compliance, as well as subsequent confirmation that it had demonstrated compliance with the stockholders’ equity requirement and would be subject to a mandatory panel monitor period.
The company uses SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls, webcasts and the investors section of its website as primary channels for distributing material information about its finances, products and product candidates, clinical trials and other corporate matters. It also notes that social media channels may be used to communicate important information.
Focus on clinical rigor and recognition
Across its communications, Daré emphasizes clinical rigor as a core element of its identity, citing randomized, controlled trials, validated endpoints, peer‑reviewed publications and cGMP requirements as standards for its innovations. The company states that its leadership has been recognized on industry lists such as the Medicine Maker’s Power List and Endpoints News’ Women in Biopharma, and that its chief executive has been honored as one of Fierce Pharma’s most influential people in biopharma for contributions to innovation and advocacy in women’s health.
According to Daré, many conditions affecting women, from sexual health concerns to menopause symptoms and pregnancy complications, have historically been overlooked or underfunded. The company positions its portfolio and collaborations as a response to these gaps, with the goal of delivering differentiated therapies and practical solutions that reflect women’s needs and preferences.