Revolutionizing Care for Endometriosis: Lessons from SLBST Pharma
- V Khanna
- Jun 23
- 2 min read
Endometriosis is a devastating disease affecting one in ten women worldwide, often leaving patients in desperate situations with no known cure and few effective treatments. In a recent episode of Sbur Decision Lab, Tony Zhang sat down with Mark Connell, co-founder and president of SLBST Pharma, to discuss how his team is working to change this narrative through strategic decision-making and innovative science.
The Challenge and the Solution
For many women, the current "standard of care" for endometriosis involves invasive surgeries—half of which result in hysterectomies—or long-term opioid use for pain management. SLBST Pharma is pioneering a different approach by utilizing hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a known immunomodulator typically used for lupus.
Their research indicates that HCQ can normalize chronic inflammation and reduce the number of lesions by 60% in pre-clinical data. By leveraging a drug with decades of existing safety data, SLBST Pharma aims to bring a fertility-friendly, effective therapy to market in just five to six years.
Key Learnings for Entrepreneurs
Beyond the medical breakthrough, Mark Connell’s journey offers vital insights for any founder navigating the startup landscape:
Identify Underutilized Opportunities: The foundation of SLBST Pharma came from identifying a "technology transfer" opportunity at the University of South Florida, where a researcher had studied this problem a decade prior.
The Value of Trusted Networks: Early on, the team hired an expensive regulatory consultant who lacked the promised expertise. They eventually found a far more effective expert at a fraction of the cost through a referral from a trusted colleague.
Embrace Iterative Decision-Making: Success isn't about making perfect decisions every time; it's about the ability to recover and course-correct when a decision or market shift throws you off track.
Strategic De-risking: By utilizing a known drug with established safety profiles, the company significantly reduced developmental risks and shortened the timeline to market compared to entirely new, untested therapies.
Protecting Intellectual Property: To ensure long-term viability, SLBST secured method-of-use patents and reformulated the drug to be "non-AB rated," preventing it from being easily substituted for generics at the pharmacy level.
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