Preterm labor and preterm birth remain major challenges in maternal and newborn health.
Preterm birth is defined as birth before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. It may occur spontaneously following preterm labor or be medically indicated because of maternal or fetal complications. Birth below 32 weeks of gestation carries particularly high risks for the developing baby.
Gesthera is focused on acute spontaneous preterm labor at earlier gestational ages, where delaying delivery may provide valuable time for fetal maturation and preparation of neonatal care.
An estimated 13.4 million babies were born preterm worldwide in 2020 representing approximately one in ten births. Preterm birth complications remain a leading cause of child mortality worldwide.
For women presenting with acute spontaneous preterm labor, safely prolonging pregnancy may provide valuable time for fetal maturation, administration of antenatal therapies, and preparation of specialized neonatal care.
The risks associated with preterm birth increase substantially as gestational age decreases. Babies born very preterm, particularly before 32 weeks of gestation, face a significantly higher risk of respiratory, neurological, gastrointestinal, and other developmental complications.
In acute preterm labor, every additional day in utero can matter.
every additional day in utero matters.
preterm births
in 2020
of all births
worldwide
deaths in children
under 5 in 2021
annual US prematurity
related costs
When acute preterm labor occurs, clinicians may use tocolytic treatment to delay delivery for a limited period of time.
The practical objective is often to gain around 48 hours — a critical window in which antenatal corticosteroids can be administered and, when needed, the mother can be transferred to a center equipped to care for very preterm newborns.
Current tocolytic approaches act through different biological pathways and have class-specific limitations. Longer-term maintenance tocolysis has not become an established standard of care, and consistent improvements in neonatal outcomes have not been demonstrated across tocolytic therapies.
Can we develop a new generation of tocolytic therapy that delivers effective acute control of labor while opening the possibility of sustained pregnancy prolongation?
This is the opportunity Gesthera is pursuing with GST001.
We look forward to hearing from you and exploring opportunities to advance maternal health together.
