Women in the U.S. and in other countries around the world can still face significant barriers in securing access to birth control. This includes the oral contraceptive pill, the most popular contraceptive choice among American women but one that remains available on a prescription-only basis and at largely unaffordable price points for low-income women. Lack of access to contraceptives is a principal cause of unintended pregnancies, which in turn leads to poorer access to education and higher paying employment, trapping women in a cycle of poverty and lack of opportunity.

Cadence is a U.S. pharmaceutical company founded in 2014 to lead the over-the-counter initiative for development and distribution of oral contraceptives without the need for a doctor’s prescription. The switch of the birth control pill from prescription-only to over the counter is supported by major medical organizations such as The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Medical Association, and American Academy of Family Physicians.

Cadence is seeking to bring a product to market that meets the strict labeling and consumer testing requirements of the U.S. Federal Drug Administration.

Increased access to contraception for women living in low-income or marginalized communities.

The investment aligns with the advocacy and grant giving on reproductive justice of the Open Society Foundations.