Adiana

About Adiana

Adiana, Inc. was a medical device company established in 1997, which focused on developing a novel solution for female permanent contraception. The company operated within the HealthTech and Surgical Devices market, specifically targeting women seeking a less invasive alternative to traditional surgical sterilization methods like tubal ligation. The firm's core product was the Adiana Permanent Contraception system, a transcervical sterilization device.

The Adiana procedure represented a significant shift in gynecological surgery. It was a hysteroscopic method that involved no incisions and could be performed in a physician's office under local anesthesia. The system used a slender, flexible catheter inserted through the cervix to reach the fallopian tubes. A low level of radiofrequency (RF) energy was then delivered to create a superficial lesion, followed by the placement of a small, rice-sized silicone matrix implant in each tube. Over the subsequent weeks, the body's natural healing process would create scar tissue around the silicone implants, forming a permanent blockage in the fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy. This approach offered patients a quicker recovery time, typically allowing a return to daily activities within a day, compared to the longer downtime associated with incisional surgery.

After years of development and clinical trials, Adiana, Inc. was acquired by Cytyc Corporation in March 2007 for an initial cash payment of $60 million, with the potential for the deal to reach $215 million based on future milestones. This acquisition was seen as a strategic fit for Cytyc, complementing its existing portfolio of OB/GYN products. Under new ownership, the Adiana system achieved CE marking in Europe and FDA approval in the United States in 2009. However, the product's commercial life was short-lived. Following a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Conceptus, the manufacturer of the competing Essure device, and reports of complications and a higher-than-expected failure rate, the Adiana system was discontinued by Hologic (which had acquired Cytyc) in 2012.