Lumino, an innovator focused on “reinventing how mental health treatment is delivered” and part of the Cambridge Judge Entrepreneurship Centre’s Accelerator, has been awarded funding from Bayer Health to develop its digital menopausal support programme Seren with support from Eastern Academic Health and Science Network (AHSN).
Seren is a therapeutic app-based tool, designed to assist users in dealing with menopause symptoms through cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Described by Lumino as a “personal menopause support programme”, the tool provides self-guided CBT, helping people experiencing menopause symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, sleep problems and stress, through a personalised programme on their phone.
The support from Bayer follows a pilot in the East of England, with Lumino stating that Seren makes CBT “more affordable and accessible so that many more people can benefit from treatment.”
Eastern AHSN facilitated the relationship between Lumino and Bayer by completing a horizon scan in which Seren was identified as an ideal programme for Bayer to support, as part of their G4a programme, which focuses on driving health equity, access and sustainability.
Lumino co-founder, Becky Cotton, commented: “Support from Eastern AHSN has unlocked so many doors for Lumino and this partnership with Bayer marks another great milestone in the development of Seren as we build the future of menopause care. We’re so excited to be doing that in partnership with a truly global leader in women’s healthcare and we are grateful to Eastern AHSN for helping to make this partnership happen.”
Dr Sarah Robinson, director of delivery for Eastern AHSN, added: “Effective management of menopause symptoms is an issue of health equality; up to a third of women will experience severe menopausal symptoms that can impact on their quality of life, yet many women do not consult a healthcare professional about their symptoms. We are delighted to have supported the partnership between Bayer and Lumino to further develop Seren to ensure there is accessible support to meet the mental health needs of women experiencing menopause.”
