Swisspreneur Show

EP #431 - Greta Preatoni: How to Relieve Pain For Millions Worldwide

Aug 25, 2024

Greta Preatoni, the innovative co-founder and CEO of Mynerva, discusses her groundbreaking work on a device designed to relieve neuropathic pain. She delves into the complexities of diabetic neuropathy and the risks associated with traditional opioid treatments. Greta shares insights on developing brain-computer interfaces and the importance of a strong patent strategy for MedTech startups. She also highlights the challenges of navigating health product regulations while emphasizing the potential of AI and electrical stimulation in improving patient care.

44:58

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Episode guests

Greta Preatoni

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Greta Preatoni's startup, Mynerva, offers a groundbreaking non-invasive device designed to relieve diabetic neuropathy pain while restoring sensation.

The podcast emphasizes the importance of understanding market needs and regulatory challenges when launching medtech innovations, especially in the U.S.

Deep dives

Embracing Fear in Decision-Making

Choosing paths that invoke fear can lead to significant personal and professional growth. The speaker advocates for facing challenges head-on, suggesting that the decisions tied to fears often yield the most valuable experiences. This philosophy has guided the speaker in their journey, encouraging them to choose opportunities that seem intimidating. Embracing such fear can be transformative in shaping one's career trajectory.

Intro

4min

From PhD to Startup: Navigating the Transition

7min

Understanding Diabetic Neuropathy: Challenges and Implications

2min

Innovative Solutions in Pain Relief

5min

Navigating the Path to Market: Challenges in Health Product Certification

3min

Navigating Startup Strategies in MedTech

17min

Navigating Team Expansion and Personal Growth

8min

Timestamps:

4:50 - Developing brain computer interfaces

10:54 - What is diabetic neuropathy?

16:00 - Dealing with a huge market size

17:50 - The challenges of medtech regulation

19:43 - How patent strategy can make or break you

This episode was co-produced by the ⁠⁠Female Founders Initiative⁠⁠.

About Greta Preatoni:

Greta Preatoni is the co-founder and CEO of Mynerva, a startup developing a groundbreaking device for the treatment of neuropathy. She holds a PhD in Neuroengineering from ETH and started Mynerva in 2023, as soon as she finished her studies.

Neuropathy in general is a condition which causes both loss of sensation in the nerves and, paradoxically, chronic pain. It can be caused by diabetes, chemotherapy and even by COVID. Most of Mynerva’s patients are diabetics, who before accessing their solution were forced to rely on opioids with severe side effects. Despite relieving pain, the drugs also increased the likelihood of falls (from lack of sensation in the patient’s foot soles).

The Mynerva team created Leia, a peerless non-invasive device with a sensorized insole that captures the information from the foot-ground interaction and translates it into electrical impulses delivered on the skin. The optimally designed electrode placement and shape, together with AI-based algorithms, are able to directly target the nerves and reduce neuropathic pain. All health-related parameters are collected by the sensorized insole and a wearable bracelet to drive data-driven individualized therapies.

At present, Mynerva is actively focusing on obtaining the necessary certifications for their medical device.