Over The Counter: Women’s Hormonal Wellness And The Power Of Herbs, With The SABI’s Hilary Metcalfe and Anna Cave-Bigley

In this episode of HBW Insight's Over the Counter podcast, we chat with women’s health start-up The SABI about the power of herbal medicine for hormonal wellness.

HBW Over The Counter Podcast

“Inspired by a series of painfully honest conversations they had about their hormonal and emotional challenges,” The SABI markets a range of herbal infusions aimed at alleviating some of the impacts of painful periods and hormonal imbalances, such as digestive discomfort, sleep disruption and anxiety. 

The SABI founders Hilary Metcalfe and Anna Cave-Bigley tell HBW Insight about the difficulties of being a woman-led, women’s health startup in a male dominated world, especially when it comes to funding and research. 

We also discuss the importance of getting the message right, both in terms of connecting women to their hormonal health but also distinguishing The SABI from less credible women’s wellness brands.

Open Media

Timestamps:

2:00 Introductions

5:00 The power of herbs

11:45 The challenges of being a women’s health startup

17:30 The demand for natural women’s health products

24:50 Controversies surrounding natural women’s health alternatives

32:45 What’s next for The SABI

Biographies

Anna Cave-Bigley

Anna Cave-Bigley is CEO at The SABI, leading sales and strategy “with her signature drive and keen insight on everything from motherhood, hormone balance and mental health to strategy, sales and global operations.”

From being a founding member of the international practice for a leading London communication consultancy to spearheading international investment initiatives for the British Government, Anna has honed her operational business expertise over 13 years. She is mother to Lorenzo and Alfie, who “inspired her to co-found The SABI after her devastating experience with clinical postpartum depression.”

Hilary Metcalfe

Co-founder Hilary Metcalfe is a Harvard graduate and accomplished business strategist, who dedicated 12 years to impact investment, sustainability, and management consulting before her health intervened.

“Conventional medicine offered only a lifetime of medication for chronic migraines and my then-undiagnosed endometriosis. Determined to find a more natural approach, I became a certified holistic nutritionist, product developer and chef, building and selling a successful plant-based food startup in Amsterdam.” During this time Hilary began formulating the remedies and products that would become The SABI’s core collection.

More from Europe

Over The Counter: What To Expect From The 61st AESGP Annual Meeting, With Jurate Švarcaite

 
• By 

HBW Insight speaks to AESGP director general Jurate Švarcaite about what's on the agenda for the upcoming 61st AESGP Annual Meeting, which will take place in Warsaw, Poland, between 2-4 June. Highlights include the role of prevention in self-care, discussions about how regulators will ensure the competitiveness of European industry on the world stage and incoming changes to sustainability legislation.

‘Nothing Unexpected’ In Third Failed Application For OTC Sildenafil In Germany

 
• By 

“Overall, no unexpected/new data or findings” were presented to Germany's Expert Committee for Prescription in the most recent Rx-to-OTC switch application for sildenafil (25mg and 50mg), according to medicines regulator BfArM, resulting in a third rejection in three years.

AESGP Slams ‘Deeply Concerning And Discriminatory’ EU Wastewater Directive

 
• By 

“Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility. It is unfair to expect only two sectors to fund wastewater treatment modernization and operation,” argues AESGP director general Jurate Švarcaite.

New Product Launches Ensured Growth For Stada CHC In 2024

 
• By 

Like many European firms, Stada Arzneimittel's 2024 earnings were held back by a soft cough, cold and flu season. However, key launches in its home market Germany and in the Middle East offset this impact and led to 3% organic growth for Stada's Consumer Healthcare business.

More from Geography

New Product Launches Ensured Growth For Stada CHC In 2024

 
• By 

Like many European firms, Stada Arzneimittel's 2024 earnings were held back by a soft cough, cold and flu season. However, key launches in its home market Germany and in the Middle East offset this impact and led to 3% organic growth for Stada's Consumer Healthcare business.

Maxwellia Launches UK TV Campaign For Evana Showing Reality Of Menstruation

 
• By 

Maxwellia's “bold, honest, and completely unfiltered” campaign for Evana menstrual health brand tells the story of a woman dealing with the realities of a heavy period, showing “real blood, real leaks.”

Over The Counter: Women’s Health Innovation And Beyond, With Maxwellia’s Anna Maxwell

 
• By 

HBW Insight catches up with Maxwellia CEO Anna Maxwell to discuss her company's journey so far, and what she sees as the opportunities for Rx-to-OTC switch in UK women's health and beyond.