The innovative drug delivery platform was originally developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is designed to store and precisely deliver hundreds of therapeutic doses over months or years in a single implant. The DARE-LARC1 implant, which utilizes this proprietary drug delivery platform, is being developed as a user-controlled, long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) solution designed to combine the benefits of LARCs with the flexibility of shorter acting methods. ​From 2013 through June 2021 DARE-LARC1 has been developed with support in the form of $20.5 million in grant funding.  A new grant awarded June 2021 is for up to $48.9 million in funding through November 2026.  DARE-LARC1 is designed to be operated by the patient to deliver medication on demand or on a pre-determined schedule that can be activated or deactivated as desired.

The addition of this new contraceptive technology builds upon a diverse portfolio of products for women’s health, which includes a novel, monthly, hormone-free contraceptive, Ovaprene, and uniquely positions Daré as a leader in contraceptive innovation with two potentially first-in-class products in development.