Founder Feature: The OB/GYN Formulating Pharmaceuticals for Period Care - Margo Harrison of Wave Bye

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Margo Harrison, founder and CEO of Wave Bye — a menstrual health company developing a proactive, OB/GYN-formulated treatment for period pain and bleeding. Margo is a board-certified OB/GYN, former NIH-funded academic researcher at the University of Colorado, Planned Parenthood provider, and founder of a femtech consulting firm that served over twenty venture-backed women's health companies. She brings a rare combination of clinical expertise, research credentials, and startup experience to one of the most underserved categories in consumer health.Wave Bye is not a supplement and it is not a conventional OTC pain reliever. It is a pharmaceutical-grade product designed to be taken premenstrually — before the pain and bleeding start — shifting women from a reactive approach to their period to a proactive one. With an FDA meeting on the horizon and a pipeline that could reach market as early as 2027, Margo is building something that has never existed before in the over-the-counter space.Caitlin and Margo get deeply personal in this one — from Caitlin's own experience with PCOS and the impact of Wave Bye's Bioregularity supplement on her cycle, to what it means to grow up never having been taught to track your period, to why TikTok has done more for women's health than medical school curriculums ever did. Margo also walks through the science behind her formulation, what it actually means to seek FDA approval for a drug versus selling a supplement, and why she views the FDA meeting not as something to fear but as the next move in the game.Listen in as they cover:Why bodily autonomy begins with understanding your menstrual cycle — and why that matters for human potentialHow Inositol works for PCOS and why it outperforms Metformin in Canadian clinical guidelinesWhat makes Wave Bye different from everything else on the market: timing, formulation, and packagingThe difference between a reactive approach to period pain and a proactive one — and why it changes everythingWhat FDA approval actually means for a consumer health product and why it matters for trustHow to prepare for an FDA meeting — and why Margo's approach is less war room, more game theoryWhy TikTok is pushing women's health forward faster than the medical establishmentThe moment Margo put a cardboard sign on a lemonade stand table at a Greek festival and the dads were the ones who stoppedWhy tracking your cycle is one of the most empowering things a woman can do — and how our daughters will have it better than we didWave Bye's timeline to market: late 2027 to early 2029 depending on the FDA outcomeWhether you're a founder building in femtech, a consumer navigating your own menstrual health, or someone who has simply never been taught to track their cycle, this episode will leave you informed, empowered, and ready to wave bye to period pain.Episode Links: Wave Bye Website: https://www.waveby.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wavebyeinc/ Margo Harrison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margoharrisonmd/ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3lEvr8doFjx89HW382Hy55Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics