Second Stage Ventures

Second Stage Ventures, later renamed Dermisonics, is a medical technology company that focused on the development of ultrasonic transdermal drug delivery systems. Founded in 2000, the company's primary innovation is the U-Strip, an active transdermal patch that utilizes low-frequency ultrasound to dilate skin pores, enabling the non-invasive delivery of large-molecule drugs like insulin. The company's clinical efforts were primarily directed toward diabetes management, aiming to replace traditional insulin injections with a wearable patch. Although the company transitioned to a public entity and its commercial progress eventually stalled, its foundational patents in sonophoresis significantly influenced the field of needle-free drug administration. Much of the technology's ongoing development has since been carried forward by successor organizations and affiliated research groups.