Dixon’s PherDal goes crowdfunding route as it seeks federal approval for fertility kit

DIXON – PherDal Fertility Science is raising funds in the hope of producing the first sterile insemination at-home kit approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Jennifer Hintzsche Westphal, founder and CEO of PherDal, at 405 W. Second St. in Dixon, started the business after she and her husband, Ryan, struggled with unexplained infertility.

They were looking for an alternative to the lengthy and expensive process for different fertility options, which is when Jennifer, who has a Ph.D. in biology, went to work on the PherDal kit.

The insemination kit helps get sperm closer to the egg, and after two months of trying, she became pregnant with her first child, Lois, in 2018.

After facing challenges with the pandemic and wanting to expand on the kit’s success, PherDal was born in October.

They sold 200 kits in the first three months, so far leading to three PherDal babies, she said.

Westphal is hoping to get FDA clearance by the end of the year and put more on the market in the first quarter of 2023, with the goal of having them available over-the-counter at pharmacies.

The crowdfunding campaign has raised $284,418 with 135 investors. Go to startengine.com/pherdal to support the campaign or for information.