Funding Insights:
- Generic injectable focused pharmaceutical company Gland Pharma will be investing ₹400 crore in Genome Valley, near Hyderabad, to include additional capabilities at its existing facility there to manufacture biologicals, biosimilar, antibodies and recombinant insulin.
- The Swedish start-up Natural Cycles has secured US$7m in funding to advance its contraceptive app, ahead of partnership with Samsung. The women’s health company based in Stockholm has developed the world’s first certified app that uses body temperature and other key fertility indicators to determine each user’s unique fertility status.
- Innitius, a Spanish startup specialized in improving diagnostics for women’s health, has raised €1.8M in a financing round led by Clave Capital and Nara Capital.
- Axena Health, a medical device company focused on women’s pelvic health, has received a $25M investment from AXA IM Alts through its Global Healthcare Private Equity Strategy.
- The US women’s health start-up Twenty Eight Health has raised US$8.3m in funding to improve access to healthcare in underserved populations.
FemTech News:
- Spain becomes first European nation to pass law permitting ‘menstrual leave’. The Spanish parliament approved a law last week offering paid medical leave to women experiencing extreme period pain, making Spain the first nation in Europe to do so. The bill was brought before the parliament last year.
- The Supreme Court of India on 15 February, Wednesday agreed to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) on menstrual pain leave for female students and working women across India. The bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud listed it for hearing on February 24.
- E-commerce platform Flipkart is reportedly in the final stages of acquiring Bangalore-based online pharmacy startup Pharmallama. The online pharmacy startup caters to the pre-sorting of drug prescriptions, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and vitamins into personalised pockets, organised by date and time.
- A Texas-based FemTech start-up has announced the launch of an AI-based chat tool inspired by ChatGPT.
- Early adopters have started using ChatGPT to assist with mundane tasks like writing sick certificates and patient letters.
- The union health ministry’s telemedicine platform eSanjeevani has crossed a landmark milestone by providing telemedicine services to over 10 crore beneficiaries, The telemedicine services have been availed by more than 57% female.
- 35% More Patients Impacted by Healthcare Data Breaches in H2 2022 – Read Here
- India currently ranks first in terms of AI skill penetration and AI talent concentration and fifth in AI scientific publications, a Nasscom report said on Friday.
- A woman dies every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth according to the latest estimates released in a report by United Nations agencies.
Global Companies:
- The health tech start-up TaraCares has been awarded the highly competitive Fast Start Award by UKRI Innovate UK to progress research and innovation activities to develop an evidence-led, decentralised precision medicine platform tackling misinformation, misdiagnosis and mismanagement of menopause.
- Neotech has acquired Breastfeeding Assistance Device Laally Bridge, an innovative breastfeeding device. The Bridge was designed by Kate Spivak, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Physician Assistant and features a silicone nipple cover that has a built-in channel and can attach to a syringe for delivering breastmilk or formula
FemTech India Partner Company News:
- AlloHealth has announced a partnership with Pazcare, an insurance platform. The collaboration is aimed to help Allo provide innovative and comprehensive solutions.
- FemVed is having a virtual launching event of the FemVed app and is offering first 100 registrations a free month of FemVed
- Abhishek Mohan, the founder CEO of Hemp Street will be a keynote speaker at the Ayuryog Expo being held at Varanasi
- Femisafe has received award among the 23 startups to watch out for in 2023 from kerala by Headstart
Drugs, Diagnostics, and Pharma:
- Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited, major contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has partnered with Bengaluru-based Lyrus Life Sciences for a number of patented technologies and formulations. The treatments and therapies emerging from this world-class collaboration will ensure the launch of patented drugs and more patient-friendly formulations in the areas of pain, obesity, diabetes, psoriasis, seasonal flu, respiratory insufficiency, immunity, and women’s health with special focus on the geriatric and paediatric population.
- Exports of pharmaceutical products from the country continued to register a decline in the month of January, 2023, following the trend of exports in December last year, even though the ten month cumulative export performance has shown a growth of three per cent. According to data from the ministry of commerce and industry, the Indian drugs and pharmaceutical exports have reported a decline of 2.62 per cent in the first month of the calendar year 2023, at $1.99 billion as compared to $2.04 billion reported during the same month of previous year
Government News:
- India-Sweden healthcare Innovation Centre and its knowledge partner AstraZeneca India collaborated with the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) Jammu to integrate Qure.ai’s smart artificial intelligent technology to detect lung cancer early on.
- The Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA ) has signed an MoU with National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Ahmedabad for knowledge sharing, training and capacity building of state drug controllers.
Research, Insights, and Market Projections:
- Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their colleagues have found that a toxic protein made by the body called DUX4 may be the cause of two very different rare genetic disorders. For patients who have facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), or a rare facial malformation called arhinia, this research discovery may eventually lead to therapies that can help people with these rare diseases.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, and Duke University in collaboration with biotechnology company Gameto, have successfully created a fully human ovarian organoid that supports egg cell maturation, develops follicles, and secretes sex hormones. This “ovaroid” model enables the study of human ovarian biology without the need to take tissue from patients, and could enable the development of new treatments for conditions like infertility, ovarian cancer, and more.
- Indegene, a digital-first, life sciences commercialisation company announced the launch of metaverse capabilities to support life sciences organisations with a variety of use cases, including health care provider (HCP) interactions, HCP education, and patient education.
Jobs on Board:
- Sepalika is looking for a Social Media Marketing Specialist. Sepalika is an online women’s health clinic focused on reversing chronic health conditions through guidance.
- Allo Health is looking for a Social Media Marketing Intern. Allo Health is India’s first digital health clinic for sexual wellbeing which offers personalised healthcare solutions.
- Kindly is looking for a Creative Content Writer and a Copywriter. Kindly is Asia’s only diagnostics-first platform for sexual care and performance health.
