Issue #81 – Infertility Awareness

Happy FemTech Friday, 

National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW)

This year’s theme is “Leave Your Mark.” It’s important that we advocate year-round for a patient’s right to infertility care and a provider’s right to practise. Conducted by American society for reproductive medicine. National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) was started by RESOLVE: 

National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) was started to raise awareness about infertility and to educate the public about the issues faced by individuals and couples struggling to build their families. The week aims to reduce the stigma surrounding infertility, promote early detection and treatment, and advocate for improved access to infertility care and support.

• Infertility affects about 10-14% of the Indian population.
• Female infertility accounts for approximately 40-50% of all infertility cases in the country.

• (Age-related ) 30% of women aged 30-35 and 60-70% of women aged 40 and above
• PCOS: 20-25% of women
• Endometriosis: 5-10% of women
• Tubal factors: 20-25% of female
• Unexplained infertility: 10-15% of cases

 Let’s unite to support those affected and work towards finding solutions  🧡

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• Apollo HealthCo Ltd, a subsidiary of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, has finalized a substantial investment agreement with global private equity firm Advent International. This agreement entails raising Rs 2,475 crore, with Advent International acquiring a 12.1% stake in the integrated entity. 
• Maiva Pharma, an injectables contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), has bagged Rs 1,000 crore in primary and secondary funding from a fund managed by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia and India Life Sciences Fund IV.

• Germany-based Ovom Care has raised €4.8 million in seed funding led by Alpha Intelligence Capital and supported by Ananda Impact Ventures and Merantix. The company combines hybrid reproductive care with advanced AI solutions, aiming to improve patient outcomes and expand fertility access to women at more affordable rates.
• The US health tech company Sibel Health has been awarded a US$17.5m grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance its maternal monitoring technology for low-and-middle income countries.
• The University of Exeter has been awarded a series of grants to advance research into women’s health. More than £7m in new funding will boost research into women’s reproductive health, after a series of grants were awarded to University of Exeter researchers.

• Women live longer than men but experience more years in poor health, a global gender health gap analysis has shown, underscoring the need for gender-responsive approaches to health. The study, published in the Lancet Public Health journal, found that globally, there are substantial differences between men and women when it comes to health, with limited progress in bridging these health gaps over the past 30 years.
• Remote monitoring is effective at improving postpartum assessment in patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, a new study has shown. The study, published in The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, found that Babyscripts, a solution for remote management of pregnancy and postpartum, is capable of improving postpartum assessment in patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
• In a discovery that could hasten treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), UC San Francisco scientists have discovered a harbinger in the blood of some people who later went on to develop the disease.
• Sleep apnoea and low oxygen levels while sleeping are associated with epilepsy that first occurs after 60 years of age, known as late-onset epilepsy, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in Sleep.
• For optimal health, a person’s ideal day should include more than four hours of physical activity involving exercise of light, moderate or vigorous intensity, and at least eight hours of sleep, new research has found.
• To better understand the impact of sleep habits on long-term health outcomes, US researchers identified four distinct sleep patterns by analysing the self-reported sleep habits of 3,683 middle-aged adults.
• A newly launched non-profit seeks to address gaps in health education by providing free access to evidence-based resources on women’s health. Calling out the stigma surrounding negative associations connected to the phrase “being hormonal”, Hormonally aims to highlight the vital role hormones play in women’s health and wellbeing throughout their lifespan.
• The US digital health start-up Acclimate has partnered with the tech company Quilt.AI to interpret internet data and “intensify” its Black maternal health initiatives. Black women in the United States are facing a maternal mortality rate three times higher than that of white women.
• Head and neck cancers are a significant public health concern in India. Traditional treatment approaches, often involving surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are effective but can come with side-effects. Personalized medicine provides hope for patients by offering treatments that are more targeted and effective, with fewer side-effects. Personalized medicine takes into account finer aspects of the cancer’s behaviour as well as the patient’s body to optimize outcomes.

• Newmi Care, an incubatee of Villigro received support under the Yash Enterprise Program with USAID Momentum and Jhpiego.
• Momly, in Collaboration with FemTech India is hosting an Expert Panel Conversation and Celebration on May 11, 2024.
• Shruti Chand, CEO of Naarica has now been added as the newest member of Young Indians Bengaluru 
• Betterspace, a mental health startup, has launched Imagibox at home therapy toolbox for kids.

• The Berlin-based fertility benefits provider Apryl has teamed up with the period tracking app Clue to boost its offerings. Apryl is a fertility benefits platform that helps employers attract and retain top talent while tackling diversity and inclusion.
• The Australian biotech company GenEmbryomics has entered a partnership with a leading provider of preimplantation genetic testing in a bid to “transform” IVF. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a technique that involves testing cells from embryos created outside the body by IVF for a genetic disorder.

• The Indian pharmaceutical industry needs to focus on various measures including investment in incremental innovation, market and product differentiation, cost reduction and improving efficiency, partnership for technology, market access, and risk sharing, among others to mitigate business risks, according to a study organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP).
• In a concerted effort to fortify regulatory capabilities and enhance pharmaceutical exports, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has orchestrated a series of impactful training initiatives in the fiscal year 2023-24. With a focus on equipping regulators with advanced skills

• What is a vampire facial? The viral beauty trend that left 3 women infected with HIV- The non-surgical treatment utilises ‘platelet-rich plasma’ to rejuvenate the skin. 
• New breast cancer screening guidelines suggest women at an average risk should begin mammograms at age 40 as opposed to the previous recommendation of age 50.

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See you next Friday Friends

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