Issue # 156 — Midi Health Raises $50M | U.S. Digital Health Funding on the Rise | Karnataka, Approves Paid Menstrual Leave..

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The Karnataka government in South India has introduced the Menstrual Leave Policy, 2025, granting women one paid day off per month. The policy amounts to 12 days annually and applies to both government and private sector employees across the state, marking a significant step in workplace gender equity in the region. Read here

• Midi Health, a perimenopause and menopause-focused startup, raised $50 million in a recent Series C round. 
• U.S. Digital Health Funding Surges in 2025, Driven by Large Deals
• Digital health investment in the U.S. is outpacing last year, fueled by several outsized fundraising rounds, according to a new report from venture capital firm and consultancy Rock Health.
• In the third quarter alone, U.S. digital health startups secured $3.5 billion across 107 deals. Overall funding for 2025 has reached $9.9 billion, surpassing the $8.4 billion raised during the same period in 2024.
• The report highlights growing investor interest in digital health, suggesting that the sector continues to attract significant capital despite broader economic uncertainties.
• Nilo Therapeutics, a NYC-based biotechnology company harnessing neural circuits to restore immune homeostasis in disease, launched with a $101m Series A financing.
• Repairon, a Göttingen, Germany-based biotechnology company developing regenerative cell therapies for cardiac medicine, raised an undisclosed amount in funding.
• NanoPhoria Biosciences, a Milan, Italy-based biotech company developing a nano-in-micro and lung-to-heart delivery platform, raised €83.5M in Series A funding.
• Previvor Edge announced the launch of its comprehensive clinical program focused on personalizing cancer prevention and early detection. The company has raised $3.3 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round, led by CoFound Partners and Max Ventures, with participation from Humbition Capital, Red Swan Ventures, and Designer Fund. 
• Genie Fertility, a UK-based biotech startup focusing on reproductive health, is launching from stealth with $1.22m in pre-seed funding to announce the development of its first product, the world’s first non-invasive fertility diagnostic for uterus health.
• Kernal Biologics Inc, a venture-backed TechBio company pioneering novel therapeutics to programme human cells directly inside the body, announced that it has been awarded up to $48 million in funding by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

• Microsoft has launched the claims denial navigator, an AI-powered tool designed to help rural hospitals manage denied insurance claims and improve revenue collection. The tool is available through GitHub and provides actionable recommendations for billing staff while learning from their feedback to enhance claim resolutions.
• Amazon Pharmacy has launched automated prescription kiosks dubbed Amazon Pharmacy Kiosks at select One Medical clinics in Los Angeles. The kiosks are designed to allow patients to order and collect medications directly after their appointments, reducing the time between prescription issuance and fulfillment.
• An innovative study by University of Manchester researchers has shown that mothers’ feelings of being overwhelmed and unhappiness, not fathers’,  are directly associated with their children’s feelings of nervousness, worry and unhappiness.
• The study, published in BMJ Open, funded by Wellcome and the Royal Society, definitively confirms the mother’s role as central to the emotional wellbeing of the family unit.
• Whole genome sequencing offered to breast cancer patients is likely to identify unique genetic features that could either guide immediate treatment or help match patients to clinical trials for over 15,000 women a year, say scientists at the University of Cambridge.
• In a comprehensive nationwide study, the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) has unveiled concerning trends in the Indian diet that correlate with escalating rates of diabetes and obesity. The study, encompassing 1,21,077 adults across the country, highlights a significant dietary shift towards high carbohydrate consumption, particularly from low-quality sources, coupled with inadequate protein intake. These dietary patterns are identified as major contributors to the increasing prevalence of metabolic disorders in the country. 
• A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has found that two of three women of childbearing age have at least one modifiable lifestyle-related risk factor that could increase the chances of serious birth defects.
• Skipping breakfast and eating late dinners may increase the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures, according to a Japanese study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. Researchers analysed data from 927,130 Japanese adults with an average age of 66.6 years; 54.7 per cent of participants were women. The study aimed to investigate whether lifestyle habits, particularly dietary behaviour, contribute to osteoporotic fractures—specifically hip, forearm, vertebral and humeral fractures.
• Humidity, that is, the amount of water vapour in the air, may seem like just another part of the weather forecast, but it has a direct influence on our health. If humidity is too high or too low, it can be irritating and even make us sick, particularly in vulnerable groups like expectant mothers and babies.
• Despite growing awareness of how menstrual health affects employees, workplace support remains limited, a report has found. Only 16 per cent of HR professionals said their line managers had received relevant training or resources to support staff with menstrual health conditions, according to a survey of HR personnel by Endometriosis UK and HR software provider Ciphr, while 13 per cent said managers had been trained to help employees with endometriosis. Endometriosis is a chronic condition affecting one in 10 women and those assigned female at birth, often causing pelvic pain, heavy periods and infertility. It is estimated to affect 1.5 million people in the UK.
• Ashwagandha, a herb long used in Ayurvedic practice, has become one of the most talked-about natural supplements this year. According to recent search trend data, UK interest in ashwagandha has more than doubled in the past six months, highlighting growing curiosity around its potential to support stress, sleep, and energy levels.
• Dr. Marty Makary, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said in an interview with CNN last week that changes to the black box warning on hormone therapies for menopause containing estrogen are coming. “We are in serious discussions now about what to do about the black box warning, and I think you’ll hear something on it very soon,” Makary told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the “Chasing Life” podcast.
• At-home abortions should be permitted for up to 12 weeks across the UK, researchers say, after finding they are as safe as procedures carried out in hospital. The study reviewed outcomes of abortions between 10 and 12 weeks of pregnancy in NHS Lothian, Scotland, from 2020 to 2025.
• University College London Hospital (UCLH) has become the first NHS hospital in England to offer the screening service, with other hospitals in the country expected to follow.  Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene alterations face a significantly higher risk of developing both ovarian and breast cancer.

• Pristyn Care has announced the launch of three new super-specialty hospitals in Pune, Indore, and Hyderabad, strengthening its presence across India.
• AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s cancer drug Datroway has succeeded in a late-stage trial in an aggressive, tough-to-treat type of breast tumor. According to a statement, the therapy, a type of targeted medicine known as an antibody-drug conjugate, slowed tumor progression and extended survival when compared to standard chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancers.
• Everlywell, a leader in digital health, has announced the launch of Eva, a new AI-powered platform designed to turn complex biomarker data into easy-to-understand, personalized health insights. 
• Lupin Limited (Lupin) announced the launch of a strategic partnership programme aimed at expanding the reach of PrecisionSphere – the long-acting injectable (LAI) platform developed by its subsidiary, Nanomi B.V. (Nanomi). PrecisionSphere demonstrates efficacy and safety in drug delivery and is ready for commercial use, following the recent United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA)  approval for the first product developed with this platform.
• Bayer and Kumquat Biosciences Inc., a clinical-stage biotech company founded by pioneers of targeting the KRAS pathway, announced the initiation of a phase I clinical trial with KQB548 (BAY 3771249), an investigational inhibitor designed to treat KRAS G12D-mutated tumours, such as pancreatic, colorectal and lung cancer.

• The Assam Cabinet has announced the sanction of ₹4,257 crore towards enhancing healthcare infrastructure across the state. Out of the total fund, ₹2,200 crore is specifically earmarked to upgrade the Guwahati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH).
• The government medical colleges and hospitals across Chennai have been directed to adopt the newly introduced Medico-Legal Examination and Postmortem Reporting (MedLEaPR) platform, developed by the National Informatics Center (NIC). 
• The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), through its CSR initiative under the NSE Foundation, has partnered with Tata Memorial Center (TMC) to develop a G+11-storey multispecialty cancer hospital and Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Center at the Advanced Center for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Navi Mumbai.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced a revision of rates under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), effective October 13, 2025.

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• Dehydration and stress: How not drinking enough water elevates your cortisol levels: Hydration and stress are intricately connected, with studies showing that insufficient water intake can significantly elevate cortisol levels, making individuals biologically more stressed
• Is your favourite canned drink a health hazard? What experts say about can contamination? Can drinking from cans expose you to significant health risks? Read on to know what experts think about drinking straight from a can
• Ozempic risks: Who should avoid using the semaglutide injection? Ozempic has been approved by CDSCO, which allows adults with type 2 diabetes to now access this once-a-week semaglutide injection, available only via prescription. But can everyone use it?

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See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

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