Issue # 140 – TFI podcast signs a Partnership with UNESCO,Oura-Maven Team Up, France Backs Innovation with €40M

✨Hey there! You’re reading the free edition of the FemTech India newsletter — your go-to source for the latest in women’s health, industry updates, and opportunities to help you navigate what’s next in your journey.

What began as “The FemTech India Podcast” is now part of a bigger mission. 

🎙️ 𝗖trl.𝗔𝗹𝘁.𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 ,a podcast and media vertical by TechThrive, that expands our lens beyond women’s health to explore the broader intersections of tech, ethics, and equity.

And to mark this exciting new chapter…

🤝 We’re proud to announce our first official global partnership with UNESCO India.

This collaboration between TechThrive and UNESCO  is more than just a conversation, it’s a call to action to build: ethical, inclusive, and equitable AI systems that reflect the diversity of our world. 

Read the full post here : link

• Ellipsis Health secured $45 million in a Series A funding round led by Salesforce, Khosla Ventures, and CVS Health Ventures to advance its AI-powered care management platform, Sage. The startup aims to address persistent challenges in healthcare staffing and improve management for patients with complex physical, behavioral, and social needs who drive significant healthcare costs.
• Actio Biosciences, a San Diego, CA-based clinical-stage biotechnology company which specializes in genetics and precision medicine, raised $66M in Series B funding.
• Infinity Bio, a Baltimore, MD-based biotechnology company developing technologies to map immune responses, raised $8M in Series A funding.
• ​​ France Launches First-Ever €40M FemTech Fund in Partnership with FemTech France. 
• Materna Medical, Inc., a Mountain View, CA-based provider of women’s pelvic health solutions, raised a $20m Series B2 financing round.
• GeneCentric Therapeutics, a Durham, NC-based company advancing precision medicine through gene expression, announced the initial closing of an $8.0m Series C financing.
• Enterome, a Paris, France-based clinical-stage company developing OncoMimics immunotherapies to treat cancer, raised $19M in funding
• Veracity has closed a $6 million funding round led by Maveron and Melitas Ventures to accelerate development of its metabolic health platform focused on root-cause solutions for metabolic dysfunction. The New York-based company has experienced significant growth driven by its natural supplement addressing weight management and metabolic health.
• Dilon Technologies has closed a $9 million growth capital investment from JGB Management to support expansion of its medical device portfolio, including breakthrough technology for breast cancer surgery that significantly reduces the need for repeat procedures.

• Computed Tomography (CT) scans are a powerful tool for diagnosing various medical conditions, but new research highlights a potential downside: an increased risk of cancer. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that ionising radiation from CT scans—a known carcinogen—could be responsible for 5 per cent of all cancer cases annually.
• As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of people living with diabetes rose from 200 million in 1990 to 830 million in 2022. The figures have been rapidly increasing and many are falling prey to this chronic disease, thanks to lifestyle changes and other underlying reasons. 
• Rheumatoid arthritis affected more than 18 million, young people more susceptible, finds study. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which means the immune system attacks its own body’s tissues by mistake
• Serum Institute of India and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative join hands to treat dengue. Both organisations will collaborate to create joint development plans for research, Phase III clinical trials, and market access strategies for the development of a promising dengue treatment.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that cholera cases in Sudan are set to rise and could spread to neighbouring countries, including Chad, which hosts hundreds of thousands of refugees from Sudan’s civil war in crowded conditions.
• Why are Indian women developing fibroids at a young age? Experts believe the stress of long working hours along with excessive screen time are some of the reasons for the development of the condition.
• Can problems with your vision indicate a brain tumour? According to experts, the patterns of visual loss vary dramatically based on the tumour location and can range from partial vision reduction in one eye to complete blindness in both eyes
• Getting your steps in is good for your health, but it may also help keep you from being affected by disability later, new research has found. Walking 100 minutes a day was associated with a 23% reduced risk of chronic low back pain, according to a study published Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open.
• Routine mental health screening for new fathers is needed to protect child development, experts have warned, citing research linking paternal depression to poorer outcomes in children. A systematic review found that fathers experiencing depression, anxiety or stress during the perinatal period – the time shortly before and after birth – were more likely to have children with difficulties in social, emotional, cognitive and language development.
• Millions of women in the UK say their menstrual cycle influences key decisions about how they live, from what they wear to when they exercise. A survey of 5,000 women found that 51 per cent felt their periods affected daily choices, with 32 per cent planning sexual activity around their cycle and 21 per cent adjusting what and when they eat.
• High blood pressure during pregnancy may raise the risk of seizures in children, according to new research. The condition, known as gestational hypertension, affects nearly 16 per cent of pregnancies in the US. It has previously been linked to complications such as stillbirth and premature birth, largely due to reduced blood flow through the placenta.

• Swedish women’s health platform EsterCare has acquired Ovulai, a digital health app focused on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) management. The acquisition integrates Ovulai’s PCOS-specific tools into EsterCare’s telemedicine and workplace health services. Financial terms were not disclosed.
• GE Launches bkActiv S Series to Support Modern Surgical Procedures. GE’s bkActive S series ultrasounds are designed to provide detailed and real-time surgical visualisation during urology, colorectal, and pelvic floor procedures.
• Abbisko Therapeutics, an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company, announced that it has completed first patient dosing in a registrational study of irpagratinib, a self-developed and highly-selective small molecule FGFR4 inhibitor, for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
• Samsung Biologics, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced the launch of Samsung Organoids – advanced drug screening services to support clients in drug discovery and development.
• Monarch has launched a platform enabling women’s health physicians to establish independent, membership-based practices while retaining full ownership and clinical autonomy. The New York-based company provides operational infrastructure and practice management tools designed to address physician burnout and improve patient care quality.
• Abbott and MSD Pharmaceuticals, tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA have inked a strategic collaboration through a distribution agreement for MSD’s oral anti-diabetic medicine, sitagliptin, its combination, sitagliptin/metformin, and the extended-release version in India.

• In a policy decision aimed at striking a balance between domestic supply control and promoting pharmaceutical exports, the Government of India, through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), has invited applications from eligible exporters of pharma grade sugar under a newly sanctioned restricted category quota.
• The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has published the calculation sheets for the ceiling price of nine scheduled formulations under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), 2022, including an antiretroviral drug, anti-inflammatory drug, antibiotic to treat tuberculosis, surface-active agent, among others.
• The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has extended the timeline for the industry to apply for the latest round of selection into the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for bulk drugs.

• Cigna Launches AI-Powered Tools to Simplify Healthcare Navigation for Members. The enhancements include a generative AI-powered virtual assistant that responds to member queries related to benefits, coverage, claims, and care.
• GE HealthCare Enhances Digital Imaging with MIM Encore™ Integration. This release targets critical healthcare challenges, including improving operational efficiency, streamlining communication across departments, and reducing manual workload.
  
• IQVIA Launches Agentic AI to Boost Healthcare Workflow. Agentic AI uses NVIDIA technology to strengthen the workflows for healthcare to speed up the clinical trials and pharmaceutical commercialization, bringing therapies to patients faster.
  
• Karnataka to Roll Out Mobile-Based Attendance System in Health Facilities. Key features of the KAMS include Aadhaar-based facial recognition combined with geo-tagged attendance logging, allowing for accurate and location-verified staff check-ins.
• IISc Advances Cancer Monitoring with Radiation-Free Imaging Technique. This imaging technique helps to make tumour imaging more accessible with potential for repeat scans without health risks.

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• Can a warmer climate worsen sleep apnoea condition? Sleep apnoea has been associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and mental conditions such as anxiety.
• How does the brain forget unwanted memories? This study might have answered it. Researchers explored how the brain intentionally suppresses the traces of memories with the help of specific neural mechanisms

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See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

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