Indian Funding:
- Bengaluru-based startup Inito secures $6M in Series A led by Fireside Ventures, pioneering at-home health management tools, notably the Fertility Monitor empowering women to track fertility hormones and receive personalized analytics at home.
Global Funding and Grants:
- Mauj, an Arabic sexual and menstrual wellness company, has recently raised $500K in a funding round, an investment that marks a notable evolution in the realm of women’s health, particularly in the Middle East, a region often underrepresented in global health discussions.
- US President Biden is establishing a new White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. This new effort will be led by First Lady Jill Biden, who has long championed women’s health, and the White House Gender Policy Council.
Global Companies:
- UpLift, a behavioral health company, has significantly expanded its reach in the United States by acquiring Minded, an online psychiatry service specializing in women’s care.
- Cercle, an AI technology company, announced the launch of its platform, the Cercle Biomedical Graph. This technology aims to enhance women’s healthcare by connecting biomedical and genomics data points from healthcare clinics and research labs globally.
FemTech News:
- Chronic insufficient sleep can increase insulin resistance in otherwise healthy women, with more marked effects in postmenopausal women, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The findings, published in Diabetes Care, highlight the importance of adequate sleep in minimizing the risk for type 2 diabetes, which can develop when the body fails to effectively use a key hormone, insulin, to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
- A recent report published in The Lancet online suggests that prevention of skin cancer can be initiated in childhood itself. “It is the childhood period that plays a pivotal role in the deceptively invisible process of sun exposure. Sun exposure during the early stages of life has a more significant impact on the likelihood of developing skin cancer during adulthood, compared to sun exposure in later years,” says the report.
- As per a recent survey, the average duration from the decision to conceive to successful conception was found to be 6.8 years, with an average of 3.6 years spent trying to conceive naturally. This duration is notably longer than the World Health Organization’s recommended timeline for seeking medical consultation for infertility. In India, the duration extends to an average of 4.5 years.
- Women in the UK wait longer than men to receive a medical diagnosis for the same types of pain, new data has shown. The research found that less than half (47 per cent) of women surveyed received a diagnosis within 11 months compared to two thirds (66 per cent) of men.
- Additionally, more women than men still do not have a diagnosis for their pain after 12 months or longer.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the third edition of the Roadmap towards ending TB in children and adolescents, along with partners and civil society. The roadmap outlines an ambitious five-year plan with 10 key actions to improve the prevention, treatment, and care of TB in children and adolescents.
- AI is on the brink of revolutionising healthcare, offering the potential to enhance patient care and streamline operations. The increased growth of the healthcare sector, along with the challenges faced during the global pandemic, have prompted healthcare professionals to look for new ways to improve healthcare services.
FemTech India Partner Company News:
- Carina Kohli – Founder & CEO of Humm Care was featured on SheThePeople.Tv and emphasised the importance of connected and preventive care.
- Sirona’s Organic Cotton Tampons were featured on an article which was released by Hindustan Times titled “Women’s health experts on why tampons are the best period products ever”
- PeeSafe and SocialaBoat – Women Health have collaborated to curate a series of products to help women take charge of their menstrual and fitness.
- Miyara is hosting a workshop on “Spring Back from Stress in Midlife” and the workshop is being lead by Dr. Gargi Sandilya.
Drugs, Diagnostics, and Pharma:
- Novo Nordisk India along with Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology & Research (KIER), is working to create an awareness on type 1 diabetes among the school children.
- Evoke Pharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused primarily on treatments for gastrointestinal (GI) diseases with an emphasis on Gimoti (metoclopramide) nasal spray, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued US Patent No. 11,813,231 titled “Nasal Formulations of Metoclopramide”, pertaining to the company’s commercially available and FDA-approved nasal formulation of metoclopramide, Gimoti.
- Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited (Glenmark), a research-led, global pharmaceutical company, announced that its skincare brand, La Shield, has been honoured with the “Best Consumer Healthcare Digital Marketing Campaign” award at the recently concluded Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) OTC Health and Wellness Conference 2023.
Government News:
- The proposed National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2023 is proposing setting up of an advisory body known as Pharmacy Advisory Council to advise the National Pharmacy Commission (NPC) and to act as a primary platform through which the States and Union Territories can communicate their views and concerns before the Commission.
- The Union ministry of health and family welfare has released the draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2023 repealing the Pharmacy Act, 1948 and replacing the existing statutory body of Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) with the National Pharmacy Commission in line with the enactment of National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
- The Theni district president of the Consortium of Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Marketers Associations (CIPMMA) in Tamil Nadu has alleged that the marketing of pharmaceuticals by the Propaganda-cum-Distributors (PCDs) needs to be restrained as they cannot ensure permanent availability of their products in the market and guarantee the quality of the medicines they promote.
Research, Insights, and Market Projections:
- Researchers have found that reducing sodium intake can lower blood pressure for nearly everyone, including those already taking blood pressure medications.The study involved middle-aged to elderly participants and revealed that by reducing salt intake by just one teaspoon a day, systolic blood pressure declined by approximately 6 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). This reduction is comparable to the effect achieved by commonly prescribed first-line medications for high blood pressure.
- A recent study has found that replacing sitting with even a few minutes of moderate exercise each day can improve heart health. The research, conducted by experts at UCL and published in the European Heart Journal, is the first of its kind to examine how different movement patterns throughout the day are linked to heart health.
Jobs on Board:
- Allo Health is looking for a Digital Marketing Expert. Allo Health is a digital health clinic which has launched India’s first sexual wellbeing program
- Rocket Health is looking for a psychologist. Rocket Health is a platform which provides healthcare for mental and sexual health.
- PeeSafe is looking for a Retention Specialist. PeeSafe is a wellness and fitness services company which is behind iconic products such as The Toilet Seat Sanitizer Spray.
