Issue #76 – Let’s seize the opportunities.

Happy FemTech Friday, 

Women’s History Month has brought a lot of attention to the gender gap in healthcare. In the news lately, there’s been a lot of discussion among political leaders about women’s health, and it’s making waves all over the internet. Personally, I’m quite excited about Prime Minister Modi Ji’s speech and his stance on women’s health. It seems evident that 2024 is shaping up to be the year of women’s health.

Let’s continue the conversation! 

This week, I have two exciting news to share! 

We were invited to Elle India for its first edition of ELLE Impact, celebrating women who are breaking barriers and navigating gender challenges across various categories. This initiative aims to amplify voices, foster conversations, and facilitate dialogue. I love attending events and being part of panel discussions to spread our mission. I met so many women who already knew about FemTech India ;  It fills me with hope to see our mission and impact spreading organically.It feels great to be recognized and supported in this way 🙌 

Shoutout to all the awesome founders out there making moves in this space and helping us push our mission forward! Together, we’re totally shifting the game in women’s health for our generation in India.

With Elle India Editor

We are about to release the first largest report on the women’s health and wellness product market in India. This comprehensive report covers Indian women’s health products: market size, target audience, industry challenges and opportunities. 

Key findings from the Femtech India infographic indicate  

• India’s women’s health market to hit $1.325B by 2030, with 7.8% CAGR growth.
• Maternal care dominates, followed by hygiene, menstrual, diagnostics, fertility, and ayurveda.
• Tier 1 cities prioritize menstrual, Ayurvedic, PCOS products; followed by tiers 2, 3, and 4.

This report will be valuable for Indian companies aiming for better product-market fit as well as for women’s health and wellness companies seeking to enter the Indian market. 

Let’s chat and seize the opportunities.

Your Friend, 

Navneet

We’ve delved deep into this shift, speaking directly with founders to uncover insights. Why this transition? What challenges hinder D2C scalability in India? Our exploration reveals a multitude of factors shaping the trajectory of these healthcare ventures.

Read the full report – Read here

Our friends at Humm Care are supporting the well-being of women and families in India. To serve you best, we need your help! 

Take a quick 2-minute survey to help us understand your needs and experiences in: Click here to participate!- Survey Link 

Survey participants get discounts on mom and baby products; two random winners receive Rs. 500 Amazon vouchers.

• Wipro GE Healthcare has announced an investment of over Rs 8000 crore in manufacturing output & local R&D over next 5 years. This strategic investment bolsters Wipro GE Healthcare’s local manufacturing footprint.

• Biotechnology company Capstan Therapeutics has raised $175 million in an oversubscribed Series B financing. The proceeds will be used to advance CPTX2309, Capstan’s lead in vivo chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) candidate, to early clinical proof-of-concept in autoimmune disorders, and to further develop Capstan’s tLNP pipeline.
• The maternal nutrition company Chiyo has raised US$3m in funding to support mothers across the US. Chiyo aims to “rewrite” what nutritional care looks like during each stage of a woman‘s reproductive life cycle.
• Hume AI, a NYC-based startup and research lab building artificial intelligence optimized for human well-being, raised $50M in Series B funding.

• More than 33 per cent of Indians suffer from prehypertension, a recent Indian Council of Medical Research study has said, raising concerns on the impact of the condition as it often progresses to full-blown hypertension.
• Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have achieved a pivotal advancement in the fight against cancer. Their groundbreaking research has led to the reversal of an aggressive form of cancer, steering malignant cells back towards a more normal state. 
• A technique that uses ice to freeze and destroy cancerous tumours has been proven effective for breast cancer patients with large tumours, providing a new treatment path for those who are not candidates for surgery.
• Scientists have discovered how breast cancer cells can “hibernate” to avoid treatment and “wake up” years later, causing a relapse that is more difficult to treat. The research, published in the journal Cancer Discovery, has revealed the role of “epigenetics” in controlling how cancer cells can become dormant and suggested a strategy to target it before the cells “wake up”.
• Therapeutics for urea cycle disorder enters trial. People with urea cycle disorders accumulate excessive ammonia in their blood, which may cause irreversible brain damage, disability, and seizures, and may be fatal.
• Researchers have shown for the first time that a crucial interface in a protein that drives cancer growth could act as a target for more effective treatments. The study was led by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Central Laser Facility (CLF) and used advanced laser imaging techniques to reveal new structural details of the mutated protein which help it to evade drugs that target it.
• Cancer Research UK and the Norwegian Cancer Society (NCS) have announced a new multi-project strategic partnership to maximise the unique drug development capabilities of both countries.
• A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur has created a unique system, where smartphones can be used to test glucose levels in patients to provide quick, and easy-to-access testing results. The entire system connects a paper-based analytical device to any smartphone using an Android app, which allows for the detection of the sample for glucose (with a concentration range of 10−40 mM). 
• To minimise patient pain and discomfort as well as enable single prick success during blood collection process, BD (Becton, Dickinson, and Company) has recently launched the BD Vacutainer UltraTouch Push Button Blood Collection Set in India.
• A quarter of women working in UK offices have been shamed or pressured to return to work early when taking time off for health issues, new research has shown.

• Pinkey Patel, founder of Myri Health, has been selected for the Google for Startups Women Founders program.
• Roopam Gupta, Co-founder of The Woman’s Company, has been selected for the 2nd Edition of BW Retail World 40 Under 40 Awards.
• Lactamo received a significant federal grant  and was mentioned in the Australian Parliament for its mission to revolutionise breastfeeding.
• Allo Health has announced its upcoming 4th edition for their Certification Courses in sexual medicine.
• PeeSafe releases Episode 2 of the Pee Room Conversations featuring actors Shrishti Ganguli Rindani and Salonie Patel.
• Newmi Care released an infographic card on the occasion of Endometriosis Awareness Month.
• Dr Geetha Manjunath of Niramai Health Analytix was featured in the BetweenUS Podcast Show which discussed the perspectives of challenges in developing AI in medical devices.

• MedTech company, Indivi has entered into an agreement with Biogen to advance digital health technology and develop digital biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease. As part of the agreement, Biogen will licence Konectom to Indivi, a smartphone-based digital biomarker platform that assesses neurological functions remotely for more precise, frequent measurement of disease evolution.
• Biocon has received approval from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), UK, for its complex formulation Liraglutide (6mg/ml solution for injection in pre-filled pen), which was filed through its European partner, Zentiva.
• Healis Therapeutics, a neurotherapeutics company advancing the treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disease, announced that it has entered into a clinical collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health system, and affiliates of Harvard Medical School (HMS).

• United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) India, the International Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR) Delhi, and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) have jointly launched a comprehensive health course.  
• The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K), has signed a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agreement with Gliders India, a leading defence Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), to drive innovation in the healthcare sector.

• Could a novel psychedelic treat alcohol use disorder? A novel psychedelic compound, combined with psychological support, will be explored as a potential new treatment for people living with alcohol use disorder (AUD) in a Phase IIa study.
• Exposure to outdoor artificial light at night may increase risk of stroke: People being continuously exposed to outdoor artificial light at night may be at a higher risk of having a stroke.

• Five essential factors for infant thriving, backed by new research Researchers identified five crucial “Thrive Factors” that are vital for a healthy brain.
• How to Have a Healthier Relationship With Your Phone
  Unplugging is often impossible. Here’s a realistic guide to using your tech in a way that serves you.

See you next Friday, friends 👋

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