Issue #119- Proud to Be Part of UNESCO’s South Asian Chapter for W4EAI

We’re so honoured  to have been part of UNESCO’s launch of the South Asian Chapter of Women for Ethical AI .The event marked the conclusion of a four-day International Conference on Gender and Technology, co-hosted by UNESCO and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham at their Kochi Campus.

This incredible initiative is paving the way for a future where technology is not only innovative but also ethical, inclusive, and representative—especially for women in tech across South Asia and beyond.

Growing up, I didn’t know what I wanted to become, but I always knew I wanted to do something different and make an impact. It took me many years to figure out my path, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few years, it’s the power of using your voice.You never know the impact sharing your story might have on others, especially when you’re speaking in front of students in rural India.

Sitting on that panel, wearing a saree for the first time, gave me a strong sense of belonging to the woman I’m becoming. It felt powerful to represent and inspire girl students – many of whom wear sarees or salwars every day in rural India— By showing up as one of them, I hoped to send a message to those who look like me: if I can do it, they can too.

The first-ever International Gender and Technology Conference brought together leaders from 10+ countries to explore the intersection of gender and technology.

It was an honor to contribute to the conversation, raise awareness about women’s health in such a powerful forum, and represent our work at FemTech India. 

•  Digital economy to grow almost twice as fast as overall economy: MeitY.
•  Consumer Goods companies step up and spend in a bid to push sales. 
•  Microsoft rebrands Office suite to Microsoft 365 Copilot, emphasising AI.
•  Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar dominate India’s 2024 streaming charts. 
• Netflix gains 19mn subscribers in Q4, reaches 302mn globally

• Omnichannel healthcare brand Zeelab Pharmacy said it secured $2.4 million in its maiden funding round led by OTP Ventures, with key partners Suhail Sameer (former BharatPe CEO) and Kunal Suri driving the investment.
• Skincare brand Deconstruct raised Rs 65 crore in a funding round from L’Oréal’s VC fund BOLD, V3 Ventures, and DSG Consumer Partners. Existing investors Kalaari Capital and Beenext also participated in the round.
• Exsure, a Bhubaneswar, India-based biotech startup reducing side-effects and toxicity of anti-cancer drugs, raised Rs 3 Cr in a Seed Funding.

• A new, at-home cervical cancer screening test will be launched with the backing of US$10m in funding. The Teal Wand, an at-home screening device and telehealth platform , is currently under FDA review and developer Teal Health said it hopes to increase uptake of screenings with the device.
• PinkDx, a Daly City, CA-based early-stage company focused on positively impacting the health of women throughout their life journey, raised $5M in additional
• Owlstone Medical, a Cambridge, UK-based company which specializes in Breath Biopsy® for applications in early disease detection and precision medicine, announced a first closing of $27M in its Series E funding.

• Pregnancy increases the risk of mental illness among women with multiple sclerosis (MS). Pregnant MS patients have a higher risk of mental illness both during gestation and in the first years after they give birth, researchers reported in a new study published Jan. 22 in the journal Neurology.
• While the national average caesarean delivery rate in India is 21.5 per cent, a report published in the peer-reviewed medical journal ‘The Lancet’ shows there are stark disparities based on regions, wealth and sector. 
• Factors such as diabetes and belly fat in midlife can put you at risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life. According to a US study published in the journal PLOS ONE, people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before age 50 are at an increased risk for developing dementia than those diagnosed later in life, especially if they are obese.
• It is a known fact that pregnancy takes a toll on both the physical and mental health of a woman. But how significantly it would affect one’s brain. A recent study found that grey matter volume shrinks by about 5 per cent. Also, 94 per cent of these changes occur in the brain. 
• Preventing or treating infections could be a key means of warding off dementia, a new evidence review says. Vaccines, antibiotics, antiviral medications and anti-inflammatory drugs are all associated with a reduced risk of dementia, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 21 in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions.
• There has been a “shocking” decline in testing for cancer in women across the globe, a new report has revealed. Only 10 per cent of women surveyed worldwide said they were tested for any type of cancer in the past year, down two percentage points from the first two years of the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index – one of the largest collections of data on women’s health and wellbeing.
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses have increased among adults in recent years, while remaining stable among teenagers. ADHD diagnoses among adults increased by 15% between 2020 and 2023, after declining by nearly 11% from 2016 to 2020, researchers reported in a new study published in the journal Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice.
• Pumping iron and hitting the treadmill can improve your odds against cancer, a new evidence review says.People with more muscle strength and better cardio fitness are less likely to die from cancer, researchers reported recently in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. This survival benefit extends even to people with advanced-stage cancers, results show.
• Corporate chain ownership of fertility clinics not only increases access to treatment but also enhances patient outcomes, a new study shows. The study shows that chain-owned clinics perform 27.2 per cent more IVF cycles and achieve a 13.6 per cent improvement in success rates. They also adopt standardised practices that reduce risky multiple births while prioritising healthier single births.
• Telephone-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is beneficial for reducing fatigue’s interference with functioning and improves the quality of life for survivors of metastatic breast cancer, a new study has revealed.
• A new study suggests that a pill used for emergency contraception could be repurposed at a higher dose as an abortion drug, providing a possible alternative to mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in the most common type of abortion in the United States.
• Popular GLP-1 medications for weight loss and diabetes may have unexpected benefits for reducing risks for conditions such as substance abuse, psychosis, infections and even dementia.  But these drugs also come with risks that shouldn’t be overlooked, researchers warn in a study published Jan. 20 in the journal Nature Medicine.

• Europe’s first private, women’s health tissue bank has been launched by Liverpool-based laboratory and medical education provider BioGrad, backed by a £25m investment.
• A clinical trial investigating the treatment TIVDAK for cervical cancer has shown positive results. The topline results from the global Phase 3 innovaTV 301 study demonstrated a clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival with TIVDAK treatment for patients with previously treated recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer compared to chemotherapy.
• Innovative Birmingham-based nutrition firm Rem3dy Health has been recognised in the first-ever “Sunday Times 100 Tech: Britain’s fastest-growing private technology companies” list.

• Lilavati Hospital has announced its collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, USA for the first ever Nursing Excellence Programme in India and the establishment of a new Cancer Care Institute, featuring a 300-bed hospital in Mumbai. This cutting-edge facility is set to revolutionize cancer treatment in India by providing access to the latest technology, advanced treatments, and global best practices in oncology.
• Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited, one of India’s leading pharma companies announced the inauguration of its state-of-the-art formulation research and development (R&D) centre near Tapovan Circle, Ahmedabad. 
• The Live Love Laugh Foundation, a charitable trust with researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), have published a study that challenges stigma and highlights the economic potential of families of persons living with severe mental illness. 
• Solid Biosciences Inc., a life sciences company developing precision genetic medicines for neuromuscular and cardiac diseases, announced that it has received Fast Track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for SGT-212, the company’s, AAV-based gene therapy candidate for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA).
• Gleneagles Hospitals, Parel, Mumbai has unveiled a high-tech Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) alongside state-of-the-art obstetrics services. The newly inaugurated facilities aim to deliver unparalleled care for neonates and expectant mothers, blending cutting-edge technology with a patient-centric approach.
• ArriVent BioPharma, Inc., a clinical-stage company dedicated to accelerating the global development of innovative biopharmaceutical therapeutics, announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Lepu Biopharma Co., Ltd for MRG007, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that can target several gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

• The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has sought manufacturers and marketing companies of iohexol injection 300 mg iodine per ML, a diagnostic agent, to submit price and market data on the product for fixation of its ceiling price.
• The Drugs Control Officers Welfare Association India (DCO India), an association of drug regulatory officers in the country, has formed a welfare trust to provide healthcare services and financial assistance to the members of the association and to their family members, during service periods and afterwards.
• The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has released a guidance document for rapid diagnostics for pathogen identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) as a comprehensive protocol to guide the innovators and developers of such diagnostic products for evaluating their tests and demonstrating their effectiveness.

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• Why Sparkling Water May (Or May Not) Help You Lose Weight: New research out of Japan affirms that carbonated water may, indeed, promote weight loss by lowering blood sugar levels, allowing cells to burn fat between meals for energy more efficiently.
  
• Screen Breaks and the Right Desk Setup Offer Relief From Work-Related Eye Strain: Digital screens are pervasive at work and in homes and schools stores
• Nutrition Labels Only Slightly Effective in Cutting Calories:  It’s easy these days to see how many calories a cheeseburger will set you back, or how many added sugars are in a jar of pasta sauce.

See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

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