Issue # 124 – India’s $10B Opportunity, Digital Records & tailored insurance.

A large part of India’s population—especially women—remains uninsured, leading to high out-of-pocket expenses, economic strain, and a heavy burden on public finances. Expanding insurance coverage could save the government $10 billion annually!

As life expectancy rises, the future is all about tailored, composite health insurance products that keep healthcare affordable. India’s National Health Authority is leading the way by digitizing health records through ABHA IDs and boosting remote services like e-consultations and e-pharmacies. Digitized claims are processing 30% faster than traditional paper-based ones—meaning quicker settlements, lower costs, and a better experience for policyholders.

🎙 In my latest episode, I chat with Aditi Mittal & Sanchit Agarwal, Co-founders of Newmi Care, about their innovative women’s health POD insurance and a preventive care approach powered by Nivrit Tech/AI. Their work, in line with ABDM & ABHA under India’s digital health mission, setting new benchmarks in compliance with HIPAA, GDPR & ISO.

In celebration of Women’s Day, we are spotlighting female trailblazers from our global community. Throughout March, we’re sharing the stories of inspiring women from diverse backgrounds who are driving innovation in women’s health and beyond—amplifying their voices and contributions to the industry.

Meet Dr. Sukhpreet, born and raised in India and now based in Canada—a seasoned medical professional turned FemTech entrepreneur.With a strong background in obstetrics, gynecology, infertility, and public health, she has always been dedicated to bridging critical gaps in healthcare. But it was her personal experience with menopause—and the lack of accessible, evidence-based support—that inspired her to step into the world of FemTech.

In an exclusive interview with FemTech India, Dr. Sukhpreet shares how she transitioned from being a doctor to a FemTech entrepreneur, along with her insights on the industry and the future of women’s health.

💜 Read her full interview – Here

• OpenAI unveils GPT-4.5 ‘Orion,’ its largest AI model yet
• Apple launches child safety measures with an app age verification system.
• Instagram may launch Reels as separate app
• Stayfree Secure XL changes the period story with Kiara Advani

• Philips has introduced SmartSpeed Precise, an advanced MRI solution powered by dual artificial intelligence (AI) engines. The latest innovation builds on the company’s compressed Sense and SmartSpeed technologies to deliver faster scans with enhanced image quality.
• Healthcare software provider Athenahealth has announced a partnership with Abridge, integrating the startup’s AI-powered scribing tool into its network of over 160,000 clinicians. 
• Honasa Consumer (MamaEarth) has partnered with Zepto to launch a new campaign to promote daily use of sunscreens. The campaign emphasises the importance of daily sun protection while highlighting the convenience of ordering sunscreen instantly via Zepto.

• Afynia Laboratories, a Canadian biotech startup spun out from McMaster University, has secured $5 million in seed funding to commercialize its blood test for endometriosis. The round was led by Bio-Rad Laboratories, with participation from Impact America Fund, SOSV, the Capital Angel Network, and Gaingels.
• Digital Harmonic, a Columbia, MD-based company which specializes in advanced video, signal, and image processing technologies, received an investment from Caladan Capital.
• Monument Therapeutics, a Manchester, UK-based neuroscience company applying digital biomarkers to psychiatric drug development, raised £850K in further funding.The round was led by ACF Investors, with participation from Wren Capital, o2h Ventures, and angel investors.
• ONVY, a Munich, Germany-based AI-driven precision health company, raised over $2M in Seed extension funding.
• EG 427, a Paris, France-based biotechnology company for the development of pinpoint genetic medicines for prevalent chronic diseases in neurology, raised €27M in Series B funding.The round was co-led by Andera Partners and Bpifrance, with participation from the InnoBio investment strategy.  
• Paradox Immunotherapeutics, a Toronto, Canada-based pharmaceutical company focused on the development of antibody therapies, received a $10M investment from SymBiosis Capital Management.
• Reverb Therapeutics, a Vancouver, BC, Canada-based a leader in harnessing the natural immune system and cytokine signaling to treat life-threatening diseases, raised USD $21M in Seed funding.

• A rapid experimental genetic test can help guide the hands of surgeons as they delicately remove tumors from patients with brain cancer, new research suggests.
• Women experience a great deal of pain or discomfort from common gynecological problems like endometriosis, heavy or irregular periods and ovarian cysts.But even worse, these reproductive health problems might be increasing their risk of heart disease and stroke, according to new findings published Feb. 24 in the journal Heart.
• Each hour a person spends squinting into a smartphone or staring at a screen increases their risk of nearsightedness, a new evidence review suggests.
• Breast cancer deaths are expected to increase during the next quarter-century, largely impacting the world’s poorest nations, a new international study says.
• Exercising regularly before a cancer diagnosis is associated with slower disease progression and a lower risk of death, finds a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Even relatively low levels of physical activity appear to offer significant benefits.
• Heart health experts have welcomed a new AI development which could address the cardiovascular care gap which prevents many women from accessing the life-saving treatment they need.Scientists have developed a new AI model which is able to better identify female patients at higher risk of heart disease based on an electrocardiogram (ECG).
• Overexposure to screen time among the young increases the chances of myopia. With a recent study revealing the dangers of myopia, experts warned young children to limit their use of devices and spend more time outdoors. 
• Research has also found that it has the potential to lower cancer risk among night workers. The study was done by researchers at the British Columbia Cancer Research Institute in Canada. The findings were published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 
• As per a recent study published in the journal Nature Metabolism, five days of indulging in sugary and junk foods can lead to brain activity patterns similar to those seen in people with obesity. A junk food splurge ‘can shift brain patterns in healthy young men despite their body weight and composition remaining unchanged,’ the study noted. 
• Artificial intelligence (AI) might help treat childhood epilepsy by detecting brain abnormalities that are causing kids’ seizures, a new study suggests. The AI tool, called MELD Graph, found 64% of brain lesions linked to epilepsy that human radiologists had previously missed, researchers report in JAMA Neurology.
• Microplastics could be affecting the brain health of people living in coastal areas, a new study says. Marine microplastics — microscopic plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters — are associated with disabilities of memory, thinking and mobility, according to findings to be presented in April at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego.
•  A blood test can help doctors detect ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and predict how the degenerative disease will progress in patients, a new study suggests.
• Exposure to extreme heat might accelerate aging in older adults, with sizzling weather causing them to fade faster, a new study suggests. People living in neighborhoods with more days of high heat experience greater biological aging on average than people living in cooler climes, researchers reported Feb. 26 in the journal Science Advances.
• Exposure to extreme heat might accelerate aging in older adults, with sizzling weather causing them to fade faster, a new study suggests.People living in neighborhoods with more days of high heat experience greater biological aging on average than people living in cooler climes, researchers reported Feb. 26 in the journal Science Advances.
• A new study has found no evidence that COVID vaccines increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes, despite numerous claims that circulated during the pandemic.
• Antidepressants are frequently prescribed to people with dementia for symptoms like anxiety, depression, aggressiveness and sleeplessness. But a specific class of antidepressant medications — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) — actually might speed up brain decline among some dementia patients, a new Swedish study suggests.

• Medical data and technology company HeraMED has announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Garmin that will integrate Garmin smartwatch data into HeraMED’s remote pregnancy monitoring platform, HeraCARE.
• Flo Health has published new research in npj Women’s Health revealing that perimenopause symptoms begin much earlier than commonly recognized, with psychological effects often preceding physical symptoms.
• Digital health company Hims & Hers has announced its expansion into at-home lab testing through the acquisition of Sigmund NJ LLC, marketed as Trybe Labs. The move will enable the company to offer comprehensive whole body testing and at-home blood draws, providing customers with deeper health insights and empowering providers with more data for personalized treatment plans.
• Kaia Health has announced an expansion of its Women’s Health Program to include targeted pelvic floor therapy and musculoskeletal (MSK) support, addressing a significant gap in women’s healthcare. The digital health platform’s enhanced program aims to make specialized care more accessible to millions of women suffering from pelvic floor disorders, postpartum recovery issues, and menopause-related pain.
• Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA (Glenmark) announces the launch of epinephrine injection USP, 10 mg/10 mL (1 mg/mL) multiple-dose vial.
• Allogene Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering the development of allogeneic CAR T (AlloCAR T) products for cancer and autoimmune disease, has announced an expanded strategic collaboration with Foresight Diagnostics
• CitiusTech, a leading provider of healthcare technology, services & solutions, announced the launch of a highly scalable and integrated Real-World Data (RWD) platform designed for efficient data management and accelerated insights.

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, has announced an invitation for Expression of Interest (EoI) from eligible organizations, companies, and manufacturers for the transfer of technology related to a groundbreaking diagnostic tool “A colorimetric isothermal (LAMP) assay for rapid detection of Monkeypox virus”. This initiative aims to facilitate the commercialization of the innovative detection method and expand its accessibility.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is set to establish an expert committee dedicated to monitoring adverse effects caused by medical devices, to enhance patient safety.The committee will be tasked with tracking, recording, and analyzing the root causes of adverse events related to the use of medical devices, including in-vitro diagnostics, and recommending measures to mitigate these risks, as reported by Mint.

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• Fitness or fatness: which matters more?: Fitness is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular health and longevity than body weight, with exercise reducing mortality risks for individuals of all sizes, regardless of BMI
• Does chlorinating drinking water increase risk of cancer? Disinfecting water is an essential public health measure, however, with the new study revealing its harmful impact on health, researchers called for more research in this field
• Feeling scared? Your fear is a survival tool, but sometimes, it overreacts — making us afraid of things that aren’t true threats.

See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

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