Issue # 128 – India Enters the Weight Loss Drug Market, 23andMe Files for Bankruptcy.

Welcome to the 128th edition of your go-to source for women’s health updates! I’ve switched things up with a new format—hope you love the change and enjoy reading.

Mounjaro, a weight-loss and diabetes management drug developed by Eli Lilly, has  officially launched in India. It is now available in major pharmacies, hospitals, and select online health platforms across the country. 

With the global demand for GLP-1 drugs fueling a multi-billion-dollar market, India’s need for such treatments is urgent. Over 101 million people in India live with diabetes, and nearly half of them struggle with obesity—a chronic disease linked to more than 200 health complications. Obesity affects nearly 100 million Indians, with adult obesity prevalence reaching 6.5% as of 2023. 

Could this be a breakthrough in India’s fight against obesity and diabetes ! 

After my recent Instagram post, many of you reached out asking where to get it and how the process works—so here’s a breakdown:

Access and Pricing : 

• Dosage Options:

• • 2.5 mg vial: ₹3,500

• • 5 mg vial: ₹4,375

• Monthly Cost: Depending on the prescribed dose, the monthly cost ranges from approximately ₹14,000 to ₹18,000, USD – $162.81 – $209.34 

Availability & Prescription Process : 

To get Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) prescribed, doctors usually require certain tests to ensure it’s safe and appropriate for you. The specific tests depend on whether you are seeking it for type 2 diabetes or weight loss (off-label use or under an obesity management program).

Mounjaro is in short supply, so pharmacies are being strict about prescriptions. To qualify, patients must undergo mandatory tests, as doctors must submit these reports to Mounjaro’s Indian division—or risk losing their license if they fail to comply. 

Mounjaro VS Ozempic :

If you’re considering Mounjaro, consult with your doctor to understand whether it’s the right fit for you.

If you want to know more, I had a brief discussion in this episode about how GLP-1 meds like Ozempic are being used in women’s health. 

After 19 years, CEO Anne Wojcicki is stepping down to try to buy back key assets as an independent bidder. The company secured financing to keep operating, but this marks a massive shift for what was once a $6B consumer genetics giant backed by Sequoia, Illumina, and NEA. 

From FDA battles to losing pharma partnerships, board resignations, and a cybersecurity breach affecting 7M people, 23andMe’s journey has been anything but smooth. Despite pioneering direct-to-consumer health testing, it raised too much capital, which forced it into chasing massive, high-risk markets instead of organic growth.

There’s a lesson here for founders: raising too much money doesn’t always lead to success. Sometimes, it limits flexibility and forces a company into markets that don’t fit. Smaller bets and slower scaling can lead to better outcomes. The right capital structure allows for more freedom, experimentation, and long-term success.

Where does 23andMe go from here? Time will tell. But there’s definitely a book (and maybe a movie) in the making.

Priya Bathija, Founder & CEO of Nyoo Health, is on a mission to bridge the gaps in knowledge and access to women’s healthcare. With a strong background in health law and policy, she’s dedicated her career to transforming women’s health through advocacy, education, and strategy.

From practicing health law to leading major healthcare initiatives at the American Hospital Association, Priya has worked to shape policies around maternal health, affordability, and health equity. Now, with Nyoo Health, she’s helping hospitals and health systems improve access, outcomes, and patient experiences for women—because investing in women’s health isn’t just necessary, it’s impactful.

✨ Read her full story here

Manforce, a popular condom brand in India, is launching a new product called Manforce DOT AI, marketed as the “world’s first AI-powered condom”. The product is described as bringing “the future of pleasure” and “a new era of pleasure and protection”.

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• Women investors seize new opportunities in venture capital
• Amazon tests Health AI assistants for instant wellness information online.
• Ayush Ministry integrates AI into traditional medicine education programs.

• DCDC Kidney Care secures ₹150 crore investment from Singapore’s ABC Impact, backed by Temasek.
• Dozee raises $8.3 million to expand globally and enhance healthtech research and development.

• Fizimed raised 4 million euros to deploy its medical devices in Europe and the United States.
• Galatea Bio, a Miami, FL-based AI-driven genomic research and clinical genetic testing company, raised $25M in funding.
• Heartflow, Inc., a Mountain View, CA-based leader in AI technology for coronary artery disease (CAD), received additional investments of approximately $98m through the sale and issuance of convertible notes by its parent company, Heartflow Holding, Inc.
• Epicrispr Biotechnologies, a South San Francisco, CA-based biotechnology company focused on developing curative therapies, raised $68m in the first close of its Series B financing.
• EverySkin, a London, UK-based chain of clinics that offers aesthetic treatments for all skin types, hair removal, facials, advanced skin treatments and doctor-only injectable cosmetics, received an investment from Middleton Enterprises.
• Bioniq, a London, UK-based nutritional supplements company based on blood biomarker data, raised over €1M investment from Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot.
• Eventhum Orthopaedics, a Leeds, UK-based medtech company developing devices for the knee replacement surgery, raised £3.8M in funding.
• Maxion Therapeutics, a Cambridge, UK-based biotechnology company developing antibody-based KnotBody® drugs for ion channel- and G protein coupled receptor (GPCR)-driven diseases, raised $72M (£58M) in Series A funding.
• Egle Therapeutics, a Paris, France-based clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies targeting regulatory T cells (Tregs) for immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases, raised €9.3M in state funding.

• Lactic acid and lactic acid bacteria can prevent and cure cervical cancer. New research has revealed an unexpected prevention and cure for cervical cancer by use of lactic acid bacteria and lactic acid. A joint research team from DGIST, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, and Dongguk University, both in Seoul, South Korea has revealed the identity of cervical stem cells for the first time in the world.
• The nose might know whether a person is showing early signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says. Older adults who’ve developed mild cognitive impairment — a precursor to dementia and Alzheimer’s — score lower on a peel-and-sniff test than people with normal brains, according to findings published March 24 in the journal Scientific Reports.
• Heart disease might contribute to the sort of brain shrinkage seen in dementia, a new study says. People with early signs of heart problems are more likely to have brain changes associated with dementia, researchers reported on March 26 in the journal Neurology.
• A mom’s health and lifestyle choices can affect her kids’ risk of obesity as adults, a new study says. Specifically, a child is 3 to 4 times more likely to become an obese adult if their mom was obese, researchers reported March 26 in PLOS One.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) can help improve how premature babies are fed, giving them a better chance at normal growth and development, a new study says. Currently, preemies in a neonatal intensive care unit are fed by IV, receiving a drip-drop handmade blend of nutrients that doctors call total parenteral nutrition, or TPN.
• That stick of gum you’re chewing? It might be minty fresh, but it could also come with a little something extra: tiny bits of plastic. A new study finds that one piece of gum can release hundreds — possibly thousands — of microplastics into your saliva. 
• Childbirth is an overwhelming accomplishment, but new mothers would do best not to rest on their laurels following delivery, a new guideline says. New moms should clock at least two hours a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity in the first months following birth, experts recommend.
• Colon cancer is a particularly deadly form of the disease, the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. But patients diagnosed with colon cancer also need to be concerned about their heart health, especially if they’re younger adults, a new study says.
• Doctors warn of myopia surge among youth, emphasise need for healthy digital habits. By taking simple steps such as following the 20-20-20 rule, and maintaining proper viewing distances, individuals can significantly reduce their risk of digital eye strain
• As per a recent study conducted by the University of Hyderabad, about 84 per cent IT employees in India have fatty liver disease while around 71 per cent are obese, and about 34 per cent of them had metabolic syndrome.
• Statins are very cheap and highly effective cholesterol-lowering drugs — but high-risk heart patients may have an even better option, a new evidence review says. Combining statins with another drug, ezetimibe, significantly reduces the risk of death in patients with clogged arteries, according to findings published March 23 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
• Lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, smoking and blood pressure have a greater impact on the heart health of women than men, a new study says. Women with poor health have nearly five times the risk of heart disease compared to women with ideal health, according to findings scheduled for presentation Saturday at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago.
• Mammograms can be used to screen for more than just breast cancer, researchers say. The X-ray breast scans also can be used to assess calcium deposits in arteries, which is an indicator of heart health, researchers are scheduled to report Monday at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago.

• Lupin Digital Health (LDH), in partnership with the American College of Cardiology (ACC), has introduced a comprehensive home-based post-procedure care guide to improve patient recovery. 
• Huntsville Hospital Health System (HH Health), one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in the US, is expanding its partnership with Oracle Health to enhance patient care and streamline operations. 
• Uresta, a non-invasive solution for bladder leaks, is to launch in the United States. Uresta, a female-owned and led health startup, aims to help women to regain confidence and control over stress urinary incontinence (SUI) without surgery or absorbent products.
• Pvolve, the functional fitness method that began as a virtual workout platform before expanding to physical locations, has announced the signing of leases for 10 new studios across seven major U.S. markets, signaling the brand’s continued commitment to in-person fitness experiences.
• Caldera Medical, a women’s health medical device company, has announced the acquisition of Ethicon‘s GYNECARE TVT family of products, marking a significant expansion of its global presence in the women’s health sector. The company will transition the products in the coming months as part of its strategic growth initiative.
• Health technology company Ema and digital health platform MyUTI have announced a partnership to develop AI-powered resources for women experiencing urinary tract infections. The collaboration has resulted in the launch of Mya, an AI health assistant that is now operational on the MyUTI platform.

• Philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has recently met Union Health Minister J P Nadda to review the ongoing collaboration between the Government of India and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the healthcare sector
• The Delhi government has earmarked INR 6,874 Cr for the health sector in its 2025-26 Budget, with a focus on strengthening healthcare infrastructure, expanding wellness centers, and improving critical care services.
• AIIMS New Delhi is set to install India’s first indigenously developed linear accelerator and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine for clinical evaluation by the end of the year.

EPFL Innovation Park, Groupe Mutuel invites you to the 2025 Tech4Eva Opening Conference on May 12, 2025. Tech4Eva will reveal the final selection of the 2025 cohort then. Meet the selected Femtech start-up of the equity free global accelerator program!

The 5th Opening Conference of Tech4Eva will take place virtually and in Lausanne at Rolex Forum to accelerate and disrupt Women’s health across the world. The event will bring together the ecosystem including 250+ experts, ecosystem builders, investors, corporates, researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to co-create new solutions and to launch initiatives for better health for all, and for gender equity in health research. Build a new future together with us to create better women’s healthcare for tomorrow!

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• What is the link between chronic stress and immunity in women? Women, more than men, experience an overwhelming mix of physical, emotional, and psychological stresses that emanate from a variety of roles they are expected to play in society.
• Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ raises questions about children’s mental health in the social media era: Owen Cooper’s character Jamie in Netflix’s hit limited series ‘Adolescence’ has raised concern among parents about their children’s social media habits and its effect on their mental health
• How do female astronauts manage menstruation in space? With NASA astronaut Sunita Williams returning to earth, at least some would be curious to know what happens when one bleeds in space.

🎉Have news to share? Publish a press release on FemTech India to reach industry-leading executives, investors, and passionate individuals.

See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

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