Issue # 146 – OpenAI targets hospitals, WHealth’s $70M new fund Ambience healthcare raises $70M.

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• A new study by OpenAI and Penda Health has found that an AI-powered clinical copilot helped reduce diagnostic and treatment errors among frontline clinicians in Kenya.
• Eka.care has launched an open-source AI evaluation framework called KARMA (Klarity AI and Radiology Model Assessment) to test and benchmark clinical artificial intelligence models developed for Indian healthcare.

• Ambience Healthcare has announced a $243 million Series C funding round to expand its AI-driven documentation and workflow platform across health systems in the U.S.
• W Health Ventures has launched a $70 million second fund to build and scale healthcare startups from the ground up, with a sharp focus on India and global markets. The fund will support the creation of 8 to 10 startups over the next four years using the firm’s in-house company-creation model.
• Health and fitness startup Curefit has secured a fresh capital infusion of INR 16.8 crore (USD 2 million) from existing investor First Luxembourg SCA, a step-down subsidiary of German fitness major Life Jacket Group.
• LIfT BioSciences, a London, UK- and Galway, Ireland-based rapidly emerging biotech and the global leader in neutrophil immunotherapies, received €12M in Grant from Ireland’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF).
• Dial4242, a tech-enabled ambulance service platform, has secured INR 9 crore in a pre-Series A funding round led by IAN Group. The round also saw participation from BioAngels, IIM Bangalore’s NSRCEL, and other angel investors.
• Ultromics, an Oxford, UK-based company which specializes in AI-driven cardiology solutions, raised $55M in Series C funding.
• C8 Health, a NYC-based provider of a practices implementation platform for healthcare, raised $12M in Series A funding.The round was led by Team8, with participation from 10D and Vertex Ventures Israel.
  
• Kinvard Bio Inc., a Raleigh, NC-based biotechnology company providing a new class of broad-spectrum antibiotics, received US$2.7M follow-on non-dilutive funding from CARB-X.
• ARTBIO, a Cambridge, MA-based clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company, raised $132M in Series B funding.

• The White House, in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has announced coordinated efforts with major tech and healthcare firms to build a connected, patient-centered digital health ecosystem.
• Androgenetic alopecia solved? Dormant hair follicles can be reawakened, study finds. Hair loss breakthrough research from India and the US reveals androgenetic alopecia is caused by dormant, not dead, hair follicles that can be reawakened. This landmark study, paves the way for genuine biological regeneration and non-surgical treatments.
• Engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity after a cancer diagnosis significantly reduces the risk of dying from several common cancers, including bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, kidney, lung, oral, prostate, rectal and respiratory cancers.
• India is home to nearly 40 million chronic hepatitis B cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus attacks the liver and, in many cases, progresses silently over decades, ultimately leading to liver cirrhosis, failure, or cancer. What makes hepatitis B especially dangerous is that many infected people remain asymptomatic until irreversible damage is done.
• Heavy alcohol consumption can lead to brain damage and impaired memory and thinking, according to a Brazilian study published in the journal Neurology. People who consume eight or more alcoholic drinks per week have an increased risk of developing brain lesions known as hyaline arteriolosclerosis, a condition characterised by thickening and narrowing of small blood vessels that makes it harder for blood to flow, which can damage the brain over time.
• ICMR study debunks COVID-19 vaccine-sudden death link, identifies key risk factors. An ICMR study found that COVID-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden deaths among youth. Instead, factors like past COVID-19 hospitalisation, family history, and lifestyle choices significantly elevate this risk.
• India screens 6 crore people for sickle cell disease, 16.7 lakh carriers identified. National Sickle Cell Mission in India has screened 6 crore individuals, diagnosing over 2 lakh with sickle cell disease and identifying 16.7 lakh carriers
  
• China is introducing annual childcare subsidies of 3,600 yuan (US$500) per child under three, as it seeks to counter a continuing drop in birth rates. The national programme, launched this week, is expected to benefit more than 20 million families with toddlers and infants. It will be funded by the central government, with partial support also available for children under three born before 2025.
• Burnout among obstetricians and gynaecologists has doubled since the pandemic, with 72 per cent now meeting diagnostic criteria, a national survey has found. The 2022 survey of 1,114 doctors also reported that 9 per cent had experienced suicidal thoughts—up from 3 per cent in 2019. The highest rates of burnout were found in younger resident doctors, with 80 per cent affected.
• Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) agent powered by a large language model (LLM) that creates more accurate and informative descriptions of biological processes and their functions in gene set analysis than current systems.

• Even Healthcare, a Bengaluru-based managed care startup, has launched its first multi-specialty hospital on Race Course Road, Central Bengaluru. The 70-bed facility marks a bold step in the company’s mission to redesign India’s healthcare experience, one that prioritizes patient outcomes over procedure volume.
• Progyny has announced a partnership with wearable tech company ŌURA to integrate smart ring data into women’s health and family building care. The collaboration will enable Progyny care teams to use health data from the Oura Ring—such as sleep patterns, menstrual cycle insights, cardiovascular health, and stress levels—to support women from preconception through to menopause.
• Cellipont Bioservices, a leading cell therapy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and CellVax Therapeutics Inc., a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on individualized cell-based immunotherapies, announced a partnership expansion upon prior work on FK-PC101 – currently in a phase II clinical trial for high-risk prostate cancer patients 
• Cryoviva Lifesciences in the area of stem cell banking and advanced cell-based therapeutics, has announced the commencement of a strategic collaboration to launch umbilical cord blood and stem cell collection services, in partnership with Life Keep Philippines.

• The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, has signed a letter of intent (LoI) with German institute TU Dresden, to transform surgery with AI and deep-tech solutions to tackle health issues.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has screened over 10.18 crore women aged 30 years and above for cervical cancer across India under the National Health Mission (NHM), through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs). This milestone is part of a population-based initiative for the screening, prevention, and management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
• Indira Gandhi Govt Medical College (IGGMC), backed by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, has launched the Nagpur-IGGMC TB initiative to boost diagnosis, case-finding, and notification for TB elimination.

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• 5 plant-based proteins that are essential for a healthy and balanced lifestyle: Plant-based proteins are essential for maintaining a healthy body, offering vital nutrients, supporting heart health, and aiding digestion
• Are high-fat diets a weight loss miracle or a health hazard? High-fat diets, often touted for rapid weight loss, come with significant health risks and should be approached with caution.
• How does sleep deprivation affect your body? Harvard experts explain. Sleep deprivation profoundly impacts health, mental well-being, and daily performance, ranging from subtle changes to effects comparable to intoxication.

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See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

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