Issue # 127 – New PCOS Research Could Change Treatment Forever

We’re Not Just a Podcast Anymore… It’s a SHOW! 🎙️

Now part of Spotify Creators! You can listen AND watch our episodes exclusively on Spotify.  

​​The latest episode is all about wellness, and people are obsessed with the latest trends. In India, wellness is being sold in “bride packages”—promising everything from weight loss to fairer skin. The scary part –  People are taking IV drips for everything from beauty to hangovers, without understanding the risks. 

To unpack what true wellness really means, I invited Irina, a wellness industry leader who spearheaded the Middle East’s first breast cancer campaign with Estée Lauder companies and has been at the forefront of the wellness industry for decades bending modern science with traditional healing. 

She breaks down what true wellness really means—starting with simple daily habits at home. We’re cutting through the noise and having real conversations about everything from superfoods and gut health to IV treatments, cryotherapy, and even men’s breast cancer—a topic rarely discussed.

Tune in now on Spotify! 🎧 

This month is an important one, marking both Women’s Day and Endometriosis Awareness Month.We’re highlighting the stories of women from our global community who are driving change in women’s health and beyond.

Meet Juliet Oliver Oliver, founder of Endo45 She started her career in engineering, leading award-winning innovation projects in the energy sector. Her groundbreaking work in energy optimization and team development earned her the title of Young Energy Professional of the Year.

But behind her professional success, Juliet was battling stage 4 endometriosis—a struggle that ultimately shaped her next chapter. Applying the same problem-solving mindset from engineering to her own health, she saw the need for better solutions. This led her to establish Endo45, with a mission to bridge the Endo Care Gap and help others take back control of their lives.

Read her full  story

• Google has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered feature, ‘What People Suggest,’ designed to help users compare health experiences by summarising online discussions about specific medical conditions. 
• Kerala is making strides in cancer treatment with the introduction of state-of-the-art facilities, including a robotic surgery unit, at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) Thiruvananthapuram and the Malabar Cancer Centre (MCC) Thalassery.
• Tech Mahindra has introduced an advanced pharmacovigilance (PV) solution powered by NVIDIA AI to enhance drug safety management.
• GE HealthCare has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to develop AI-powered autonomous X-ray and ultrasound systems.

• Narayana Health, W Health Ventures, and 2070 Health Launch Everhope Oncology with USD 10 Mn Funding to Transform Cancer Care
• D2C beauty and personal care brand Pilgrim has raised Rs 200 crore in a mix of primary and secondary rounds at a pre-money valuation of Rs 3,000 crore.

• Brainomix, an Oxford, UK-based company providing AI-powered imaging tools in stroke and lung fibrosis, raised £14M in Series C funding.The round was led by co-led by Parkwalk Advisors, and the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), along with new investor Hostplus via the IP Group Hostplus Innovation Fund.
• Forth Therapeutics, an Edinburgh, Scotland, and Cambridge, England, UK-based biotechnology company advancing next-generation precision therapeutics for fibrosis, launched with a funding of undisclosed amount.
• Bioniq, a London, UK-based nutritional supplements company based on blood biomarker data, raised over €1M investment from Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot. Dalot joined the global football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who became a major investor in 2024, and brought Bioniq’s total valuation to $82M.
• Eventhum Orthopaedics, a Leeds, UK-based medtech company developing devices for the knee replacement surgery, raised £3.8M in funding.The round was led by NPIF II – Mercia Equity Finance, Mercia’s EIS funds and private investors including.
• 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.
• elea, a Hamburg, Germany-based company providing an immersive AI platform for healthcare professionals that provide life-saving diagnoses and care, raised €4M in funding. Backers included Fly Ventures and Giant Ventures, MVZ (Medizinische Versorgungszentrum) hospital groups.
• 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.

• Dancing is known to lift the spirit, and a new study shows that Alzheimer’s disease patients respond to the rhythmic moves as well. Dance classes eased agitation in a small group of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias, researchers reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
•  A newly approved clot- busting drug for stroke works as well as a decades-old medication still used by most U.S. hospitals, and can be delivered even more quickly, a new study says. Tenecteplase (TNKase) is the first new clot-busting drug to be approved in nearly 30 years, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) giving it the thumbs-up earlier this month.
• Where a person lives can influence their recovery from a traumatic brain injury, a new study says. Based on their neighborhood’s characteristics, people are less likely to receive home rehab visits or go to a rehab clinic following a concussion or other traumatic brain injury (TBI), researchers report in the March/April issue of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.
• Lower doses of a common antibiotic can curb hair loss caused by a rare skin condition, a new study says. The antibiotic doxycycline is commonly used to treat lymphocytic scarring alopecia, a condition in which the body’s immune cells target hair follicles, researchers said.
• Elderly people benefit from taking medications to keep their blood pressure low, same as younger folks, a new study says. Systolic blood pressure kept under 130 reduces the risk of heart-related death by about 26% among people 80 or older, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
• Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) find it harder to get pregnant, have more frequent miscarriages and have a higher risk of developing endometrial cancer. Now, researchers have shown that the uterine lining of these women differs in terms of both the composition of individual cells and gene expression. The results open the door to new drug treatments.
• A new study has revealed that the HER2DX diagnostics test impacts clinical decision making in early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer, leading to modifications in treatment plans. Developed by Reveal Genomics, HER2DX was shown to impact treatment decisions in a cohort of 297 patients with stage I-III HER2+ breast cancer across multiple hospitals in Spain.
• How microbes in probiotic drinks can improve your mental health. Research reveals benefits. The research revealed that mice undergoing experiments showed greater anxiety in a germ-free environment compared to an environment with resident live microbes.
• In increased exposure to dry air, due to climate change, could heighten the risk of dehydration and inflammation in breathing tracts leading to respiratory illnesses. The study, led by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, US, said that as Earth’s atmosphere continues to heat up, ‘vapour pressure deficit’ can increase rapidly. 
• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced it will no longer provide hormone therapy to veterans newly diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The decision follows an executive order from President Donald Trump that directs federal agencies to recognize only two sexes, male and female, which “are not changeable,” The New York Times reported.
• Continuous glucose monitors don’t just help people with diabetes maintain healthy blood sugar levels, a new study says — the devices also can help them be safer drivers. Diabetics who use glucose monitors have fewer incidents involving low blood sugar, researchers reported in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.
•  Low-dose CT chest scans could help detect pneumonia in at-risk patients while exposing them to small amounts of radiation, a new study says. Ultra-low-dose scans can effectively detect pneumonia in patients with compromised immune systems, helping doctors treat the infection before it becomes life-threatening, researchers reported in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging.
• Microplastics that invade and burrow deep within the human body are becoming an increasing concern among doctors and health experts.Now, a new study shows that even medical care is causing increased exposure to the tiny plastic particles. Microplastics can be found in the solutions administered through plastic IV bags, researchers recently reported in the journal Environment & Health.
• Newborns with a heart defect may have two strikes against their future health, rather than one. Babies with heart birth defects appear to have a higher risk of developing childhood cancer, compared to those without a heart abnormality, researchers report in the journal Circulation.

• Women’s precision healthcare company Evvy is launching Fertility Insights within its flagship Vaginal Microbiome Test, which provides insights on the role of the vaginal microbiome in fertility.
• Sigma Technology is partnering with Daya Ventures, a femtech venture studio, to close the US$1trn gender health gap. Daya is the world’s first femtech venture studio that creates the next generation of fast-growing startups to reduce the US$1trn health gap between genders. By collaborating with researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders, Daya identifies and validates real needs and builds startups from the ground up.
• Illumina Inc. and Nashville Biosciences  announced that 250,000 whole genomes have been sequenced for the Alliance for Genomic Discovery (AGD) initiative. Insights from the AGD database are being leveraged to accelerate drug target discovery, therapeutic research and clinical development.
• Eli Lilly and Company launched Mounjaro in single-dose vial presentation following the marketing authorization from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).

• The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has received proposals for total investments of over Rs. 1,500 crore for support to medical devices manufacturing companies under the scheme for Strengthening of Medical Device Industry (SMDI).
• Indian healthcare industry notes that new drug therapies provide new avenues of hope but a comprehensive approach remains key to achieving long-term benefits for those affected with Down syndrome.

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• Snuggle up! Why sharing a bed with a partner will improve your sleep quality. Studies reveal that people, often struggling to get a good quality sleep at night, sleep better while cuddling with your partner sharing an emotional connect
• Organised sports boost academic performance. Engaging in organised and artistic sports during childhood boosts academic performance, with children showing higher grades and increased chances of graduation

🎉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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