Issue # 143 – Renasant Bio Raises $54.5M, WHO Calls for 50% Tax Hike to Cut Consumption, Delhi Launches Mental Health Plan

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• Athena Behavioural Health, has raised INR 10 Cr in equity funding from Darius Pandole & Associates and existing promoters. The funding will fuel Athena’s pan-India expansion, strengthen clinical infrastructure, and enhance access to behavioral healthcare.
• Renasant Bio, a Berkeley, CA-based developer of disease-modifying treatments for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), raised $54.5M in Seed funding.
• Sai Parenterals Limited, a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical manufacturer, has raised Rs 50 crore in equity funding from a consortium of institutional investors. The funding round was led by Samarsh Capital, Vyom Partners, and funds associated with Blue Lotus Capital.
• Nuclidium, a Basel, Switzerland-based clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company developing a proprietary copper-based theranostic platform, raised €84M in Series B funding
• Phil, a San Francisco, CA-based software-driven pharmaceutical commercialization platform, received $60m growth debt financing from K2 HealthVentures (K2HV).
• Neuros Medical, Inc., an Aliso Viejo, CA-based maker of the Altius® Direct Electrical Nerve Stimulation System, an FDA-approved, breakthrough non-opioid treatment for chronic post-amputation pain, raised $56m in Series D financing
• Solence has raised €1.6 million in seed funding to develop AI-driven digital therapeutics for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition affecting up to 20% of women globally. Impact Shakers Ventures led the round, with participation from notable angel investors including Céline Lazorthes (founder of Leetchi, Mangopay and Resilience), former JP Morgan executive Berthe Latreille, Systemanova VC founder Stephane Mardel, and BPI France.

Ananya Grover  I Founder of HealCycle 

What started as a teenage campaign for menstrual equity has grown into HealCycle—a science-backed, AI-powered app supporting PMS, PMDD, PCOS, and hormone-related mental health.

Led by a Princeton grad who’s spent years blending empathy with evidence, HealCycle is on a mission to change how we care for our cycles, our minds, and ourselves.

“I want a world where cycle-aware care is the norm, not the exception,” she says. “Where people know what they’re feeling is real and that support is available, accessible, and stigma-free.” 

Read the full article

• Funding disruption can lead to 6 million more HIV infections by 2029: United Nations. UN officials warned that if the funding is not replaced, the world will see more than 4 million AIDS-related deaths and another 6 million HIV infections by 2029
• After experiencing a cardiac event, many individuals tend to spend more time sedentary, which can increase their risk of future heart problems. A study published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes highlights how small changes, like replacing just 30 minutes of sedentary time with more activity or sleep, can significantly reduce this risk.
• IndiaAI Mission has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop AI-powered solutions with a strong focus on healthcare.
• As per a latest study by researchers from  Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), the University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital, immunotherapy drugs can help transplant patients looking for cancer treatment. Experts reviewed data from 343 transplant recipients worldwide and found that many patients could safely access treatments with proper care.
• Miscarriage not just affects women physically, but also takes an emotional toll on them. Then there are cases of recurrent miscarriages, questioning the possible explanation behind the condition. A study by researchers from the UK seems to have decoded the reason behind recurrent miscarriages. Experts believe an abnormal process in the womb lining can explain the loss of pregnancy.
  
• Why is WHO urging countries to implement a 50% price hike on sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco? WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the taxes could help countries ‘adjust to the new reality’ and bolster their health systems with the money raised
• The government’s 10-year plan for the NHS promises bold transformation, with a move towards digital innovation, and more focus on prevention over treatment, but does it go far enough to address the UK’s gender health gap?
• Parents who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy will be entitled to bereavement leave under a planned law change. The government is set to amend the Employment Rights Bill to give parents the legal right to take time off work to grieve if they experience pregnancy loss at any stage.
• Regular consumption of 1 ½ cups (180g) of grapes per day can improve muscle strength and boost irisin levels in postmenopausal women, new research has found. These losses can start as early as age 40 and with progression over time, sarcopenia adversely affects quality of life including degree of mobility, loss of independence, and higher healthcare costs.
• Women as young as 18 are risking their health by donating their eggs in return for cash, ­campaigners warn. Surrogacy Concern said the number of 18 to 25-year-olds signing up to donate to private fertility clinics shot up from 190 in 2012 to 509 in 2022.
• Scientists say lab-grown human sex cells could be less than a decade from reality, with major implications for fertility and reproduction. The technology could, in theory, allow anyone to have biological children, regardless of sex, fertility or age.

• Pharmaceutical giant Merck is buying Verona Pharma, a company that focuses on respiratory diseases, in an approximately $10 billion deal as part of efforts to reduce dependence on its blockbuster cancer treatment.
• Hyderabad-based genomics and microbiome testing firm MapMyGenome has acquired Canada’s Microbiome Insights, a global leader in microbial sequencing, marking its formal entry into the North American market and strengthening its international clinical and research capabilities.
• UAE-based M42, a global health leader, has joined forces with GE HealthCare, to advance smart healthcare by combining AI and tech innovation to improve diagnostics and enable more personalized care.
• California-based Clinical data platform Evidently has expanded its partnership with Allina Health to bring its AI system to more patient encounters each year, aiming to ease clinicians’ workloads and improve care quality and revenue accuracy.
• Hyderabad-based Cybersecurity and technology solutions company, Blue Cloud, has launched its BluHealth Platform v2.0 healthcare platform, transforming to an AI-integrated solution for large-scale healthcare delivery.

• Andhra Pradesh has launched its first-ever Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) – a notified auditing body for medical device manufacturers.
• Delhi government to launch a 4-tier mental health programme to promote holistic well-being. The programme will focus on the mental health issues of children, the working class and senior citizens by offering teleconsultation, counselling, OPD and psychiatric intervention, if needed

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• Are you at risk even if you are fit? What you need to know about exercise and heart health: Due to various risk factors that are modifiable or not, an individual can fall prey to heart diseases regardless of their fitness levels
• Can matching your personality traits with a workout make exercising more enjoyable? The findings of the study can help in designing the training programs tailored to participants’ needs
• What is fibermaxxing? The latest TikTok trend that has got everyone talking about? Many wonder if the latest trend can shift away from consuming the minimum quantity of protein that is necessary for the body needs

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See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

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