#59 π© What The Health - AI's Nobel Moment, Obesity Wars & Abortion rights
Your health tech & innovation TL;DR roundup
Happy Halloween friends,
Itβs almost US election time which means our fav (and possibly most concerning) reality show is about to have its season finale πΊπΈ
Which really is getting a touch spooky, especially for the future of healthcare ππ»
Our thoughts are with you our American friendsβ¦ weβre watching with bated breath π
The true horror for Aussies right now
In other news - SXSW Sydney was a hoot and a BIG thank you to the +350 who came to βThe Healthtech Musterβ with our friends Tenmile.
Hereβs team WTH out in force
πΌ PS - Donβt forget weβre HIRING
Know any Partnerships Guns, Community or Event Extraordinaires β¦
Or if you want to join our epic team, flick me a note!
π© TODAYβS ISSUE
Newsworthy
Sick Science
AI Updates
Startup Stuff
Events
Cool Content
Noteworthy ποΈ
Funding
π Vaxxas, launched a $100m raise for clinical trials for its needle-free vaccine patch
𧬠Cartherics, a Melb biotech startup, raised $15m to support a clinical trial for CTH-401, a cell therapy targeting ovarian cancer
π§ Tessara Therapeutics, Psylo, & USyd snagged a $3m CRC-P grant to develop neuroplastogens, targeting improved treatment for substance use disorders
π€° Kali Healthcare bagged a $2.65m CRC-P grant to advance its AI-enabled wearable for pregnancy monitoring, partnering with Neo-Bionica & Uni Melb
π‘ Uni Melbβs βGenesisβ Pre-Seed Fund & βTin Alley Venturesβ invested $11.7m in 7 startups
Including WTHers Remagine Labs
π©Ί ANDHealth+ invested $3.25m of MRFF grants into 5 startups as part of its digital & connected health accelerator program
Eugene: Genetic testing for carrier screening & assessing cancer/cardiovascular risk
Atmo Biosciences: Developing a gas-sensing capsule for diagnosing gut health & motility disorders
Immunosis: Speeds up diagnosis & treatment for immune deficiency patients
Metabolic Health Solutions: Provides tools to measure & manage metabolic rates for better long-term weight management
Humanetix: Focuses on improving clinical efficiencies, particularly in aged care settings
π€ Axify.ai, a Sydney-based startup, bagged $1m to develop Axi, an AI booking assistant for the hospitality, service, & health sectors
Newsworthy
π± Medibank partnered with League to enhance customer experience with AI-driven personalisation across its digital health services for 4.2M customers
π Wesfarmers' health division expects $6bn in revenue this year as it expands digital & pharmacy operations
With data from 3M health checks showing rising obesity, diabetes, & heart disease risk in Aus
π₯οΈ Bupa is offering eligible members 3 free telehealth consults/ year through its Blua platform
𧬠Presagen, an Adelaide based healthtech, had its Life Whisperer IVF embryo AI tech acquired by Japan's Astec, to expand its use globally
π Cortical Dynamics, Microbio, & Resonait Medical Technologies join the Biomedical AI Sprints Accelerator by ARM Hub & MTPConnect, leveraging AI to enhance medical diagnostics & treatment tools
π° GP consults on average have risen to $78.26, from $74.66 in 2023, with patients paying ~$36.86 out of pocket after Medicare rebates
πΏ Dispensed, a medicinal cannabis company, is under investigation after 2 patients were harmed β seeing suspension of 2 doctors & the founder banned from supplying cannabis
π§ Griffith University launched a clinical trial using olfactory nerve bridges from patients' cells to treat chronic spinal cord injuries
π’ Medibank is expanding its 4-day workweek trial after a 6-month trial showed improved employee happiness, health, & productivity
π§ͺ Sapyenβs at home male fertility testing kit that allows men to collect samples at home & send them for lab analysis got a fun little AFR feature
Gov Goss
Despite living safely in Australia, under the surface just like in the US - abortion and womenβs health rights are bubblingβ¦
πΌ SAβs Upper House voted 10-9 against a proposed law restricting abortions after 28 weeks
π Womenβs Health Vic examined data from over 30k helpline calls, 725 reproductive health providers, & gov sources, and found:
83% of Vic GPs donβt provide medical abortion services
<20% of pharmacies in the state dispense medication for medical abortions
67% of local government areas lack surgical abortion providers
>25% of high-disadvantage regional & rural areas have no IUD or hormonal implant services
πͺDan Andrews, former Vic premier, was appointed as chair of Orygen
Australiaβs designated Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health and largest translational mental health research organisation in Australia
π± SA & NSW govs hosted a summit on social media's impact on youth, seeing the Albanese gov pledging a bill to ban children <16 from social media by year's end
π‘ > 400k Aussies downgraded from "gold" health insurance due to cost-of-living pressures
π€ The NSW gov is considering a central office to lead AI policy & improve oversight of nearly 200 automated decision-making systems in the public sector
US & Beyond the Borders
πΊπΈ JAMA (Journal of American Medicine) highlights how the 2024 US election could impact key health issues
π Oura unveiled its Gen 4 Smart Ring with improved accuracy in SpO2 & heart rate tracking - adding stress levels, fertility predictions, & meal timing insights
π Amazon Pharmacy is expanding same-day medication delivery to 20 more U.S. cities next year, to cover nearly half of the U.S.
π This year's Nobel Prizes saw big wins for AI & biology:
Nobel Prize in Physics: Geoffrey Hinton & John Hopfield for their work on neural networks
Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Demis Hassabis, John Jumper, & David Baker for protein folding with AlphaFold2
Nobel Prize in Medicine: Victor Ambros & Gary Ruvkun for discovering microRNA & its role in gene regulation
π° Pivotal, founded by Melinda Gates, launched a $250m global open call "Action for Women's Health" to fund organisations improving women's mental & physical health
π‘ Counsel Health, a virtual medical practice offering 24/7 care, raised $11m seed led by Andreessen Horowitz
π Suki, an AI scribe startup, raised a $70m Series D, expanding its MedStar Health partnership to provide its AI assistant to 000s of clinicians
π Air Doctor snagged $20m Series B to expand its platform, connecting travellers with vetted doctors & handling insurance claims in 84 countries
π½οΈ The US adult obesity rate dropped by 2% between 2020 & 2023, with weight loss drugs likely playing a major role:
1 in 8 American adults have supposedly used these drugs, leading to 3%-12% more body weight loss than lifestyle changes alone
College graduates are seeing the steepest declines in obesity, as they are more likely to use these drugs
The rise in drug usage began in 2021, coinciding with the reported obesity drop
π The UK will offer weight-loss jabs to unemployed obese individuals as part of a Β£280m Lilly investment, to boost health, productivity, & reduce NHS reliance
Sick Science
𧬠Donor Cells Put Autoimmune Diseases Into Remission
Scientists from Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, East China Normal University, & the Second Hospital Affiliated with Zhejiang University used donor-derived CAR-T therapy to treat severe autoimmune diseases, achieving long-term remission in resistant patients.
π¦ Gut Microbiome Linked to Endometriosis
Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine discovered that distinct stool metabolites can help diagnose endometriosis. In mouse models, the bacteria-derived metabolite 4-hydroxyindole reduced lesion growth & pain.
π€ Robodoctor Takes Shape with Human-Like Soft Finger
Researchers from the University of Science & Technology of China developed a bioinspired soft robotic finger with high-precision bending & force sensing, detecting changes as small as 0.02Β° & 0.4 mN.
π Nanotherapy Fights Clogged Arteries
Researchers from Stanford University & Baylor College of Medicine developed a macrophage-targeted nanotherapy that reduces vascular inflammation in atherosclerosis (the fatty plaque build up in arteries that cause problems), without major side effects of other treatments. Tested in pigs, this precision-targeted treatment clears damaged cells & lowers plaque buildup.
π€ AI Updates
π©Ί Microsoft introduced new AI tools for healthcare, including a service for building AI agents for tasks like appointment scheduling & patient triage
πββοΈ Strava launched Athlete Intelligence, an AI-powered feature providing personalised insights based on workout data
π‘ Stanford Medicine leaders are prioritising AI & cancer care, deploying over 30 AI tools for screening, diagnostics, patient monitoring, & administrative support
π Aktiia, a Swiss startup, trained AI on 11 billion blood pressure data points to develop a clinically certified app that measures blood pressure using a phone camera
π Trilliant Health's 2024 Trends Shaping the Health Economy report reveals the growing but cautious role of AI in healthcare, key insights include:
AI CPT codes have been introduced since 2018, but usage remains low, mostly in cardiac care
72% of physicians believe AI will improve diagnostics, but 39% worry it could harm patient relationships, & 41% have privacy concerns
Only 39% of U.S. adults feel comfortable with AI in their care, with most believing it wonβt improve or may worsen health outcomes
Startup Stuff πΒ
Looking to Commercialise Your Research?
CUREator+ accelerates early-stage Aust medical innovations with commercial potential, offering funding, networks, & hands-on mentorship. Backed by the $50M MRFF BioMedTech Incubator, itβs open for round 2 funding applications now - More here
Ready to Grow Your Business with Executive Leadership?
EY is running the Winning Women Asia-Pacific program, a year-long executive leadership course designed to empower entrepreneurial women through networking, mentorship, & strategic planning sessions - More here
Want to Empower NSW Frontline Workers with AI?
Microsoft & Avanade Australia are running an AI Hackathon & Design Thinking Workshop on 21 November 2024 in Sydney to create innovative solutions for NSW public sector frontline workers - More here
Interested in Health Promotion Research?
VicHealth is offering early-career researchers the opportunity to transform health promotion through 3 year fellowships, ft. salary support & $10k project funding. Focus areas include the effects of racism on health, food system inequalities, & building a wellbeing economy - More here
Looking for Funding to Develop Drugs or Devices?
The TTRA, part of the MRFF, is offering up to $1.5M for Aussie start-ups, spin-outs, & SMEs to develop drugs or devices for cardiovascular disease & diabetes complications - More here
Looking to Boost Your Digital Health Credentials?
The University of Sydney is offering two digital health microcredentials this October: AI in Healthcare: Practice Implications & Digitally Enabled Healthcare - More here
Want Microsoft & NVIDIA to help you Transform Healthcare?
Microsoft for Startups & NVIDIA Inception are offering health & life sciences startups the chance to harness AI to build & scale their businesses. Get up to $150K in Azure credits, GPU resources, & expert support to accelerate drug discovery, & personalised medicine - More here
Looking for Clinical Trials Funding in 2024?
The MRFF is offering grants for clinical trials focused on rare cancers, rare diseases, unmet needs, & implementing proven health interventions - More here
Eventsπ₯
29th Oct: AusBioInvest (Melb)
30 Oct - Nov : AusBiotech (Melb)
30th Oct: ANDHealth - SaMD Regulation with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) (online)
6th Nov: Cicada Health Tech Hub x ANDHealth Present: Non-Dilutive Investment to Boost Digital Health Commercialisation (Syd)
15th Nov: Advancing Safety in Healthcare Conference (Melb)
20th Nov: Sharing about Healthcare Artificial intelligence REgionally (SHARE) 2024 (Melb & online)
21st Nov: BioMelbourne Network Annual General Meeting & Networking Event (Melb)
26th Nov: BioForum β Biotech scandal to SaaS Success: Fireside chat with Theranos βsurvivorβ Marissa Senzaki (Melb)
4th Dec: HealthTech Hub Masterclass: Navigating Health Tech Funding (Syd)
5th Dec: ACTIVATE 2024 SHOWCASE: Celebrating Victoriaβs Digital Health Innovators (Melb)
Consumable Content π
ποΈ Frazis Capital Partners: Hashan de Silva covers Curvebeam, Syntara, a new approach to Alzheimer's & his new fund
Hashan dives into his interesting and successful career as a medical doctor turned investor, glp 1βs and drug development, current investments and his new fund
π Cut Through Ventures released their quarterly update on funding. Read their Q3 2024 recap
π The Medical Futurist: Tech Giants in Healthcare
This ebook is a fun breakdown of why big tech companies are entering healthcare, detailing insights and estimates into each playerβs direction, tools, & future prospects
π Deloitte: The growing disconnect between virtual health availability & consumer demand. Key takeaways:
24% of consumers are willing to switch doctors for virtual health access
43% of millennials & 33% of Gen Z prefer virtual care options
Flexible appointments, no travel, & shorter wait times drive virtual care preference
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