Issue 23: $44m for new ultrasound tech | Ozempic takes on fertility? | The Lowdown expands
Issue 23: $44m for new ultrasound tech | Ozempic takes on fertility? | The Lowdown expands
+ more in your weekly round-up of women's health innovation and FemTech news
Hi! Welcome to issue #23 of FutureFemHealth, here to bring you your weekly news about women’s health innovation and FemTech (w/c 25 September 2023).
The FutureFemHealth instagram account got caught up in a little bot attack this week when a reel I posted got nearly 700 likes (mostly from spam accounts and bots, although thank you to those of you who genuinely ‘liked’ it) and over 10,000 views (again, mostly bots). My poor notifications!
🌟 Coming up today we’ve got:
🏆 $44m for new ultrasound tech for GE Healthcare
📌 The Ozempic fertility debate
🔥 The Lowdown expands to PCOS and endometriosis
Got news to share from the world of FemTech and women’s health innovation? Let me know at anna@futurefemhealth.com
📌 The Ozempic debate turns to fertility
I’ve been keeping an eye on the ongoing debate about controversial ‘GLP-1’ drugs like Ozempic.
As you might know, they were originally approved for use to treat diabetes but are now being hailed a wonder drug for weight loss.
Recently some doctors have suggested that the drugs may help with weight-related infertility or conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Neel Shah, an OB-GYN and chief medical officer of women’s health company Maven Clinic, said earlier this year that: “Ozempic may actually make them more likely to conceive and the risk-benefit trade-off may be different from the general population.”
And last week, Insider carried this article titled ‘weight-loss shots like Ozempic are changing the game for some women with obesity and hormone disorders trying to conceive.’
Evidence so far is anecdotal. That Insider article is based around reports from two women (two!) with PCOS who have told Insider that they were able to conceive after taking weight-loss drugs.
Like so many areas of women’s health, the link between these drugs and fertility isn’t yet studied or proven.
Indeed, the Insider article explains that studies in pregnant animals have shown the drugs may actually cause problems with the development of the foetus (as does the Vox article which featured Neel Shah).
And there’s nowhere near any FDA approval for use with PCOS or fertility.
In fact, the clear advice from manufacturers Novo-Nordisk is to stay far away from a GLP-1 when pregnant or at least two months before trying to conceive.
But here’s the problem. Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to predict when they might conceive. And isn’t this a really muddy message? ‘Yes it might help you with weight-related infertility but not when you’re actually trying to conceive.’ Confusing!
A quick google search brings up lots of examples of this lack of clarity. LifeMD for example, hints that Ozempic may be helpful for fertility stating: ‘Currently, there is no evidence suggesting that Ozempic directly affects women's fertility. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women who aim to conceive have a higher likelihood of getting pregnant when their blood sugar is well-managed, which is the main purpose of Ozempic.’
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one and what you think is next? - hit reply and let me know, or reply to this quick poll:
💰 Funding, deals and investment news
€5m for Notify Therapeutics to develop hormone-free fertility treatment for women. The research start-up is working on a hormone-free way to help women who have diminished ovarian reserve to try to increase the number of mature eggs. Funding for the Danish company came from Lundbeckfonden BioCapital and +ND Capital. (Source: Silicon Canals)
📌 $44m grant for GE Healthcare to develop easy-to-use AI-assisted ultrasound tech for maternal and paediatric care. The Gates Foundation has provided this grant - announced less than a week after its report that ultrasound tech is one of seven innovations that could save the lives of two million mothers and babies by 2030. (Source: GE Healthcare and Gates Foundation)
🌟 More news from this week
📌 Wellbeing of Women charity launches membership for employers: The UK charity’s new membership will help employers to improve women’s gynaecological and reproductive health and wellbeing in the workplace. Chief Exec Janet Lindsay says that “we hear time and again how a lack of workplace support for women’s health means women can find it difficult to juggle their sometimes-debilitating symptoms with the demands of their job.” (Source: Wellbeing of Women)
📌 The Lowdown expands to women’s health conditions. The popular contraception review platform The Lowdown has expanded and now invites experiences of PCOS and endometriosis. It says it will “give people the validation, resources and community they need.” (Source: The Lowdown)
🩸 Research and women’s health news
📌 Jada system device proving successful in controlling postpartum haemorrhage. Women’s health company Organon has shared data showing its device, the Jada system, is proving effective in controlling heavy blood loss postpartum. Postpartum haemorrhage is a major cause of maternal morbidity. The device uses a gentle vacuum to gather the uterine tissue together and stem the blood flow. (Source: Fierce Biotech)
📌 New study shows 15% increase in detection rates for pre-term pre-eclampsia. A new screening approach for preeclampsia uses a combination of metabolite biomarkers and established clinical markers to allow preeclampsia to be detected early. Preeclampsia is a complication in approximately 5% of pregnancies globally and is a significant cause of both mother and baby morbidity and death. Metabolomic Diagnostics is behind the research, carried out in collaboration with Kings College, London, and published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. (Source: Metabolomic Diagnostics)
📌 Is endometrial ablation the right approach for everyone with heavy periods? Thousands of women every year have an endometrial ablation on the NHS to treat heavy periods. For many it brings relief, but for up to 20% it fails and often leaves women with no option but to have a hysterectomy. This article looks at the pros and cons of ablation. (Source: Sky News)
📌 UK launches £500m funding package for global health. The new UK funding will help achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals around the world, including improving maternal health in low- and middle-income countries. (Source: Gov.UK)
That’s all for this week!
See you next time,
Anna