đ Issue 85: Blueprint for change | $10m for Teal Health | novel endometriosis treatment
+ lots more in your weekly round-up of women's health innovation and FemTech news
Hi! Welcome to issue #85 of FutureFemHealth (w/c 20 January 2025).
What a week. We keep pushing on. Hereâs the positives to focus onâŚ
đ Coming up today weâve got:
đ The new blueprint for change in womenâs health
đ° $10m for Teal Healthâs at-home cervical screening device
đ Gesynta Pharma raises $28 million for novel endometriosis treatment
â¤ď¸ UKâs first vaginal oestrogen cream without prescription
But before that: Would you like to support FutureFemHealth through sponsorship and get your brand in front of nearly 8,000 professionals, founders and investors in womenâs health? Iâm taking bookings from February onwards. For more info and a copy of our media pack drop me a line: anna@futurefemhealth.com
đ A new blueprint for change
After last Januaryâs landmark â$1 trillion global opportunityâ report, McKinsey continues to spotlight womenâs health for 2025.
The firm has unveiled a new âblueprintâ to close the gender health gap, laying out five crucial action points: âcount women, study women, care for women, invest in women and include all women.â
This approach is supported by a new mechanism to measure, track and address gaps across nine conditions across 15 countries.
McKinsey says that these nine conditions alone account for one-third of womenâs health gaps. They include menopause, migraine, and postpartum hemorrhage.
A new womenâs health impact tracking (WHIT) platform , launched in partnership with WEF and the Global Alliance for Womenâs Health, is a tool to clearly identify the health disparities, quantify potential economic gains and guide strategic investments.
Itâs designed to be used across the public, private and social sectorâbecause everyone plays a role in improving womenâs health. And it places data firmly as the foundation of doing that.
âProgress is possible, and closing the womenâs health gap is achievable. Now is the time for action that will improve the lives of women and girls around the world and enable stronger economies.â
Read the full report: âBlueprint to close the womenâs health gap: how to improve lives and economies for allâ
Explore the tool: Womenâs Health Impact Tracking (WHIT) platform
âđť The menopause journalist: Hotflash inc.
Looking for a new newsletter read for 2025? At Hotflash inc, âmenopauseâ journalist Ann Marie McQueen coalesces the full realm of evidence, expert opinion and human experience to help women make informed decisions and take the right action for their whole selves when they meet the intersection of perimenopause, menopause and midlife or well before. She takes no sides, looking only for the true truth.
Ann Marie could well be the only journalist in the world who has made menopause and midlife her patch and itâs my recommended read for sorting fact from spin when it comes to this area of womenâs health.
đ° Funding, deals and investment news
đ US: Teal Health raises $10m ahead of launch of at-home cervical screening device. The âTeal Wandâ is a purpose-built device that allows a woman to collect her own vaginal sample for human papillomavirus (HPV) testingâa critical piece in cervical cancer prevention âall from the comfort, convenience, and privacy of her home. The device removes the need for an invasive, often uncomfortable exam. This investment round was led by Emerson Collective and Forerunner with continued support from existing investors. (Continue reading: FutureFemHealth)
đ SWEDEN: Gesynta Pharma raises $28 million for novel endometriosis treatment. Endometriosis impacts 190 million women globallyâthatâs one in 10 women of reproductive age. Gesynta Pharma is beginning a Phase II clinical trial of its non-hormonal drug candidate for the debilitating inflammatory disease, thatâs shown promise for reducing pain and lesion progression. This Series B round was led by Innovestor Life Science. (Continue reading: FutureFemHealth)
đ US: Iron Health acquired by digital health start-up Metronomic. Since it was founded 2.5 years ago Iron Health has helped reduce wait times for women to see healthcare providers down by up to 600% when compared to alternatives. Iron Health will continue to operate as an independent entity. No deal terms disclosed. (Continue reading: Hit Consultant)
đ US: Eli Lilly acquires cancer program from Scorpion Therapeutics in $2.5 billion deal. The deal centers on a Scorpion drug called STX-478 which is designed to inhibit mutations in the gene that drives breast, gynecological and head and neck cancers. (Continue reading: Stat news)
đ How Venture Capital Investment in Womenâs Health Changed in 2024. A glimpse of a silver lining for womenâs health funding. Womenâs health companies (US-based, VC-backed) raised a collective $1.19bn in 2024 across 111 deals. And while that was a lower number of deals than 2023, the total amount did increase by 4.3% with an average deal size of $10.71m. Eve Epker breaks down all the data. (Continue reading: Forbes)
đ Industry news from this week
đ UK: Ovesse becomes UKâs first vaginal oestrogen cream without prescription. Speaking to a doctor or getting a prescription can sometimes deter women from seeking help for vaginal atrophyâa chronic condition that is said to affect half of postmenopausal women. Now, in a signal of rising demand for midlife health treatment options, this prescription-strength cream will be available over-the-counter in the major pharmacy chain Boots. (Continue reading: FutureFemHealth)
đ UK: PlexÄÄ collaborates with Panasonic to manufacture BLOOMâ´Âł medical device. The BLOOMâ´Âł platform helps patients prepare for breast cancer surgery and reconstructionâwith a technique that has been shown to reduce wound healing. With over 1 million breast surgeries performed annually in the US alone, this collaboration will accelerate the production and scalingâwith first products expected early this year. (Continue reading: Bio Industry)
đ UK: Lab opens private research tissue bank in ÂŁ25m investment into womenâs health. This first-to-market tissue bank will collect and store menstrual blood, peripheral blood, umbilical cord tissue, and umbilical cord blood. The aim is to uncover potential cures or treatments for conditions such as hormonal condition PCOS, endometriosis, menopause, and certain cancers. While this bank will be for commercial use only (launched by a lab testing specialist BioGrad), it could set a precedent for similar initiatives and more understanding of the value of menstrual blood for womenâs health. (Continue reading: The Business Desk)
𩸠Research and womenâs health news
đ UK: Women in the UK are being let down by much more than their contraception. Natural Cyclesâ Dr Elina Berglum hits back at the recent media coverage of a BMJ published study highlighting changing contraceptive habits. âItâs not the 1960s anymore. Women today refuse to settle for solutions that donât meet their needs.â (Continue reading: Natural Cycles)
đ Govt, policy, regulation news
đ US: Government website offering reproductive health information goes offline. The site, which contained information on access to abortion and reproductive healthcare and a Know-Your-Rights patient fact sheet, appeared to go offline on the evening of President Trumpâs inauguration. The U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services originally launched the site in 2022. (Continue reading: CBS News)
đ US: FemTech forecast: policy, regulation, and funding. 2024 marked milestones in womenâs health innovation, but shifting U.S. policies in 2025 will shape funding, AI, and telehealth access. Consultant Katie D. McMillan shares actionable tips for companies on where to focus efforts and navigate changes. (Continue reading: Digital Health Insights)
đ US: How First Lady Jill Biden will continue her commitment to improving womenâs health. As her tenure in the White House ends, Jill Biden has restated her commitment to her work. (Continue reading: Fierce Healthcare)
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Jobs
đ US / Remote: Director of Communications, Moms First
đ US/ Remote: Various roles, Mira
đ UK: Content Writer, Fertifa
đ UK: Director, International Commercial Growth, Oura
đ UK: Marketing Operations Specialist, Hologic
đ SWEDEN: VP Clinical Development, Gesynta Pharma
Thatâs all for this week! See you next time.
If youâve missed any previous newsletter issues catch them all at futurefemhealth.com and do make sure to follow us on LinkedIn.