Femtech World

We want to hear from female-founded companies and femtech startups about their experiences of trying to secure investment 👇

🇺🇸 Swiss startup OncoGenomX, a leader in predictive tumour analytics, has announced a new clinical trial collaboration with researchers of two US Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centres. The project, conducted with the VA Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory in Los Angeles and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in Cincinnati, will test OncoGenomX’s clinical decision support platform PredictionStar, within a hospital user environment. PredictionStar, was created with the goal of making personalised precision cancer treatment a reality for all women living with breast cancer. 💬 Bernard Kasten MD, FCAP, Principal Investigator at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, says: "Current biomarkers lack the sensitivity needed for precise pre-treatment predictions. PredictionStar™ fills this gap by offering detailed, objective insights into tumour biology, leading to more effective and personalised treatments." 💬 OncoGenomX CEO Wolfgang Hackl adds: “Our overarching aim is to make precision treatment matching with PredictionStar™ the norm in breast cancer care, and stepwise extending its application to other cancers.” Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/ejkpwWhV #breastcancer #research #womenshealth #femtech #ai #collaboration #VA #veteransaffairs #innovation #cancerresearch #health #womenshealthmatters #women #business #healthequity #healthinequalities #gendergap #digitalhealth #healthtech #healthtechnology #medtech  

🔬 Scientists from the University of Sharjah say they have good news for breast cancer patients, particularly those afflicted with the most aggressive types of the malignant tumor known as triple-negative breast cancer. The study, published in the European Journal of Pharmacology, provides “new ways for the treatment of the special type of breast cancer called the triple-negative breast cancer." Triple-negative breast cancers are more aggressive than other forms of breast cancer as they tend to grow and spread quickly, have limited treatment options and show resistance to available therapies. 💬 Corresponding authot, Prof. Raafat El-Awady, says: "Our research has found that high HDAC6 levels lower the amount of progesterone receptors, making breast cancer cells less responsive to hormonal therapies. “The implications of our research could extend beyond the lab, offering hope for more effective treatment options in the battle against aggressive breast cancer.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eVyjtQgx #breastcancer #breastcancerawareness #science #innovation #womenshealth #healthtech #research #femtech

🚀 Top 5 advances in the world of femtech and women's health this week 🚀 💡 ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, which brings together 1,400 cancer centres and 21,000 oncology researchers, has announced a collaboration with Caris Life Sciences to target new breast cancer treatments. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eVECvHEu 🩸 Menstrual health tracking app, Clue announced the results of the largest study to date examining the relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms, mood and menstrual cycle, with researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Amanda Shea, PhD, and Liisa Hantsoo. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/epjZ7CDp 💊 A combination of two drugs that can block cancer cell growth has shown promising results in women with a rare form of ovarian cancer. Susana Banerjee The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust The Institute of Cancer Research. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eYBzya3W 💻 An AI system, developed by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been shown to accurately assess the chromosomal status of IVF embryos via time-lapse videos of the embryos and maternal age. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eG5497j8 💉 New findings from CNIO - Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, have provided further evidence that anti-fibrosis drugs could improve outcomes from breast cancer, building on the work of researchers at University of Arizona. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eyJCKVkB Catch up on all of these are more at: https://lnkd.in/gKbpgNhR #womenshealth #femtech #breastcancer #IVF #research #innovation #menstrualhealth #ovariancancer

📢 Data suggests millions of women in the UK aren’t being told their breast density, despite it being a risk factor for cancer. New research, conducted by Bristol-based health tech company, Micrima Limited, found that 86% of women in the UK (around 23.8 million) don’t know their breast density. 40% of women over the age of 40 have dense breasts —breasts with more fibrous or glandular tissue and less fat. Studies have shown having dense breasts not only increases the risk of developing breast cancer, but makes it harder to detect through mammography, the standard screening method worldwide. According to this research, as many as 4 million women over the age of 40 in the UK could have dense breasts and don’t know they are at greater risk.   💬 CEO Adrian Waller told Femtech World: “Breast density is known within the medical community, but it is not part of the standard pathway for either breast cancer screening or symptomatic service. "We would like to see the Government regulate around women being told their breast density when they receive results from a mammogram – much like has happened in the States." Leslie Ferris Yerger, founder and CEO of the charity My Density Matters, was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer just two months after a routine mammogram and ultrasound gave her the ‘ all clear’. 💬 "Hidden by dense breast tissue, my cancer was left to grow and spread... we must do more to lift the lid on breast density and let women know why it matters." 📰 Read the full story by Sarah Sinclair👉 : https://lnkd.in/eSDBUAb7 #breastcancerawareness #womenshealth #femtech #breastcancer #breastdensity

Clue, the menstrual and reproductive health tracking app, has announced the results of the largest study to date, examining the relationship between gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, mood and the menstrual cycle: https://lnkd.in/epjZ7CDp #femtech #womenshealth #fertility

💊 Promising results from ovarian cancer drug study A combination of two drugs that can block the growth of cancer cells has shown promising results in women with a form of ovarian cancer that rarely responds to chemotherapy or hormone therapy. In 115 participants with low-grade serous ovarian cancer, 31% saw their tumours shrink or stop growing when taking a combination of avutometinib and defactinib. This is in comparison to a zero to 10% response rate to chemo or hormone therapies in patients with the rare ovarian cancer. The study will now go to a bigger randomised trial, but clinicians are hopeful that this new drug combination will change practice globally for cases of low-grade serous ovarian cancer and most importantly improve outcomes for patients with limited treatment options. 💬 Susana Banerjee research lead for the gynaecology unit at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Professor in Women’s Cancers at The Institute of Cancer Research London said: “These are significant results from the second phase of the trial. The toxicities for patients are much lower which means side effects are fewer than with some conventional treatments. “The combination of avutometinib and defactinib promises a new standard of care for people with recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer. We’re now looking to recruit patients for our phase three trial and hope results will continue to show better outcomes for patients.” Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eYBzya3W #OvarianCancer #CanceResearch #Research #Drug #WomensHealth #Femtech

SiS: Women's Health, the global platform dedicated to advancing innovation in women’s health, has announced the launch of SiS NY, taking place on May 14-15, 2025, in New York City: https://lnkd.in/dvNfK4sa #womenshealth #femtech

💊 Promising results from ovarian cancer drug study A combination of two drugs that can block the growth of cancer cells has shown promising results in women with a form of ovarian cancer that rarely responds to chemotherapy or hormone therapy. In 115 participants with low-grade serous ovarian cancer, 31% saw their tumours shrink or stop growing when taking a combination of avutometinib and defactinib. This is in comparison to a zero to 10% response rate to chemo or hormone therapies in patients with the rare ovarian cancer. The study will now go to a bigger randomised trial, but clinicians are hopeful that this new drug combination will change practice globally for cases of low-grade serous ovarian cancer and most importantly improve outcomes for patients with limited treatment options. 💬 Susana Banerjee research lead for the gynaecology unit at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Professor in Women’s Cancers at The Institute of Cancer Research London said: “These are significant results from the second phase of the trial. The toxicities for patients are much lower which means side effects are fewer than with some conventional treatments. “The combination of avutometinib and defactinib promises a new standard of care for people with recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer. We’re now looking to recruit patients for our phase three trial and hope results will continue to show better outcomes for patients.” Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eYBzya3W #OvarianCancer #CanceResearch #Research #Drug #WomensHealth #Femtech

🚨 10-year study shows deep inequalities in menopause treatment access 🚨 A new study has found that those in affluent areas of England are twice as likely to be offered HRT than those in socially deprived areas. Women of Chinese or Black African background are 80% less likely to receive HRT than white women. Findings from the 10-year study on around 2 million menopausal women in England, led by researchers at the University of Oxford were presented at the World Congress on Menopause in Melbourne this week. 💬 Nina K. founder of Black Women in Menopause, told the Guardian: “Many black women tell us that when they go to their GP, they feel dismissed or unheard, with their symptoms often being misinterpreted or overlooked. Instead of being recognised as part of menopause, their experiences are sometimes attributed to unrelated conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, which are prevalent in the black community." Read more: https://lnkd.in/eVT3U3js #menopause #HRT #inequalities #healthinequalities #england #research