#14: Smart Rings, Dissolving Pacemakers & Biowarfare Drills

This week in healthcare: From Oura’s AI-powered glucose tracking ring to dissolvable pacemakers for newborns, this week was a testament to bold innovation. As hospitals run blackout drills and biowarfare readiness takes centre stage, healthcare in India and beyond is evolving rapidly with powerful partnerships, smarter tech and life-saving policy shifts. Trust us - you’ll want to keep scrolling!

• 💍 Oura’s health ring just got smarter (and sweeter). Partnering with Dexcom’s Stelo CGM - a wearable glucose monitor - to track your blood sugar in real time. Just snap a pic of your meal, and Oura’s AI breaks it down to show how your food affects your glucose, all in one app. (TheVerge)

• 🧬 IIT Indore unveiled innovative Quantum-AI nanotechnology, for early genetic mutation detection including cancer-related mutations. This breakthrough enables faster, cheaper and more accurate DNA sequencing, paving the way for early cancer diagnosis and personalised treatments. (ETHealthworld)

• 👁️ In a unorthodox 19-hour surgery, US surgeons removed a spinal tumor through a patient’s eye socket making medical history! Facing a rare chordoma (a tricky cancerous bone tumor) the team ditched the usual methods and got creative, using endoscopy to reach the tumor through the eye. The 19-year-old patient is now on the mend with clear scans and a bright new outlook. (BS)

• ♥️ Northwestern University scientists have created a pacemaker so tiny it’s smaller than a grain of rice - and it dissolves in the body after use! Designed for newborns with heart defects, this wire-free wonder is injected directly into the heart and pairs with a smart patch to keep tiny tickers beating just right. (Medscape)

• 🩸 "No Needles, No Worries!" Researchers at UAE University have whipped up a cool, non-surgical tech that monitors blood flow without poking or prodding. It’s painless, portable, and perfect for spotting heart and vessel issues early. (ETHealthworld)

• 🚀 India’s Biocon just went big in the U.S. with Yesintek - a biosimilar treating Crohn’s and psoriasis. Now covered by top insurers like Cigna & CVS, it’s set to reach over 100 million lives - a bold step in making affordable care global. (ET)

• 🤰🏻 The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Akums’ innovative tablet-in-tablet solution for morning sickness. This first-of-its-kind dual-action tablet provides instant relief with one layer and sustained comfort throughout the day with the other. No more frequent dosing, just continuous all-day relief for expecting mothers. (ehealth)

• ⚡ Glenmark’s spin-off, Ichnos Glenmark Innovation (IGI), just made a bold move in the fight against cancer. Their drug, ISB 2001, has earned FDA Fast Track status. The powerful trispecific antibody is designed to target multiple myeloma - a tough form of blood cancer. Early trials show strong, lasting responses! (ETPharma)

• 💊 The EU drug regulator just confirmed that finasteride- a popular hair-loss pill, can come with a serious side effect: suicidal thoughts, especially at the 1 mg dose. While the benefits still outweigh the risks, new warning labels and patient cards are being added to keep users in the loop (Reuters)

🇮🇳 India

• ☣️ Rajasthan Health Department stands prepared for Biowarfare amid rising Indo-Pak tensions! Amid escalating Indo-Pak tensions, the Rajasthan Health Department launched its first-ever biological emergency plan - strengthening diagnostic labs, surveillance systems and medical teams to counter bioterrorism threats like anthrax and smallpox. (ETHealthworld)

• 🚀 India-UK Free Trade Agreement sparks mixed reactions in MedTech! While the deal promises lower tariffs and tech collaboration, experts warn of regulatory challenges. The $50B trade target by 2030 hinges on quicker approvals and clearer rules for India’s manufacturers. (HE)

• ❌ Hospitals across India just ran blackout drills and mock emergencies, red crosses on rooftops and lights out, to prep for potential mass casualty events. It’s all part of a nationwide “Operation Abhyaas” to make sure hospitals can handle chaos like pros if disaster strikes. (ET)

🇮🇳 India

• 💰 Major Bidding War for Sahyadri Hospitals! Healthcare giants like Manipal, IHH Healthcare, Max Healthcare, and KKR are eyeing Maharashtra’s largest hospital chain, Sahyadri, with bids ranging from ₹4,500-5,000 Cr! With the battle heating up, who’s got the winning bid? (OB)

• 📈  American private equity firm Texas Public Group (TPG) acquired a 35% stake in Schott Poonawalla, a pharmaceutical packaging company backed by Serum Institute of India and Germany's Schott Pharma. Novo Holdings is also on board as a co-investor. (VCCircle)

• 🏥 In a rapid expansion move, Pristyn Care has launched 5 advanced hospitals across NCR Delhi in just 75 days! With modular OTs, IVF labs and critical care units, and its first hospital turning profitable in just 8 weeks. (ehealth)

• 🫁 Johnson & Johnson MedTech and Qure.ai partnered to advance early lung cancer detection in India through Project BreatheEZ. They launched the first AI-powered Incidental Pulmonary Nodule (IPN) Detection clinic at Thangam Cancer Centre in Tamil Nadu, marking the start of a nationwide rollout across 10 planned hub medical centers and 20 supporting spoke sites. (ETHealthworld)

• 💸 Policy Bazaar Healthcare secured a record-breaking $218 million seed round, one of India's largest, led by General Catalyst. The company plans to integrate tech-enabled hospitals with insurance services, aiming to provide affordable, accessible care for India's underserved middle class. (TOI)

• 🦴 Nanavati Max Hospital launched a state-of-the-art Orthopaedics, Spine & Joint Care Institute offering robotic surgeries, 3D printing and advanced rehab for adult and paediatric bone and joint disorders, backed by over 200 years of expertise and 40,000 surgeries. (PharmaBiz)

🌏️ Global

• 📉 Siemens Healthineers kicked off 2025 with strong profits - but the celebration didn’t last long. A massive €300M tariff storm looms over the second half, the company warned that 2026 could be even tougher if trade tensions persisted. Success met a speed bump wearing a tariff tag. (ETHealthworld)