#18: Brain Implants, Berry-Flavoured Breakthroughs, and a Fly on Cocaine

This week in healthcare: Brain implants are reading minds (sort of), Bluetooth is checking blood sugar, and fruit flies are picking cocaine over sugar. India’s cracking down on pharma reps, launching a global med-tech force, and AI is getting a ₹330 crore healthcare upgrade.

• 📱 Tracky, a healthtech startup, launched India’s 1st Bluetooth Continuous Glucose Monitor! The device auto-syncs your blood glucose every 3 minutes. No scans, no finger pricks. (BioSpectrum)

• 🖊️ UCLA scientists have created a 3D-printed pen with magnetic ink that detects Parkinson’s through handwriting. Powered by AI, it captures tremors with 96% accuracy, non-invasive, affordable & pivotal for early diagnosis. (TheGuardian)

• 🧬 Precision Neuroscience’s brain implant just got FDA clearance, and it doesn’t even go into your brain. Instead, it gently sits on the surface, reading brain signals to help people with conditions like ALS and stroke communicate or regain movement. (MobiHealth)

• 🩸 Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, created a vanadium-based nanozyme that stops harmful blood clots by mimicking natural enzymes and cutting oxidative stress, with zero bleeding risk! (BioSpectrum)

• 🥣 Beta-glucan, a fibre in oats and barley, is nature’s Ozempic! Researchers at the Universities of Arizona and Vienna found that it boosts GLP-1 hormones, curbs cravings and promotes weight loss. (TOI)

• 🐝 Buzzed on science! Fruit flies are helping scientists crack the genetic code behind cocaine addiction. By altering their taste genes, these little bugs started choosing cocaine over sugar, giving new insight into human addiction. (NM)

• 💉 Bengaluru-based Biocon scores regulatory approval for its generic Liraglutide injection for Type 2 diabetes. Delivered in pre-filled pens and cartridges, it’s ready to hit the Indian market. (BS)

• 💩 ️Zydus Lifesciences scored an FDA nod for generic Rifaximin, a drug that treats irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea (IBS-D). Giving your gut the chill pill it’s been begging for! (ET)

• 🫐 Berry good news! Khindivi, Eton Pharmaceutical’s new berry-flavoured oral solution, just became the only FDA-approved treatment of its kind for kids with cortisol deficiency. This ready-to-use liquid simplifies dosing, especially for those who struggle with tablets. (MD)

• 🎗️ A new triple drug combo - Inavolisib, palbociclib and fulvestrant - for advanced breast cancer buys patients nearly 10 extra months before progression and delays chemo by 2 years. (TheGuardian)

🇮🇳 India

• 🚫 No more pharma reps knocking on doctors’ doors! The Centre has banned medical representatives from visiting central government hospitals to curb drug-peddling pressures. Now, all promotions must go digital, email only! (BS)

• ⚠️ Inflammatory Bowel Disease cases are surging in India. The culprits? Changing diets, early antibiotic use and misdiagnosis. Doctors urge early action and simple lifestyle fixes to protect your gut. (IndiaToday)

• 🌐 India launched the International Biomed Cross, a global volunteer force ready to repair and maintain critical medical equipment during health crises. (EH)

• 🤖 IIT and AIIMS Delhi are establishing a Centre of Excellence for AI in healthcare. Backed by ₹330 crore from the Central Government, it aims to tackle serious medical conditions using AI. (eHealth)

🌏️ Global

• 🤰🏻 The UK warns that weight-loss injections can mess with birth control and aren’t safe during pregnancy. Vomiting, slower digestion = your pill might not work! (BBC)

🇮🇳 India

• 🍼 Apollo’s Cradle is up for adoption! The hospital giant is seeking a ₹1-1,200 crore payout by selling its maternity and infant care division, as part of a strategic portfolio shift. The company has engaged Allegro Capital to facilitate the sale. (FE)

🌏️ Global

• 📈 Sanofi’s $9.1B move to acquire Blueprint Medicines is all about Ayvakit, a drug for systemic mastocytosis, a rare and aggressive blood cancer. The deal also brings in a pipeline of promising therapies for rare cancers and genetic disorders. (ET)

• 🧠 Plot twist! Elon Musk’s Neuralink just pulled off a $650M Series E raise at a slick $9B valuation, higher than the $8.5B number The Health Relay dropped earlier. (TechCrunch)

• 💰 HealthKois has just unveiled a $300 million fund (with a potential $100 million top-up) to back early-stage healthcare startups across India and other low- and middle-income countries. (Entrepreneur)