#4: From AI breakthroughs to diamond-powered medtech—this week’s healthcare buzz is too wild to miss!

This week in healthcare: From AI breakthroughs to pharma shake-ups, this week’s healthcare news is packed with game-changers! 🚀 Dive into the latest—from CRISPR tackling superbugs to India’s TB fight, groundbreaking AI in genetics, and billion-dollar deals shaping the future of medicine. Stay ahead with the top headlines you need to know!

HealthTech & Innovation

• 👵 Meru Life is on a mission to make growing older look cool! This age-tech startup is rolling out a digital playground for India’s Active Seniors—keeping them healthy, social, and thriving. (EH)

• 🐛 Can CRISPR outsmart superbugs? Bengaluru’s CrisprBits just launched PathCrisp, a high-precision diagnostic platform that detects antibiotic resistance early—a game-changer for hospital infection control!  (EH)

• 🆕 Indegene is shaking up India’s healthcare game with Cortex—a Generative AI powerhouse built to turbocharge life sciences! Think faster innovation, smoother operations, and a serious efficiency upgrade for pharma and healthcare bigwigs. (eHealth)

• 🎵 Healing through Harmony! Apollo Proton Cancer Centre and DigiNxtHlt Solutions hit the right note with South Asia’s first AI-powered music therapy, crafting personalised soundscapes to soothe cancer patients during chemotherapy. (BW)

• 🚀 Drones to the Rescue! Apollo Hospitals and TechEagle take cancer diagnostics to new heights with India’s first 10-minute Diagnostic Drone Delivery (D3) service—ensuring biopsy samples reach labs at record speed! (eHealth)

• 🧠 What if AI could spot what doctors miss? A new UK-developed AI tool detects epilepsy-related brain lesions often overlooked, making more life-changing surgeries possible—and it’s open-source for hospitals worldwide! (BBC)

Research & Healthcare Professionals

• 🫀 Could your heart rate reveal insights about your menstrual health? A new study suggests that ‘cardiovascular amplitude,’ a metric derived from wearable tech, could help track hormonal fluctuations and offer a non-invasive way to monitor women’s cardiovascular and reproductive health. (Nature)

• 🦇 Another Bat Coronavirus? Wuhan scientists say YES! – Researchers at Wuhan’s Institute of Virology have discovered HKU5-CoV, a new bat coronavirus that can enter human cells. The good news? Its risk of spreading to humans is low—for now. (BS)

• 🧬 Roche just dropped a game-changer in genetic research! 🚀 Their new Sequencing by Expansion (SBX) tech is taking next-gen sequencing to warp speed—because cracking the code of life should be fast, high-powered, and nothing short of revolutionary. (eHealth)

• 🫁 Cracking the code! IIT Kanpur scientists have mapped the atomic structure of CXCR2—a key player in cancer and respiratory diseases—paving the way for targeted therapeutics. (EH)

• 🏫 NVIDIA just leveled up AI in genetics! Teaming up with Arc Institute and Stanford, they’ve launched Evo 2—an AI model that deciphers genetic code across all life forms. Think of it as the ultimate cheat code for breakthroughs in medicine, biotech, and even environmental science! (MobiHealthNews)

Pharmaceuticals, Regulations, & Insurance

• 📦️ India’s trade watchdog (DGTR), is gearing up for a high-stakes showdown on March 13 over anti-dumping duties on Chinese aniline—aka the secret sauce behind pharma and dye production. Will India tighten its grip to shield local manufacturers, or let the imports flow? (PB)

•  ⚠️USFDA isn’t impressed! Jagsonpal Pharmaceuticals' API plant in Rajasthan is under fire after an inspection uncovered major Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) violations. (ET)

• 🎯GSK is making moves! The pharma giant just sealed the deal on its acquisition of Boston-based IDRx, bringing precision treatments for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) into its arsenal. Big win for targeted cancer therapies! (PB)

Policy, Public Health & Government

🇮🇳 India

• 💊 The Health Ministry is on high alert as psychotropic drugs are slipping into the wrong hands! To curb rising misuse, Nasha Mukti Abhiyaan dictates states to tighten their grip—crank up surveillance, crack down on illegal sales, and ensure these meds don’t turn from treatment to trouble. (BS)

• 👉️ The Supreme Court just gave the NMC a much-needed reality check, striking down its ‘both hands intact’ rule as outdated and ableist! In a win for inclusivity, a NEET candidate with 50% locomotor disability can now pursue their medical dreams. (IE)

• 🫁 India’s TB battle gets a boost! Since the launch of the 100-day Intensified TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, over 5.1 lakh TB cases have been recorded, with X-ray screening stepping up early detection. Big strides toward a TB-free India! (MD)

• 📦️ India’s drug regulator, CDSCO, is cutting the red tape! By introducing blanket NOCs based on export history, they’re making it easier (and faster) to ship unapproved drugs abroad.(ET)

🌏️ Global

• 👫 The U.S. just hit rewind on gender policy! New federal guidance now recognises only two sexes—male and female—falling in line with a Trump-era order. Medical experts aren’t thrilled, calling it a step back for science and inclusivity. (healthline)

• 🧠 Global wake-up call on encephalitis! WHO and Encephalitis International sound the alarm on this growing brain inflammation crisis, pushing for better prevention, diagnosis, and care worldwide. (NewsX)

Industry, Deals & IPOs

🇮🇳 India

• 💰️ Global investment giant KKR is making a bold move in India's healthcare sector, acquiring a 54% stake in cancer care leader Healthcare Global Enterprises (HCG) from CVC, a global private markets manager. (eHealth)

• 🤑 Biotech giant Amgen just dropped a cool $200 million on a cutting-edge tech and innovation hub in Hyderabad. The goal? Supercharge AI-driven drug development and global operations. (BS)

• 💵 M | O | C Cancer Care & Research Centre just scored a game-changing $18M from Elevation Capital! As India's largest cancer day-care chain, they’re gearing up to expand nationwide and build cutting-edge oncology labs (EH)

🌏️ Global

• ⚛️ Illumina, a global leader in next-generation sequencing and Broad Clinical Labs are joining forces to supercharge single-cell research, aiming to create a massive 5-billion-cell atlas in just three years—setting the stage for breakthroughs in drug discovery and precision medicine. Because when it comes to understanding the human body, every cell counts! (PB)

• 📜 Royal Philips and Mass General Brigham are on a mission to tame the wild world of hospital data! With AI-powered, real-time patient monitoring, they’re turning a flood of bedside device readings, lab results, and medical records into life-saving insights—because in healthcare, every second counts. (PB)

• 💎 Dutch startup, QT Sense just scored a sparkling €6M to take quantum sensing to the next level—using nanodiamonds (yes, actual diamonds!) to transform disease detection and precision treatments. The future of medtech is looking both high-tech and high-carat! (TFN)