#21: Pee-powered Science, Space Drug Trials & Build-a-Human Begins

This week in healthcare: Pee gets a prosthetic upgrade, a cancer drug launches into space, and the US pulls back on vaccine funding. Meanwhile, ultrasounds detect diabetes, and scientists start building human DNA, literally from scratch.

• 🫣 Pee turns to prosthetics. Scientists have figured out how to turn human urine into bone and dental implant material. It’s truly a ‘golden’ opportunity for regenerative medicine. (BS)

• 👶 Heart valves that grow up with you! Engineers at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard have developed a new expandable valve that can be implanted in young children and adjusted as they grow, potentially sparing them from multiple high-risk surgeries. (NM)

• 🫀 Medtech company Meril just dropped MyClip, India’s first Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER) system. It offers a minimally invasive option for severe mitral valve repair and positions Meril among global cardiac innovators. (BioS)

• ⏳ Could a longevity drug be hiding in plain sight? New research suggests rapamycin, an existing immunosuppressant, may help extend healthy human lifespan, especially when used short-term in middle age. (BS)

• 🦵 A new study shows that thigh or shoulder muscle ultrasounds could be a non-invasive way to spot insulin resistance early, even before blood sugar levels rise. This could help catch metabolic issues before they become diabetes. (NM)

• 🦠 India’s National Institute of Virology has built a portable test kit that can detect the Nipah virus on the spot, making outbreak control quicker, and less lab-dependent. (TheHindu)

• 🚀 This cancer drug trial is literally out of this world. Researchers are sending an FDA-approved treatment, ‘Rebecsinib,’ into orbit on the Axiom-4 mission to study how it behaves in microgravity, aiming to improve stability and delivery here on Earth. (ETHealthWorld)

• 🧬 Build-a-human? UK scientists are creating human DNA from scratch. It could mean disease-proof cells and organ regrowth, if we can get past the ethical minefield. (BBC)

• 🤕 A blood test for concussions? Now in India. Abbott has launched a lab-based test to help evaluate concussions by detecting brain-specific proteins, offering a faster, more objective alternative to symptom-based screening. (BioS)

• 🫁 AstraZeneca and Daiichi just scored FDA approval for their new targeted cancer therapy, designed for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. It's a major move in the race to treat tough-to-hit tumours. (Reuters)

• 💉 Glenmark just launched Tevimbra, its first immuno-oncology drug in India. Approved for advanced oesophageal cancers, this PD-1 blocker is the first cancer therapy introduced through its partnership with BeiGene. (BS)

🇮🇳 India

• 🩸 India’s hunting for rare blood - systematically. ICMR is building a national registry to track and connect donors with rare blood types, like the elusive Bombay or Rh-null groups. A lifesaving move for tough-to-match patients. (ETHealthWorld)

• 🩺 India launches new sickle cell test kits at ₹100, a sharp drop from the ₹250+ price tag of existing options. The goal: screen 70 million tribal citizens by 2027 and catch cases early. (ETHealthWorld)

• 🦟 Bharat Biotech and GSK are slashing malaria vaccine prices by 60%. The world’s first WHO-approved malaria shot just got a lot more affordable for high-burden, low-income regions like Africa and parts of India. (ET)

🌏️ Global

• 🤰 DeepEcho just got FDA clearance for its AI-powered prenatal ultrasound tool! Trained on one of the world’s largest fetal imaging datasets, it helps automate measurements and fluid analysis, aiming for faster, more accurate diagnoses during pregnancy. (PB)

• 🌍 The US is pulling financial support from Gavi, the global vaccine alliance. The decision could impact vaccine access and disrupt immunisation programs in low-income countries. (Reuters)

🇮🇳 India

• 📦 Amazon’s delivering lab tests now, because who wants to leave the couch for a blood draw? Available in 6 major Indian cities, they bring full-body checkups straight to your doorstep! (ETHealthWorld)

• 🤝 Indira IVF (Rajasthan) is partnering with Banker IVF (Ahmedabad) to scale fertility care across Gujarat, eyeing market leadership in one of India’s IVF hotspots. (BioS)

• 💊 Zeno Health is expanding across Maharashtra with 75 new stores and 500 pharmacist jobs, backed by a ₹30 crore investment. By sourcing medicines directly from manufacturers, Zeno offers prices up to 60% lower, making generics more affordable and accessible. (eHealth)

🌏️ Global

• 🤖 ForSight Robotics just raised $125M to scale its surgical robot for cataract procedures, aiming to make them safer, more precise, and cost as little as $55 in underserved regions. (MobiHealth)