#29: Wegovy Gone Missing, Robo-Babies Incoming: HealthTech Hits

• 🤰🏻 China’s cooking up robo-babies! By 2026, an artificial womb could deliver babies for ₹12L each, blurring the line between hope and sci-fi. (TOI)

• 🩸 A drop of hope! A new blood test powered by AI detects ovarian cancer in early stages, with over 90% accuracy, offering women a fighting chance against the “silent killer”. (ETHealth)

• ⌚ Fitbit adds an AI health coach powered by Google’s Gemini. It chats with you, learns your habits and tailors fitness plans, rolling out this October for Premium users. (Wired)

• 💡 Israel’s turning sci-fi into surgery! Tel Aviv University is set for the world’s first spinal cord implant from a patient’s own cells, giving the paralysed a chance to swap wheels for heels. (ETHealth)

• ☕ Too hot to handle? A study says gulping very hot drinks like tea or coffee daily can scorch your food pipe and raise cancer risk. Let it cool - sip safe, sip smart. (IE)

• 🦀 A study warns that a flu or COVID bug might nudge sleeping metastatic breast cancer cells awake, raising relapse risks for survivors. (BS)

• 🧪 What if kidneys could grow in a test tube? Scientists in Israel mimicked human foetal kidney growth in test tubes, unlocking clues to birth defects and testing drug safety in pregnancy. (Reuters)

• 👀 Your eyes don’t just see, they whisper clues! From blood vessel leaks hinting at diabetes, swollen nerves screaming hypertension, to rare lesions signalling cancer - get your eyes checked to spot disease before it spots you. (TOI)

• 🔬 Turns out your pee and blood have more gossip to spill than you think. UK scientists found new biomarkers that can predict kidney failure in Chronic Kidney Disease patients way better, helping doctors personalise care. (BS)

• 🌱 From roots to riches: India’s Welcure Pharma is pouring ₹70–80 cr into an FDA-ready lab for new-age Ayurveda. (ET)

• 📍 Google Maps for health insurance? Insurers may tap location data to verify claims. India’s insurance regulatory body hasn’t approved it yet, as experts warn of major privacy risks. (ETHealth)

• 🧑🏻‍⚖️ Ozempic under legal fire: Over 1,800 patients allege severe side effects like stomach paralysis and vision loss. The consolidated lawsuits could cost Novo Nordisk more than $2B in liability. (BS)

• 🥷”Thieves join the weight-loss craze”: Wegovy consignments have vanished mid-transit. CDSCO has issued an alert, warning doctors to beware of diverted or counterfeit supplies. (IndiaToday)

🇮🇳 India

• 🐶 Rabies Alert: While 80% of India’s public health centres stock rabies vaccines, only 20% have immunoglobulins, the life-saving shot that neutralises the virus after an attack. (ETHealth) 

• 💸 India plans to exempt life and health insurance from 18% GST. The move could cut consumer costs but may raise premiums if insurers lose input tax credits. (ETHealth)

• ☎️ Mental health on speed dial! India’s 24/7 mental health helpline, Tele-MANAS has fielded 24 lakh+ calls since 2022, proving sometimes the best therapy starts with a ring. (ETHealth)

• 🏛️ Parliament’s cancer cure: mix a little Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy with modern oncology, top it with drug price caps, and you get a recipe for fairer, smarter cancer care. (ET) (ET)

• 🦟 Delhi’s got a new hero, the Mosquito Terminator Train! Zooming along railway lines, it sprays away breeding spots, taking on dengue & malaria like a rail-riding bug buster. (DeccanHerald)

🌏️ Global

• 🇳🇵 Nepal wipes out rubella! The virus that endangers pregnant women and causes birth defects has finally been eliminated. India aims to achieve elimination by 2026. (UN News)

🇮🇳 India

• 💰 Aurobindo Pharma is in talks to acquire Czech generics maker Zentiva for up to $5.5B. If finalised, it would be the largest Indian pharma acquisition. (Reuters)

🌏️ Global

• 📱 Mindler goes UK! The Swedish mental health app snaps up ieso Digital Health for £20M in a vertical integration move aiming to fast-track NHS therapy, slashing those dreaded waiting times. (TFN)

• 🚨 Novo Nordisk hits pause on non-critical hiring after a $70B market loss, citing rising costs, slowing Wegovy demand, and tough competition. CEO Mike Doustdar warns job cuts could follow. (Reuters)

• 💊 Biopharma IPOs hit a drought: the US saw none in Q2 for the first time since 2016, as high interest rates, inflated valuations, and weak stocks freeze the market; analysts eye a 2026 rebound led by AI-driven drug developers.(PitchBook)