GSK plc is the latest pharma giant to bite the “magic bullet” of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) drugs, promising to pay the Chinese immunotherapy developer Hansoh Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. $85 million up front and over $1.4 billion in milestone payments in a licensing deal for HS-20089.

Derek Sham, founder and CEO, of Toronto, Ontario-based Cosm Medical Corp. reported filing for patent protection for devices, systems and methods for vaginal therapeutics. He reported on a range of surgical treatment options for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and urinary incontinence (UI) as well as non-surgical treatments exist for POP and UI.

AOA Dx Inc. closed an oversubscribed $17 million seed round to expand the clinical trial for its ovarian cancer diagnostic test, build out new lab facilities and explore applications of its Glycolocate platform in other cancers. The platform uses tumor marker gangliosides to enable early cancer. A recent study demonstrated that the test had more than 90% sensitivity and specificity for ovarian cancer detection across all stages.

The U.S. FDA may be the most prominent agency in the federal government when it comes to the use of real-world data (RWD), but the National Institutes of Health is keen to immerse itself in this trove of information. The agency has made a request for public comment on how NIH centers can best leverage RWD for biomedical and behavioral research, although some ethical and practical considerations may have to be overcome.

The co-founders of Zero Candida Ltd. described, in the company’s first PCT filing, their development of a drug-free solution for treating vaginal fungal infections using an intravaginal light-based treatment device (ILTD) that projects light at predefined intervals and intensities to treat infection.

Celmatix Inc. and Aché Laboratórios Farmacéuticos SA will study the role of melatonin receptors and their agonists in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The two companies announced a collaboration, with a separate license and development agreement upon conclusion of the research.

Sonio SAS closed its series A fundraising round raising $14 million that will go some way in helping the company deliver on its mission to improve access to quality pregnancy monitoring for women everywhere through its software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform. Sonio has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) prenatal screening solution that automates ultrasound reporting while providing image quality control and detection of potential anomalies. The capital raise was led by Cross-Border Impact Ventures, a North American impact fund dedicated to the health of women and children.

The €5.5 million (US$6 million) Escala Medical Ltd. recently received from the European Innovation Council will help the company expand its operations as it looks to officially launch its Apyx device in the U.S. later this year, CEO and founder Edit Goldberg told BioWorld. Already FDA-cleared, Apyx offers incision-free pelvic organ prolapse (POP) treatment to the women suffering from the often painful and debilitating condition.

Difficulty in obtaining an accurate diagnosis and treatment for endometriosis leaves many women spitting mad, but they may soon find that saliva is the key to escaping the diagnostic maze. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine validated the Endotest developed by Ziwig SAS based on results from a study involving 200 symptomatic patients monitored in five hospital units and specialized centers in France since November 2021. The findings demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of more than 95%.