Researchers at ETH Zürich developed Menstruai, a device that detects in menstruation blood biomarkers associated with certain diseases. Menstruai uses a sensor built into a sanitary pad and changes color if certain biomarkers are present. The first of its kind technology has the potential to enable the early detection of diseases and transform women’s health care.
GC Genome Corp. priced a Kosdaq offering of 4 million shares at ₩10,500 per share May 27, entailing a gross ₩42 billion (US$30.5 million) raise in early June. The Yongin, South Korea-based genomics subsidiary of GC Biopharma Corp. fixed its shares price to the top of its ₩9,000 to ₩15,000 price band May 27 after conducting demand forecasting on domestic and international institutional investors from May 19 to May 23.
Imunon Inc. soared by 179% on the heels of phase II Ovation 2 data showing that its IMNN-001 immunotherapy led to a 13-month increase in overall survival among women with ovarian cancer. Patients in the intent-to-treat population, receiving the drug plus standard-of-care neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy (N/ACT), achieved median overall survival (OS) at 46 months vs. 33 months with N/ACT alone. Increased activity was seen among patients treated with poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, with the median OS not yet reached after more than five years vs. 37 months in the control arm.
Hinge Health Inc.’s flexibility produced big rewards as the digital therapy company for physical rehabilitation finally began trading on the NYSE under the symbol HNGE on May 22 after delaying its IPO twice. Hinge co-founders Daniel Perez and Gabriel Mecklenburg rang the opening bell for the stock exchange to celebrate the offering’s $437 million haul.
A drug that failed in a phase III trial in 2019 is being brought back to the clinic by Repronovo SA, a fertility and women’s health startup that has raised $65 million in a series A. The money will fund a phase II study of nolasiban in improving success rates in assisted reproductive technology, the same indication as the previous phase III failure.
Phase Scientific International Ltd. raised $34 million in a series A round to accelerate research and development of its early disease detection technology for multiple cancers, women's health issues, and infectious diseases.
Mirvie Inc. continues the development of precision medicine for pregnancy-related conditions with its Encompass blood test to predict preeclampsia risk and individualized support to head off the life-threatening complication that affects one in 12 pregnancies. The test, which received U.S. FDA breakthrough device designation in 2022, is now available to order online with clinician review via telehealth.
Orum Therapeutics Inc. on April 26 pulled the plug on a U.S.-based phase I study of ORM-5029, its lead oncology degrader antibody conjugate (DAC) asset, a decision that came months after the company first reported a patient death in November 2024.
“Just simply getting old, from age 50 to 75, increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease by 100-fold, which really dwarfed 10-fold increase in risk, conferred by all known risk factors combined, including APOE genotype, being a female, hypertension, smoking, physical inactivity and diabetes.