VOL.05 | I SSUE 01
Women's Best
Health
Marcia Eisenberg Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of Labcorp Diagnostics
Ease off the Stress 10 Effec ve Ways for Stress Management
A Standout Leader in Women's Healthcare
Grasping the Advancements
The emergence of Femtech in the Healthcare Industry
A Paradigm Shift in the Healthcare Services
W
omen's health, or the so-called FemTech market, has been on the rise for the last couple of years. It started as technological solutions—primarily focused on fertility and pregnancy; however, as more and more prominent leaders took the stage, women's health topics reached beyond the standards. The sector now fulfils women's health issues, including sexual wellness, pregnancy and maternal care, disease management, menopause, pelvic health, and mental healthrelated challenges.
Realizing these aspects, most of the leading tech companies recognized that the area offers excellent potential. Women started to use digital health increasingly—or better say, FemTech products for female well-being. The culture around women's health issues began to change. In recent years, we have seen greater emphasis on women's empowerment and the usage of technology to improve life experiences for them and resolve their problems. FemTech sector companies use technology and innovations to create products and healthcare solutions specific to women. The idea behind FemTech is not to earn profits but to focus on solving problems faced by women. In the course of just a few years, FemTech has exponentially grown to encompass a range of technologyenabled, customer-centric products and solutions. FemTech companies are enhancing the healthcare industry in several ways—initial breakthroughs are already being achieved across a range of areas, including: Improving Care Delivery: Virtual clinics, innovative brick and mortar clinics and direct to customer prescription delivery services enable women to access care in a prompt,
reliable, convenient and consumer-centric manner. Enabling self-care: Innovative tech-oriented companies' fitness trackers and wearable devices are among the FemTech solutions that are helping women take greater charge of their health and health-related data. Improving diagnoses: Clinical diagnostics companies push the scientific frontier to address unmet medical requirements. Addressing stigmatized areas: Companies are addressing what had been considered to be stigmatized topics head-on, such as menstrual health, sexual health, pelvic care, and menopause. The categories in which FemTech is having an impact are increasing—and also, in some cases, starting to evolve, overlap, and redefine themselves as FemTech companies begin to scale up and seek new ways to expand. As women's healthcare becomes an increasing priority, FemTech is rising to meet the challenge as it matches capital and talent with the essential needs. In a fleeting period of time, FemTech has already demonstrated impressive early wins. Focused on the comprehensive fundamentals of the best companies catering to this niche, Insights Care brings you its latest edition, '10 Best Women's Health Solution Providers 2022.' Turn over the following pages to know more about how these healthcare innovators are bringing in the muchneeded advancements in this niche. Also included in the edition are two trendy articles crafted by our in-house editorial team. Have a delightful read! - Abhishek Joshi
Editor’s Note
16 20 28 34 38
Boston IVF A Prominent Name in the Women's Health Solution Space
breathe ilo GmbH A Promising Name for Women's Health Solution
Her One An Assured Benchmark of Wellness
Hotze Health & Wellness Center Offering the Best Health Solutions to Women
OCON Healthcare Supporting Women with Modern Health Solutions
Theramex
44
Dedicated to Serving Women's Healthcare Needs
48
An AI-Empowered Solution for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Detection
TruScreen
Cover Story
Articles
24 Ease off the Stress 10 Effec ve Ways for Stress Management
32 Grasping the Advancements The emergence of Femtech in the Healthcare Industry
A Standout Leader in Women's Healthcare
CONTENTS
08
Editor-in-Chief
Pooja Bansal
Senior Editor
Anish Miller
Managing Editor
Abhishek Joshi
Assisting Editors
Trishika, Vinayak
Visualiser Art & Design Head Co-designer Art & Picture Editor Business Development Manager Marketing Manager
David King Rohil Shinganapurkar Paul Belin Mrunalinee Deshmukh Amy Jones John Smith Sarah Wilson, John Smith, Alex Vincent
Business Development Executives Sales Executives
Kelli, Bill, Anna
Technical Head Assistant Technical Head Technical Consultants
Jacob Smile Pratiksha Patil David, Robert
Digital Marketing Manager Assistant Digital Marketing Manager SME-SMO Executives
Alina Sege Amol Wadekar Atul, Gemson
Research Analyst Circulation Manager
Eric Smith Tanaji
sales@insightscare.com
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Company Name
Featuring
Description
Boston IVF
David L. Stern, CEO
Boston IVF is one of the first private IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) centers in the United States. Quality and patient experience make Boston IVF stand out in the healthcare industry.
breathe ilo GmbH
Lisa Krapinger, Co-founder and CEO
breathe ilo is a tech-driven female health company, providing a holistic women’s health platform, enabled by a uniquely convenient, proprietary, and patented cycle-tracker.
HER ONE
Chanyu Xu, Founder and CEO
HER ONE is a Berlin-based wellness brand that provides natural supplements with botanical nutrients to nourish one’s beauty from the inside out.
Hotze Health & Wellnes Center
Steven F. Hotze, M.D., Founder and CEO
Hotze Health & Wellness Center has helped over 33,000 patients get their lives back using bioidentical hormones that restore hormones to optimal levels, strengthen immune systems, and increase energy levels.
IVF Australia
Sue Channon, CEO
At IVFAustralia, your doctor, counsellor, nurses, care team and laboratory team work together to give you the best possible chance of success. It all starts with a comprehensive fertility assessment, followed by a highly personalised plan to parenthood.
Labcorp
Marcia Eisenberg, Sr. Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer
Labcorp is a leading global life sciences company that provides vital information to help doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and patients make clear and confident decisions.
Ocon Healthcare
Keren Leshem, CEO, Anula Jayasuriya, Chairwoman of the Board
OCON Healthcare innovates, develops, manufactures, and commercializes cutting-edge women’s health products based on our patented IUB™ (Intra Uterine Ball) proprietary platform.
Perifit
Artem Rodionov, Co-founder
Perifit is the ultimate Kegel exercise system, designed to help you heal and strengthen your pelvic floor and regain bladder control with real time biofeedback via the interactive app.
Theramex
Rob Stewart, CEO
Theramex is a leading global pharmaceutical company dedicated to women and their health, with a reputation for delivering impactful treatments to patients and driving value for our partners.
Juliet Hull, CEO and Executive Director
TruScreen Group Limited is a New Zealand-based medical device company that has developed an AI-enabled device that can detect precancerous and cancerous cervical changes in realtime via optical and electrical measurements of cervical tissue.
TruScreen Group Limited
Cover Story
A Standout Leader in Women's Healthcare
Experience tells us that annual health checks help women achieve and maintain wellness.
Marcia Eisenberg Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of Labcorp Diagnostics
10 Best Women's Health Solution Providers 2022
E
stablished more than 50 years ago, Labcorp is a leading global life sciences company with a mission to improve health and improve lives. At the heart of that mission is a deep commitment to helping all women live healthier lives, no matter their age or background. We at Insights Care had the opportunity to speak with Labcorp's Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for Labcorp Diagnostics, Marcia Eisenberg, PhD. We discussed how Labcorp's extensive drug development and diagnostic capabilities are being used to lead the way in advancements for women's health. Eisenberg has spent more than 30 years with Labcorp and has played an integral role in the company's scientific innovations, leading the evaluation, development and introduction of many new tests, diagnostic technologies and platforms. She has a history of being an industry leader in forensic DNA testing, biotechnology, molecular genetics and moleculary oncology. She was also a key member of the team responsible for commercializing polymerase chase reaction (PCR) testing in the 1990s, which has served as the gold standard for important advances in areas like infectious disease and virology, genetics, and oncology. PCR was integral to a rapid response to COVID-19 testing in 2020.
It's more than just providing proven results and effective testing services. It's about support, too. We are here for health professionals and patients with whatever they need.
Join us as we explore how a holistic approach, dedication to innovation, and commitment to health equity positions Labcorp as a leader in women's health. A Holistic Approach Labcorp takes the long view when it comes to a woman's continuum of care, providing not only testing but critical education, access and resources. "We know that supporting women is critical," Eisenberg says. "[Women] are interested in their health and make about 80% of health decisions for their extended families. This means that both educational support and comprehensive laboratory testing services are important.” Labcorp empowers both women and their healthcare providers to understand the value of preventive care, including routine screening and diagnostic testing through a comprehensive women's health-specific test menu. Labcorp provides an expansive portfolio of nearly 5,000 tests and performs more than 250 million women's health tests per year. This extensive testing portfolio provides key insights
into a woman's health at every stage of her life, from regular wellness testing and hereditary cancer screening to prenatal and carrier screening. As a leader in reproductive genetics, Labcorp Women's Health also offers comprehensive genetic testing supported by access to the largest national network of genetic counselors. Prioritizing maternal health through its wideranging specialty testing services and deep diagnostics and genetics expertise, Labcorp supports OB-GYNs and
primary care doctors. The organization provides essential testing, screening, educational support and clinical trial options for women, including expectant mothers. Additionally, through its Labcorp Drug Development business, the company conducts clinical trials of new drugs, therapies and vaccines in approximately 100 countries around the world, with laboratory testing performed through its own global laboratory network, one of the world's largest. Through its work on clinical trials and deep relationships to physicians and hospitals, Labcorp can connect women to new therapies undergoing clinical trials that may help improve outcomes. A Dedication to Innovation As the healthcare industry continues to accelerate the pace and scale at which it adopts new technology, Labcorp is constantly working to stay at the cutting edge. "Our goal is to provide state-of-the-art solutions that facilitate diagnostic understanding and treatment so women can be healthy throughout their lives," Eisenberg says. "In fact, Labcorp's senior scientific team reviews more than 1,000 new tests and methodology opportunities each year.” Its recent acquisition of Ovia Health is just one example of Labcorp's commitment to innovation. Ovia Health is a leading digital platform that provides daily, personalized
family health support and data feedback to guide women and families across their reproductive journeys. Ovia has helped more than 17 million families, through three apps, from menstrual cycle tracking and trying to conceive, to pregnancy and on into parenthood. Together, Labcorp and Ovia are uniquely positioned to harness the power of science and data to advance women's health. Other emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) allow scientists and physicians to explore improvements in diagnosis, as well as treatment options currently available. As these technologies are adopted into wider use, more groundbreaking innovations are emerging that directly impact the quality of care patients receive.
Our goal is to provide state-of-the-art solutions that facilitate diagnostic understanding and treatment so women can be healthy throughout their lives.
"As science advances, the wealth of data produced requires deep ML capabilities with a focus on producing clear, highquality results—for example, in assessing hereditary risks across hundreds of genes," says Eisenberg. "Labcorp has a long history in developing expertise in bioinformatics, and it is applied widely across our portfolio, including tests like carrier screening for inherited disease, cardiogenetics, and oncology.” Eisenberg also mentions that AI and other modern technologies have expanded the company's ability to educate and inform both women and their healthcare providers. As new technologies are developed, Labcorp will continue to expand its digital presence and utilization of these tools. A Commitment to Health Equity Labcorp provides a broad range of tools and service solutions that are designed to facilitate quality healthcare for everyone. "Whether a woman is in a rural community, healthcare desert or urban area, Labcorp is there to provide the necessary care, education and results women need to maintain good health and help prevent health conditions, both today and in the future," says Eisenberg. "This includes meeting the patient/consumer where they are—however they wish to access care. Some of the solutions developed to address these needs include consumer/patient-initiated testing through Labcorp OnDemand telehealth support tools, telegenetic counseling, financial assistance programs and special processes at Patient Service Centers for women at high risk for COVID19.”
Labcorp prioritizes convenience and ease of access for all patients with nearly 2,000 patient service centers across the U.S. including several hundred Labcorp at Walgreens locations, connectivity with 600 EMR providers, and more than 400 managed care contracts, as well as patient and medical professional portals, cost estimators and financial programs to support access to care. Even recent acquisitions like Ovia Health facilitate opportunities to engage with under-served communities through education and support.
As a global life sciences company, we're always working to uncover new opportunities to advance health care for all women.
Words of Encouragement Sharing her advice for budding healthcare professionals, Eisenberg says, "I would tell anyone interested in entering the healthcare industry to continue to focus on learning. The healthcare industry changes every day. New tests are introduced, drugs get approved and researchers make groundbreaking discoveries all the time. You must stay up to date and stay informed to make an impact.”
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A Prominent Name in the Women's Health Solution Space
H
ealthcare continues to develop and grow and we are learning that a "one-size fits all approach" does not provide enough support to different populations. Specifically, Women's health issues are unique to that of men, and it is strongly advocated that they require a different healthcare approach. In a women's life, pregnancy is one the most natural phases because of the beauty of bringing a human to life, but is not always as easy as it appears. In fact, infertility, or the difficulty in conceiving a child, affects 1 in 8 couples, or 12% of the population. In recent years, it has become more accepted to seek treatment and improvements in technology has increased the ability for these patients to have healthy families. Boston IVF, understands all these requirements and comes up with unique women's health solutions for those couples that have a hard time conceiving on their own. Boston IVF, founded in 1986, is one of the first private IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) centers in the United States. It has helped more than 125,000 babies to be born. In an exclusive interview with Insights Care, David L. Stern, MBA – CEO of Boston IVF, sheds light on the company's journey, the current industry scenario, and his vision for the company's future. Please brief our audience about Boston IVF, its USPs, and how it is currently positioned as a reliable name in the healthcare space. Boston IVF is one of the first private IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) centers in the United States. Affiliated with Beth Israel Lahey Medical and Harvard Medical School, it has an academic focus in a private practice setting. The companies' mission is to help people become parents and over the past 35 years has helped more than 125,000 babies be born, which equates to eight babies born per day! Boston IVF, while a private medical practice, invests more
than $1 million a year in research on new technologies to improve the success rates of infertility treatment. Our scientists and physicians have published more than 83 papers and abstracts in journals and international scientific meetings over the past four years. Tell us more about your organization's offerings and what aspects make it stand out in the healthcare industry. Quality and patient experience make Boston IVF stand out in the healthcare industry. Boston IVF is the only ISOcertified IVF center in North America. This certification is the highest quality standard, and all our protocols are documented. We review monthly key performance measures as it relates to both medical treatments as well as lab-quality measures. In 2021, Boston IVF had eight doctors recognized as 'Best in Boston' by Boston Magazine. Boston IVF has been represented in this prestigious list for the past ten years in a row. Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like artificial
Quality and patient experience make Boston IVF stand out in the healthcare industry.
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10 Best Women's Health Solution Providers 2022
About the Leader Mr. Stern has over 28 years of women's health experience and has devoted most of his career to the fertility industry. He has held executive leadership positions and built successful teams while launching numerous products in pharmaceutical and biotech markets worldwide. He has a unique perspective of having run some of the largest US and global women's health divisions as well as served as a Clevel executive at venture-backed start-up companies. Fun fact, Mr. Stern started his career as a pharmaceutical drug representative calling on Boston IVF, where he is now the CEO. intelligenc (AI) and machine learning (ML) is impacting the healthcare industry and how is Boston IVF adapting to the change? Boston IVF is currently working with new companies utilizing AI and ML to improve embryo assessment as well as drug protocol development. The current assessment of embryo quality is very subjective and manual – a trained embryologist visually inspects an embryo under the microscope and gives it a score.
AI is being trained to objectively look at an embryo and, based on a learning data set of successful embryos that became babies – score that embryo as to the potential of it becoming a baby. This can improve the outcome as well as free up embryologists for other tasks in the laboratory. What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the healthcare industry? The healthcare industry is so rewarding because you are having an impact on patients' lives. With new technologies
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Appreciation of excellence Doctor Nina is the best, and her team is also very helpful, very professional, and friendly. Everything was just as smooth as it could be, and now, I am so happy to be blessed with a 7-month baby boy. And I recommend her and the Boston IVF Quincy location so strongly. - Minucha B We can't say enough great things about Boston IVF, the Syracuse Center. The staff is truly amazing. The process is by far easy, but they are with you every step of the way. We can't thank them enough! - Miranda Zimmer Welcoming and informative staff, huge emphasis on patient care - Michelle Harris
and scientific findings, we are at the point of personalized medicine to improve not only outcomes but also to reduce side effects and target the right drug or treatment to the right patient. How do you envision scaling Boston IVF's operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond? Boston IVF is in the process of improving how we communicate with our patients by launching a new patient app in 2022. This will provide real-time ability to see medication instructions, appointment information and communicate with the clinical team. In addition, Boston IVF has been growing our network of IVF centers significantly only the past year – adding three new IVF centers to the Boston IVF family in 2021 alone. (Columbus, OH; Salt Lake City, UT; and Newark, DE). Today Boston IVF has nine IVF centers, 30 offices, and 31 physicians across ten states.
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Lisa Krapinger Co-founder & CEO
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10 Best Women's Health Solu on Providers 2022
“
G
Ÿ
ood health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account."
Anne Wilson Schaef
Health is wealth, so goes the adage. Health is the one parameter that every individual needs to take good care of, be it a man or a woman. To state the obvious, men and women are different. Subsequently, women's healthcare needs are quite unique and demand extra care and attention. Women experience a multitude of healthcare issues that are specific to them only; from pregnancy and menopause to gynaecology conditions, and even some severe disorders like Turner syndrome, Rett Syndrome, and ovarian and cervical cancers. Sufficed to say that to address to this variety of women-specific conditions optimally, we need healthcare centers specific to women.
Fortunately, there is an innovative company that understands women's health concerns and the necessity for inclusive care. It's an honour to introduce breathe ilo GmbH, a tech-driven female health company that provides a holistic women's health platform. breathe ilo empowers women to know more about their female cycle. The company's objective is to help women around the world understand their bodies better which creates a positive impact on their overall health. In an exclusive interview with Insights Care, Lisa Krapinger, Co-founder and CEO, sheds light on the company's journey, the current industry scenario, and her vision for the company's future. Please brief our audience about breathe ilo, its USPs, and how it is currently positioned as a reliable name in the healthcare space. breathe ilo is a tech-driven female health company, providing a holistic women's health platform, enabled by a uniquely convenient, proprietary, and patented cycletracker.
Lisa is the Co-Founder and CEO of breathe ilo. With her background in marke ng and sales of well-known consumer brands and her outstanding passion for female health, she is the ideal candidate for making a cycle-based female health brand thrive. Lisa's mission is to help to close the exis ng gender data gap, which also has implica ons in the female health knowledge gap. With this in mind, she wanted to bring a product that easily helps women understand their female body be er and live according to their female cycle. This makes absolute sense, not only for trying to conceive but also for being more produc ve at work, living a healthier life, and reaching your next sports goal, for example – running a marathon.
breathe ilo's integrated and mutually enforcing hardware/software-offering is being developed by a worldclass team of respiratory and data scientists, medical engineers, and software experts and brought to market by certified female health experts, consumer growth marketers (ex-Red Bull/Heineken), and senior business strategists (exMcKinsey). To date, more than $8M have been invested in the device's R&D. Tell us more about your organization's offerings and what aspects make it stand out in the healthcare industry. breathe ilo empowers women to know more about their female cycle, which is a major indicator of female health. While a woman can accurately predict her cycle phases, she gets individual insights on what to do with this information and how to reach her goals.
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breathe ilo empowers women to know more about their female cycle, which is a major indicator of female health.
This may be gaining or losing weight, getting better in specific sports classes, or the desire of having children. With the combination of a physical parameter (the CO2 measurements of the breath ilo device) and the software algorithm, she can live a healthier life and reach her goals faster. Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like AI and ML is impacting the healthcare industry and how is your company adapting to the change? In my opinion, AI and ML are absolutely necessary to drive healthcare. It helps us to understand health problems earlier and improves the outcome for the patient. It will not replace real doctors, but it is a crucial tool to leverage healthcare in the future because it solves bottlenecks in the industry. With those tools, we can accelerate patient care and routine workflows with accurate insights. What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the healthcare industry? If you have the passion to do something with impact, and to do something good for the whole society, the healthcare industry is the place to do so. In no other field can you help people so much. But it needs to be your real passion, and you shouldn't be afraid of any throwbacks because the studies and the outcome take several years in most cases. So, it needs full commitment for a long period of time to really see change. How do you envision scaling your company's operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond?
breathe ilo has won several pitches and awards. To men on a few, it is state awarded for its unique design and for its innova ve product – the breathe ilo device. The company has taken part in three accelerator programs: Tech4Eva, Merck Accelerator, and the #GoSiliconValley program. There are several thousand customers who are using breathe ilo's product on a daily basis. The company is also working with over 200 influencers who love the brand and everything it does. To name a few customer feedback quotes: "I have been using breathe ilo for a while now, and I have learned so much about my body and female cycle. This is a female health gamechanger."– Nadine "This is an unbelievable company. Not only the device is awesome. Also, the customer support is super nice and answered instantly." – Marion "Congratula ons on this revolu onary device. I love the design and accuracy of me breathe ilo."– Louisa "I am thrilled. breathe ilo showed me ovula on before it occurs, and I became pregnant immediately."– Steffi
We are aiming to internationalize our proofed concept from the DACH region to the US. With the right partnerships, we will scale our company's operations soon.
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10 Effective Ways
for Stress
Management D
o you feel your family and friends have started pointing out your behavior lately? Are you unable to enjoy your evenings after returning home from your workplace? Are you often falling ill, and your body feels drained because of mental exhaustion? If the answers to the above questions are 'YES,' you need to address your stress levels. It is imperative to address stress, as it negatively impacts a host of different areas of your life, including work, relationships, health, and body functions. The ability to manage stress makes you capable and prepared to tackle it emotionally, physically, and physiologically. As stress is an inescapable aspect of human life, it is crucial to understand a little bit of its science. When anyone is stressed, the brain undergoes both chemical and physical changes. During these periods of high tension, the brain releases certain chemicals, namely neurotransmitters dopamine and epinephrine. After their release, it contributes to physiological changes, which can increase the heart rate as well as the blood pressure to further weaken the immune system. If such conditions are left unmanaged at times, they can eventually develop into chronic conditions such as asthma, heart diseases, strokes, and much more.
Below are ten ways to reduce stress: • Exercise It is a well-known fact that any kind of exercise, from aerobics to yoga, increases your overall health and your sense of well-being. It is one of the best strategies to combat stress and manage chronic diseases. Studies have suggested that getting at least 150 minutes of exercise every week directly affects stress levels and promotes optimum health. Moderating your stress levels may improve your physical wellness and heart health. Some people have even noticed an improvement in their moods right after working out. = • Deep Breathing The body's natural and immediate response to combating stress is deep breathing. This relaxation response is not just lying on the couch and sleeping but rather a mentally active process that leaves the body calm, relaxed, and focused. Studies have suggested that abdominal breathing for 20-30 minutes per day helps reduce anxiety and stress. This technique increases the supply of oxygen in the brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a state of calmness. It helps one connect with their bodies, bringing awareness and helping calm one's mind. • Healthy Diet Food has played a vital role in order to tame stress levels in
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Ease off the Stress
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various ways. Healthy food like a bowl of oatmeal boosts levels of serotonin- a chemical that helps to calm the brain. Apart from oatmeal, other nutritional and dietary food can help cut cortisol and adrenaline levels, simply putting the stress hormones that take a toll on the body over time. Including simple carbs like oranges, spinach, fatty fish, black tea, dry fruits, and much more can help individuals manage stress levels. • Reserve Time for Hobbies Hobbies bring to the table fun and freedom, helping individuals to minimize the impact of chronic stress. People who feel overwhelmed after a hectic day at work can benefit from hobbies as these activities provide an outlet for stress. Studies have suggested that hobbies can help buffer stressful jobs and help mitigate factors that contribute to burnout. • Talking About the Problems The best way to help lower your stress is to talk it out. There are various people like family members, friends, colleagues, or a therapist who can help listen to the nnumber of thoughts that are contributing to an individual's stress levels.
• Eliminating Triggers To help manage stress, it is essential to find the root cause of your stress. Figuring out whether it's your job, commute, or relationships with close ones can help eliminate triggers or at least reduce them in the longer run. Make a note of them and try to find suitable solutions which will help you lessen the amount of stress. • Taking Short Breaks Studies have suggested that giving yourself actual downtime helps reduce stress to a greater extent. It is very similar to practicing hobbies. Resting things can include listening to music, praying, etc. • Relaxing Your Muscles Loosening up your muscles by stretching, taking a hot bath, or taking a massage help in the process of reducing stress. • Slowing Down Last but not least, stress is often caused by a hectic lifestyle. It is essential to slow down and follow the above strategies. In short, determine your pattern and implement an accurate strategy to avoid stress!
Many people do not feel comfortable talking about their problems to others. In this case, talking to yourself, which is famously known as self-talk, can help reduce stress if done positively. • Going Easy on Yourself In today's competitive world, individuals often compare themselves with others. In this process, they forget that every individual is talented in some or the other way. Hence, it is essential to accept that one cannot do everything perfectly and cannot control everything that life throws at them. It is therefore suggested that individuals take things easy on themselves. As the quote goes, 'Laughter is the best medicine,' it is recommended that keeping a sense of humor can help you go a long way toward making you feel relaxed.
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- Shrutika Khedekar
10 Best Women's Health Solution Providers 2022
HER ONE An Assured Benchmark of Wellness omen accept varied roles and responsibilities to penetrate different facades of the world economy. Whether the work is done in the kitchen or a corporate office, they succeed everywhere. Comprehending this scenario, solutions providers enable convenience through reliable solutions for women's health.
W
2017 in order to support women of all ages in all situations of life.
With the demand for female-focused solution providers and natural nutrition blends to support women to live their best lives. However, these providers ensure that the solutions must be natural, simple, and trusted.
Additionally, HER ONE wants to bring women's health into the public focus. Human health is incredibly important, and that is why it is also essential to highlight topics like women's intestinal health.
Together with a team of experts, the company aims to portray the beauty and lifestyle industry with innovative and sustainable products made from natural raw materials.
One such unique platform enabling reliability in this niche is HER ONE, a Berlin-based wellness brand that provides natural supplements with botanical nutrients to nourish one's beauty from the inside out. Moreover, HER ONE has defined various product promises to which the company adhere, including a total of three areas: 100% natural and clean, sustainable, and transparent and, finally, developed by doctors. In an exclusive interview with Insights Care, Chanyu Xu, Founder and CEO, sheds light on the company's USPs, highlighting the current industry scenario and her opinion on the company's future. Chanyu, please tell us about HER ONE, its core values and its contribution to ameliorating women's health and empowerment. HER ONE is a Berlin-based wellness brand that provides natural supplements with botanical nutrients to nourish one's beauty from the inside out. I founded the company in
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Since 2019, we have been on the market with our bestseller product 'Inner Beauty.
Chanyu Xu, Founder and CEO
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Tell us more about HER ONE's offerings and what aspects make it stand out in the healthcare industry. Since 2019 we have been on the market with our bestseller product "Inner Beauty". Our #pinkdrink provides harmony in the belly and radiant skin. It is a combination product consisting of a drink and a calcium capsule that supports digestion - consisting of 25 billion active, natural and good microorganisms (lacto-and bifidobacterial cultures). In addition, a capsule of natural calcium ensures an optimal support of digestive enzymes and covers 50% of the daily requirement of calcium. In addition, our pink drink contains other vegetable fibres and minerals from freeze-dried strawberries, raspberries and organic dwarf bananas, respectively. On top, our inner beauty product also contains important nutrients from the following organic superfoods: baobab and pea protein. The market is full of synthetic chemical clubs, which in my eyes, have nothing to do with preventive health care. We, at HER ONE, have developed principles for ourselves that unfortunately are not a matter of course in the current times, but are an obligation for us: we have defined various product promises for ourselves that we adhere to, including a total of 3 areas: 100% natural and clean, sustainable, and transparent and, finally, developed by doctors. 100% natural and clean: Without added sugar, preservatives, flavourings, the products are free of gluten, lactose, without sweeteners and artificial additives.
Sustainable and transparent - Our raw materials are certified organic; the products are made in Germany, and for the sake of the environment, we rely on 100% recyclable and refillable packaging. Developed by doctors - Our products are developed based on the latest studies and tested and certified in Germany. Tell us about your journey in the healthcare sector highlighting HER ONE's vision in the industry. The origin of the story begins with my parents. They came from China to Germany in the mid-80s. They studied at the beginning and later started their own business. They gave me the opportunity to develop and pursue my passion. For me, this was not a matter of course, and even today, I am incredibly grateful to have had this chance: that's why I founded HER ONE, with the vision to support women of all ages and in all situations. For as long as I can remember, nutrition has played a major role in my life. I firmly believe that you will live longer and better if you eat well. In Germany, we say: All good things come in threes! HER ONE is the third start-up I have founded in the food tech sector. Creating something new always demands a lot of time and energy. In the meantime, I know from my own experience that one tries to win some extra time a lot of time by eating "fast" and, unfortunately, often unhealthily in stressful phases.
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Thus, a vicious cycle of stress, hasty eating, and indisposition begins quickly. For this reason, these people suffer from digestive problems. Unfortunately, women are affected more often than men. With HER ONE, I would like to help people, especially women in all different phases of their lives, to tackle health problems holistically from the inside out. Studies and the latest research confirm what many physicians have known for centuries: A healthy body starts with a healthy gut. Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like AI and ML is impacting the healthcare industry. How is your company adapting to the change? It is hard to imagine life without AI and ML in today's world. Generally, in the healthcare industry, many healthcare organizations face the challenge of accumulating huge data sets in the form of medical records and images, population data, claims data, and clinical trial data. AI technologies are well suited to analyse this data and derive patterns and insights that humans could not find on their own. With the usage of AI, healthcare organizations can use algorithms to make better business and clinical decisions and improve the quality of the experience they deliver. To better understand our customers, we use as much data as possible to better understand women's needs and wants. Using the different algorithms, we try to bring the topic to as many women as possible and educate them. Many of those affected do not even know that intestinal health is an important topic and that it is by no means a
taboo subject. It is important to create awareness slowly but surely for inner health. What would be your advice for the budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the healthcare industry? I would advise the budding entrepreneurs to leave their comfort zone. The beginning is always the hardest, and for this reason, it is important to keep in mind why you have chosen this important and future-relevant industry in the first place. Ultimately, people stand and fall with their health, and for this reason, there are no taboos and no limits, especially in this industry. In the end, your own vision and mission will not only help you, but also your family and friends. Other people can also be helped with your own product, and you should keep this in mind regularly. The start-up scene needs people who are not afraid of challenges and accept them and master them in their own way. How do you envision scaling HER ONE's operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond? In the meantime, it's not enough if the product and the content are great - the responsibility you have in today's start-up scene goes much further: the purity and sustainability of our products are especially important to me. There are enough companies in the market that still haven't understood and sell unnatural chemicals that fall far short of the goal of preventive health care. Our society is just beginning to rethink in many places, and our new demands should not stop at food supplements. In the long term, we at HER ONE will therefore continue to focus exclusively on natural ingredients. Wherever possible, we obtain our raw materials from European or certified organic sources and have our products bottled in Germany. Likewise, we pay attention to sustainability in our product, shipping as well as packaging. In order to avoid unnecessary (plastic) waste and take it upon ourselves to create even more awareness and education.
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The emergence of Femtech in the Healthcare Industry M
artha Plimpton rightly quoted, "It's long past time we started focusing on the solutions that actually keep women healthy, instead of using basic aspects of women's health as a tool of cultural, moral, and political control.” Women represent 49.58% of the global population, yet technological tools catering to specific women's needs have an unbelievable small market. A study estimated that there are only 200 female-focused health start-ups across the world. And that's exactly why there is a need for an everflourishing Femtech Industry! Femtech, a term coined lately in 2016 by entrepreneur Ida Tin, has full-fledged grown to encompass a range of technology-enabled as well as women-centric products and solutions. These solutions have helped improve women's healthcare across a number of female-specific conditions like menstrual health, fertility, contraceptives, sexual health, maternal health, as well as the general health conditions that affect women differently, like osteoporosis and many more. So, till now, it is evident Femtech is actually an anecdote for 'female technology.' So let us look at some of the contributing factors to the success of this industry in such a short course of time. Contributing Factors to the Current Scenario There are several factors that have propelled the agenda of the rise of the Femtech industry. As the representation of women in the technological arena has increased, which was traditionally dominated by men, awareness of health conditions that primarily affect women has grown.
As infectious diseases are increasing at a higher rate among females, especially in middle and lower-income countries, it has led to an upsurge of funding for female healthcare. The establishment of Femtech has given women access to several services and products. Companies have digitalized women's healthcare by having operations through telemedicine app that provides free or paid prescriptions and consultancy. An Innovative Crossroad As the number of creditors and entrepreneurs catering to the Femtech industry has increased, women are becoming increasingly selective about the products they wish to use on their bodies. Such a space has promoted innovation and given women choices while also educating, destigmatizing, and promoting environmentalism. One of the excellent examples of such innovative healthcare gadgets is the menstrual cup. It is an AI-enabled, biodegradable, disposable, and reusable product. Promoting such hygiene products will help significantly reduce economic and ecological costs, helping achieve the UN sustainable goals 2030. Major Challenges Faced by Femtech Industry Research has shown several hindrances to the Femtech industry. As women's representation is still one of the significant issues in the healthcare sector, it has triggered many other problems catering to the healthcare space. Below are a few of the major challenges. ·
As the Femtech industry is still in its raw phase and most of the companies associated with this industry are start-ups, funding remains a major
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challenge. Lack of sufficient finances for the development of products and services, primarily in the lower-income countries like the Sub-Saharan African region, is a major issue. ·
Funding from the operations part is one thing, but affordability from the consumer's side is another. Women living in the lower-income or middleincome regions cannot really afford to have digitalized and technology-driven healthcare. The economic burden remains a major issue for women in these regions to access quality healthcare. Making healthcare affordable and convenient in order to cater to the marginalized section of the global population remains a huge task.
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Talking about the deeper economic side of it, when something is new in the market, entrepreneurs often face the problem of setting the right price for their products and services. One of the major challenges in the Femtech industry is the inadequate models for pricing.
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The most important and the issue which is long debated is the implementation of the 'pink tax.' The connotation is quite famous as it is an unfair levy applied to female healthcare products required explicitly for menstrual hygiene. Entrepreneurs fear that the implementation of the pink tax can be a huge hindrance to the Femtech space.
The Future of the Femtech Industry There are a couple of hundred start-ups in the Femtech arena in today's scenario. As the primary focus of these industries is women's health, a significant of these start-up endeavours are owned and run by females themselves. The future of the Femtech Industry is foreseen by having more investors who will further help the industry grow fourfold. It is estimated that within the period of ten years, backed by accessibility and affordability through technological innovations, the sector will expand. Although the number of investors in this space is not much, the increasing development of apps and research will enhance the spread of smart medical devices and wearables. It is empowering to utilize technology in order to realize new solutions to the age-old women's healthcare problems.
- Shrutika Khedekar
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10 Best Women's Health Solu on Providers 2022
Hotze Health &
Wellness Center Offering the Best Health Solu ons to Women
L
adies, are you searching for the right answers for your health symptoms? Do you want natural solutions to work with your body to bring you back to optimal health? Women's health requirements differ from that of men in many ways. Some serious health challenges faced by women are not only breast cancer, anemia, and gynecological problems, but also symptoms of hormone decline such as fatigue, difficulty losing weight, poor concentration, short-term memory loss, anxiety, insomnia, menstrual irregularities, loss of sexual inclination, chronic infections, muscle and joint pain, hair loss, and many more. Ensuring that a woman can enjoy the right to health in all her diversity, concrete action is needed. Hence it is time to empower women by providing the best natural health solutions, on their terms. Women are keen on their symptoms and take more time to understand the complexities that occur in their bodies over time.
Health & Wellness Center is in the Houston area of Texas, guests visit them from across the nation and around the world. Only the initial visit needs to be in person. Subsequent visits can be by phone or video conference with their team of professionals. We, at Insights Care, have talked with Steven F. Hotze, M.D., Founder and CEO of Hotze Health & Wellness Center, to learn more about the functional medicine practice and its journey. Following are the highlights of the interview: Reliable Healthcare "We have been positioned as a world-renowned leader in functional medicine since 1989. We treat the whole body naturally, getting to the root cause of symptoms without the use of pharmaceutical drugs. We listen to our patients, whom we call our guests." Remarkable Leader
It is also very important for doctors to take the time to listen to their women patients. It is no longer good enough to tell women their symptoms are normal and due to aging and maturing. Women are smarter than that and have begun to question traditional medicine and traditional approaches to solutions. It has become evident that there is a need to combine medical care with hospitality to ensure that women receive extraordinary service and care. One such health and wellness center is Hotze Health & Wellness Center, headquartered in Katy (Houston area), Texas, positioned as a world-renowned leader in functional medicine since 1989, and provides natural treatment without pharmaceutical drugs. In this health and wellness center, doctors and providers are changing the way women and men are treated using bioidentical hormones and so much more. While the Hotze
Steven F. Hotze, M.D. is the Founder and CEO of the Hotze Health & Wellness Center, International, Physicians Preference Vitamins and Physicians Preference Pharmacy, International, LLC.
We have been posi oned as a world-renowned leader in func onal medicine since 1989.
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Dr. Hotze received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 1976. He completed a surgical internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Houston, and then entered the practice of emergency medicine. Dr. Hotze is a member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and is a former member and former president of the Pan American Allergy Society. Dr. Hotze is also a member of The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). In 1981, Dr. Hotze opened his Family and Occupational Medical practice in North Houston. In 1989, he established the Hotze Health & Wellness Center in the Katy (Houston), Texas area. Dr. Hotze grew from practicing conventional medicine, which used surgery and pharmaceutical drugs, to actively listening to his patients and treating the root cause of their symptoms through natural approaches. The Hotze Health & Wellness Center considers itself to be in the hospitality industry first, and within that context, provides medical care to its guests. The professional staff partners with the guests to coach them on a path of health and wellness, naturally, so that as they mature, they are brimming with energy, vitality, and enthusiasm for life.
Steven F. Hotze, M.D., Founder and CEO
Dr. Hotze is the best-selling author of four books: • • • •
Hormones, Health, and Happiness Hypothyroidism, Health & Happiness Do A 180 The Proven Prescription
In Hormones, Health, and Happiness, Dr. Hotze says: "For an acute illness, the drug approach may be appropriate. However, patients with chronic ailments never really get well by taking drugs. How can they? Chronic illness and disease are not caused by deficiencies of prescription drugs.” Dr. Hotze hosted a daily Health & Wellness Solutions radio show on KSEV 700 AM and Dr. Hotze's Wellness Revolution radio show on KPRC AM 950 and iHeart radio between 2001and 2017. He currently hosts Dr. Hotze's Wellness Revolution Podcast, which features expert guests and patient testimonials available on https://www.hotzewc.com/radio/ and https://www.youtube.com/user/HotzeHealth.
Dynamic Offerings When asked about the organization's offerings and what aspects make it stand out in the healthcare industry, Dr. Hotze says, "We transform lives naturally. Our providers are changing the way women and men are treated using bioidentical hormones and a combination of vitamin and mineral replacement, a lifestyle nutrition program and allergy resolutions – all when indicated. Our goal is the prevention of illness by increasing energy levels and strengthening our guests' immune system. We have helped over 33,000 women and men obtain health and wellness, naturally, without the use of pharmaceutical drugs." At the Hotze Health & Wellness Center, their team of professionals is committed to enabling their guests to enjoy
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don't treat our patients like a number, they are treated as a guest at our Wellness Center. We combine our medical care with hospitality to ensure that our guests receive extraordinary service and care. This approach differentiates us from our competitors and gives our guests the proper care they need. People visit our wellness center from all over the world," adds Dr. Hotze. Opinions that Matter When asked for his opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like AI and ML are impacting healthcare and how the company is adapting to the change, Dr. Hotze explains, "There is certainly a place for AI and ML in the medical industry. However, at the Hotze Health & Wellness Center, we decided a long time ago that 'listening' to our guests and understanding their clinical symptoms is key to getting to the root cause.
a better quality of life. Their providers will help their guests obtain and maintain health and wellness naturally by having their guests follow their 8-Point Treatment Regimen: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Treatment of airborne allergies Treatment of food allergies Treatment of yeast (Candida) Natural thyroid hormone supplementation Bioidentical hormone treatment in women and men Treatment of adrenal fatigue Detoxification through vitamin and mineral supplementation 8. Nutritionally balanced eating and exercise program for obtaining and maintaining optimal health and an ideal body weight By helping you achieve these goals, the Hotze Health & Wellness Center expects to put you on a life-long path of health and wellness. "We treat hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, menopause, perimenopause, low testosterone, allergies, Candida, and address detoxification and nutritional deficiencies. We also offer IV treatments, aesthetics treatments and our Hotze Restorative Protocol™ for joint pain. We help our guests strengthen their immune system and restore their energy and vitality." "We stand out because we take a natural approach to health and we listen to our patients, whom we call our 'guests.' We
Of course, we utilize sophisticated blood tests and other key testing, but I can't tell you how many times a guest comes to us – often as a last resort – because other doctors have told them, 'Your symptoms are all in your head,' or 'What do you expect? You're getting older, and these things will happen.' I wholeheartedly disagree. There are reasons for every symptom, and a doctor and medical professional must take the time and care to get to the root cause. Prescription drugs only mask symptoms. If you are 50 and can feel like you did when you were 30, would you prefer that? If you are 60 and could feel 40, wouldn't that be nice? Well, you can. Our hormone levels decline as we age, but there is a solution with bioidentical hormones to replace those lost hormones to increase energy and give you back that zest for life. We don't take the easy road at the Hotze Health & Wellness Center. Caring for your health is a commitment and we have been dedicated to helping our guests since 1989.” Looking Forward “We continually refine our processes and offerings to ensure that our guests receive the finest care available. Our goal is to work hand-in-hand with our guests along their health journey, as we know it is a commitment and investment on their part.’’ “I'm always looking forward. When I'm not satisfied with the quality, the potency, or the standards for the recommendations we provide to our guests, I do everything in my ability to make that right. This is a key reason why I
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founded Physicians Preference Vitamins and my own compounding pharmacy, Physicians Preference Pharmacy, International. Rather than meeting the bare minimum required by law, we have self-imposed standards that go above and beyond what many of our certifications and accreditations require. This is why my compounding pharmacy is one of the best in the nation. Bioidentical hormones, which are identical to the hormones made by your body, are different than synthetic hormones and bioidentical hormones are what we utilize in our practice. We compound them ourselves in our pharmacy, so our guests know the dosage we recommend is the dosage they get. We test other pharmacies' compounded prescriptions frequently and they simply do not match our potency standards and delivery.” “As I look forward, my goal is continuous research and learning in my industry for the benefit of my guests. For example, in the treatment of allergies, I moved from injections and daily/weekly drops to state-of-the-art LDI (Low Dose Immunotherapy) sublingual treatments. It has been life-changing for women, men and children suffering from allergies. With just 7-8 treatments in a year's time, and for most, after a period of three years, allergies are fully relieved and, in many cases, resolved.”
so many of our guests experience as a result of aging or past injuries. Injections directly into the joints help best in these situations. IV's can assist with the prevention and resolution of a plethora of health concerns where the body's cells require support. This is a cellular repair treatment that is a natural restorative approach versus masking the pain with prescription drugs that cause more side effects. It is groundbreaking and can help our guests live a better life and, in some cases, avoid invasive surgery. I continue to look for alternative approaches, such as energy medicine which we are evaluating as of the writing of this article, and services to assist our guests and to help people get well naturally, thrive, and live their best life," said Dr. Hotze.
"We also brought in my newest HRP (Hotze Restorative Protocol™) injection and IV treatments for joint pain that
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OCON
HEALTHCARE
Supporting Women with Modern Health Solutions
T
he female body is responsible for additional natural responsibilities like childbirth, maintaining menstrual cycles, and hormonal changes over the years, which places a heavy burden on their health. The healthcare industry needs to adopt newly developed products and treatments to deliver better health assistance to women. OCON Healthcare develops innovative and reliable medical solutions inspired by women's bodies and anatomy to better women's lives worldwide. The company has developed next-generation products like IUB™ Ballerine®, IUB™ SEAD™, and IUB™ PRIMA™ to serve women's health safely and effectively. Its objective is to bring in an innovative, high-quality intrauterine drug-delivery technology to enhance and impact women's health and quality of life.
During an interview with Insights Care, Keren Leshem, CEO, and Anula Jayasuriya, Chairwoman of the Board, shared insights about their modern healthcare company that is supporting women's health requirements by utilizing advanced solutions. Please brief our audience about your company, its USPs, and how it is currently positioned as a reliable name in the healthcare space. OCON Healthcare develops innovative and safe medical solutions inspired by women's bodies and anatomy to allow more therapeutic choices and better the lives of women everywhere. An Israeli FemHealth revolution — OCON is led by women for women, with an 85% female team working on the future of drug delivery to the uterus.
OCON Healthcare's novel platform technology, namely IUB™ (IntraUterine Ball), is made from a super-elastic spherical high-tech frame that can retain its shape and is an ideal drug-delivery platform to the uterus to treat various health conditions such as endometriosis (one in ten women), myomas/fibroids (seven in ten women), cancers, heavy and abnormal uterine bleeding (one in three or four women), and also allows additional options for contraception that are safe and effective. Chronic conditions more often burden women disproportionately: Abnormal Uterine Bleeding, Endometriosis, and Myomas/Fibroids are a few examples. Heavy menstrual bleeding is a global problem that affects one-third of women globally, according to the ACOG. More than 40% of women suffer from depression due to heavy periods. More than 70% of women have uterine fibroids by age 50, with women of color being at higher risk. In addition, women still carry the burden of side effects: More than 20% of women discontinue their birth control solutions due to side effects. Women have a 1.7-fold greater risk of developing adverse reactions to treatments. Sadly, large health inequities among women remain. Current outdated technologies impact the health economics of entire societies, marital qualities of partnerships, family planning, and productivity in the workforce. OCON is here to change that! OCON's mission is to improve women 's health and quality of life globally. Tell us more about your organization's offerings and what aspects make it stand out in the healthcare industry.
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10 Best Women's Health Solution Providers 2022
Keren Leshem
THE LEADERSHIP
CEO
Keren Leshem, OCON's CEO, is a seasoned executive with over 20 years' experience in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries specializing in the management of innovative start-ups, strategy, commercialization, BD, and financing. She was recently dubbed as one of the three women shaping the future of women's health by Forbes Magazine. Before leading OCON Healthcare, Ms. Leshem held various global CEO, board, and management positions within the pharmaceutical and medical industries, both in Israel and abroad. Ms. Leshem currently sits on FemTech Lab's admissions and advisory boards as well as LSX's advisory board and is a mentor through the 8400 Healthtech Network. When Ms. Leshem joined OCON, she quickly re-designed the strategy and products and diversified OCON's team and board to be women-led and teamed up with Anula Jayasuriya, MD, PhD, MBA, to become Chairwoman of OCON's board. Anula Jayasuriya is an inspiring and successful private equity executive and venture capitalist whose background combines deep business, scientific, and medical knowledge with broad clinical, industry, entrepreneurial, and investment experience. She serves on the boards of several biotechnology companies and also serves on non-profit boards. Ms. Jayasuriya holds a BA (summa cum laude) from Harvard, an MD and PhD from Harvard Medical School, as well as an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School and an M. Phil. in pharmacology from the University of Cambridge, in England. She is the Founder and Managing Director of EXXclaim Capital and Co-founder of Evolvence India Life Science Fund.
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OCON's mission is to improve women 's health and quality of life globally.
Today, traditional contraception and therapies for endometriosis, myomas, heavy/abnormal menstrual bleeding, and contraception are mainly hormonal and often oral, causing long-term systemic side effects. Second-line procedures or techniques are often invasive (can lead to up to 25% Hysterectomies), costly, and not applicable and/or not accessible to all women, especially in Low to Mid Income Countries (LMIC) since they require a hospital setting and expensive capital equipment. The time is right to introduce new technologies that would allow essentially all women in need to get a solution that fits their anatomy, moving away from systemic side effects, and have procedures performed in a more targeted, faster, and uncomplicated way in their community with their trusted OBGYN or midwife. OCON's 3D "smart" drug-delivery platform is the ideal carrier for any drug or substance to be introduced directly to the target tissue to treat various women's health conditions away from systemic side effects. Here is a taste of our platform products in different stages of availability: IUB™ Ballerine® OCON's flagship product is the IUB™ Ballerine®, a hormone-free, small, 3D, flexible birth control LARC (long-acting reversible contraception) device. The IUB Ballerine® is commercial in the EU, Middle East, parts of Africa, S. America, and will soon be so in Japan, Russia, China, and the USA.
Understanding the drawbacks and the myriad of issues women face with traditional T-shaped IUDs, leading them to discontinue their use, led OCON to create the IUB™ Ballerine® to be spherical and small (only 15 mm in diameter) designed to effortlessly adapt and position itself in line with the uterus's contractions and movements. This 'smart' personalization minimizes the typical risks of damage and irritation in the uterus associated with conventional T-shaped devices, demonstrates an improved safety profile leading to fewer perforations (40% less), malposition, and ectopic pregnancies (over 90% less). The IUB™ Ballerine® has already been adopted globally in over 110,000 diverse women in 30 markets, demonstrating a significant validation of its platform and future products to continue to create high customer fulfillment levels emphasizing the success of OCON's innovation for the femtech space. IUB™ SEAD™ OCON's most revolutionary and game-changing drug product is the IUB™ SEAD™ (Spherical Endometrial Ablation Device), non-hormonal once-and-done treatment for women suffering from heavy menstrual bleeding and/or abnormal uterine bleeding. With its non-invasive simplicity and cost-effectiveness, the IUB SEAD™ will be a game-changer. With a gentle ablation to the bleeding endometrium free from harmful
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Anula Jayasuriya Chairwoman of the Board
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the healthcare industry? Focus on education first, and your customers will be able to make better and more informed decisions. It will also help emerging entrepreneurs build a community around their products. The community can then turn into paying customers, and word-of-mouth is priceless. Network is essential to build your brand and to have support and advice on anything you wish to build or create. Your network can also help you quickly find the right key opinion leaders, help you fundraise and help you focus! hormones and targeted to be safer than the current standard of care for global endometrial ablation, which is invasive. It requires hospitalization and general anesthesia and is very painful and expensive due to capital equipment needs and could cause uterine wall adhesions and/or result in hysterectomies in up to 25% of women - this treatment always leaves the woman infertile afterward and is limited or not available in LMIC. OCON's product is currently in Phase IIb clinical studies demonstrating highly encouraging results with over 80% average reduction in bleeding within the first month, with no to very mild pain scores reported, and 95% Quality of Life Satisfaction reported. IUB™ PRIMA Through OCON's therapeutic-delivery IUB™ PRIMA, the company is working on additional pipeline products to target therapy areas such as endometriosis and myomas as well as heavy menstrual bleeding and other hormonal solutions delivered directly through the uterus moving away from systemic side effects. The IUB PRIMA's first drug will be Levonorgestrel.
Being mentored as well as acting as a mentor is most important to shaping your leadership and outlook. How do you envision scaling your company's operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond? In 2022, OCON will continue developing the 3D Ball pipeline, making sure we can initiate our pivotal study in the USA, continue to grow our markets to allow women more choices for their reproductive health, and advance our clinical assets even further! OCON will further focus on shaping its pipeline offering through its innovative platform technology by researching and developing solutions for women's pain points that have been overlooked for decades, such as endometriosis, for example. OCON aims to accompany women throughout their different life stages with solutions and therapies that are specifically designed for the female anatomy.
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Dedicated to Serving Women's Healthcare Needs
I
t is true that human anatomy is built by nature but differs in a gender-specific way. Evidently, women's health needs differ from men's in several ways.
Today, we have a vast number of equipment, research, technology, and experts that address the regular healthcare needs of a person. But there is a dire need for a focused approach towards women's health issues. Theramex is efficiently catering to this need. Theramex has established itself globally as a women's health expert that provides innovative, effective, and safe solutions that support women at every stage of their lives. Its aim is to become a lifetime partner for women and the healthcare professionals who treat them. The company is led by a visionary leader, Rob Stewart, the CEO, who has vast experience in the industry with a focus on women's health issues. We at Insights Care talked with him to learn more about the company, its vision and mission for women's health-related solutions.
Theramex's sole focus is to meet the needs of women's health globally and provide healthcare practitioners with the full range of products and tools needed for treatment. We are unique in our dedication to supporting women in all stages of their life, covering contraception, fertility, menopause, and osteoporosis. Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like AI and ML is impacting the healthcare industry and how is your company adapting to the change? Modern technologies such as AI and ML are impacting the healthcare industry in a powerful way. AI is allowing for Healthcare Professionals (HCP's) to understand and address their patients' needs in a timely manner, generating a higher standard of feedback and guidance to support their patients going forward. ML has changed the way HCP's are able to diagnose their patients, alerting these professionals to any potential
Below are the excerpts from the interview: Please brief our audience about your company, its USPs, and how it is currently positioned as a reliable name in the healthcare space. Theramex is a leading global pharmaceutical company specialising in women's health. We are committed to offering innovative treatments to our patients, listening and understanding every aspect of their healthcare needs, and providing education and awareness to improve treatment outcomes. Tell us more about your organization's offerings and what aspects make it stand out in the healthcare industry.
Theramex's sole focus is to meet the needs of women's health globally and provide healthcare practitioners with the full range of products and tools needed for treatment.
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10 Best Women's Health Solution Providers 2022
The Dedicated Leader Rob Stewart has worked for over 25 years in the global pharmaceutical space with a focus on women's health at Hoffmann La-Roche, Abbott, Actavis, Allergan Amneal and now Theramex. He has a wealth of experience with CSuite responsibilities at the President, COO, and CEO levels. He has been involved in some of the largest healthcare transactions, such as Actavis' acquisition of Allergan, the sale of Actavis generics to Teva, and Amneal's acquisition of Impax laboratories. Theramex has benefited greatly from the wealth of experience Rob has added to this company, as well as helping transform Theramex to be the global leader of women's healthcare, providing patient-focused and innovative solutions that care for and support women through every stage of life. ailments the patient may experience in the future, such as a heart attack. Together, these technologies are simplifying many complexities within the healthcare industry. And it is improving the care and innovative treatments we are able to offer patients and at Theramex. Please tell us about the experiences that clients have shared with you. How Theramex services are helping them to lead a better life.
Our work means we are able to help change the lives of many women globally and because of this we do receive an abundance of letters of appreciation from women experiencing menopause. It is these letters detailing the transformation of our patients lives, allowing them to lead a fuller and happier lifestyle that tells us that we are doing a good job here at Theramex. What is your opinion on the adoption of modern technologies in the healthcare industry?
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Modern technology is transforming the way the healthcare industry functions, allowing information and treatment to be more accessible to patients. Through the pandemic, there has been an increase in the use of digital technology by HCPs and their patients to access medical information and perform virtual consultations. At Theramex, we are planning to incorporate modern technologies by partnering with online pharmacies to extend access to our treatments, advancing our outreach beyond the traditional model. I worry, however, that the adoption of this technology has made guidance from HCPs less personal as a face-to-face consultation and less in-person clinical evaluation, sometimes leading to misdiagnosis. We still have a long way to go, but I am encouraged by the increased investment levels in new technologies. How do you envision scaling your company's operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond?
entrance into the consumer market and our broad portfolio with a diverse range of treatments. We have made great progress over the years. And there is much excitement moving forward into 2022 as we expand our company and empower women globally to take control of their health needs and own their personal journey. What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the healthcare industry? Start with the end in mind – clearly define what social cause or unmet need you are trying to solve and then innovate or design a cost-effective solution. Many entrepreneurs fail because they design the product first and then try to find out how to market or sell it second; often not finding a pathway to commercialization. Also, follow your passion and never give up because the healthcare ecosystem is tough and very competitive. Find advocates for your ideas early and never stop listening to the feedback along the way.
Here at Theramex, we have worked tirelessly to keep women's health our number one priority, with our new
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Juliet Hull Chief Execu ve Officer and Execu ve Director
TruScreen An AI-Empowered Solution for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Detection
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10 Best Women's Health Solu on Providers 2022
C
ervical cancer is the primary cause of cancer fatalities in women in over 40 countries. Every two minutes, cervical cancer takes the life of a woman worldwide, which indicates that over 300,000 women die due to this type of cancer each year across the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that there were 600,000+ new cervical cancer cases worldwide in 2020. As per WHO's data, over 90% of cervical cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income nations. Without largescale control measures, cervical cancer cases and mortality rates are projected to deteriorate. Manual testing and detection procedures for cervical cancer diagnosis are timeconsuming and unreachable for women from lower- and middle-income families. With the help of advanced technology, time-consuming diagnosis procedures such as cervical cancer detection could be dealt with more efficiently. Technically innovative devices can be made easily reachable as well as affordable across the world. They can help reduce the fatalities caused by late diagnosis. TruScreen Group Limited has created an AI-enabled device that delivers real-time detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous cervical changes to help enhance the health and wellbeing of women worldwide. We spoke to Juliet Hull, the Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Director of TruScreen, to learn more about their modern-age solution, which can save many lives.
We need to be agile and able to work in remote se ngs and not rely on people ge ng to main centres. cervical tissue and gives you an instant result if it detects cancerous or pre-cancerous tissue. This reduces the need for Laboratory infrastructure and provides the patient with an immediate result allowing for a plan to be activated if required, reducing time to treatment. Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like AI and ML is impacting the healthcare industry. How is your company adapting to the change? Modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are the way of the future. To reach more people and provide care to all, we need to adopt new ways to treat and diagnose. We need to be agile and able to work in remote settings and not rely on people getting to main centres. TruScreen can provide access to screening to women in regions who previously would have had to travel. TruScreen can also ease the burden on laboratories as their workload has increased due to COVID.
Below are the excerpts from the interview: Please brief our audience about your company, its USPs, and how it is currently positioned as a reliable name in the healthcare space. TruScreen was established in 2013 and has been selling devices in multiple countries since. It is Dual-listed on both New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges. It is building a strong reputation as the primary screening tool for cervical cancer for lower-to-middle-income countries. Tell us more about your organization's offerings and what aspects make it stand out in the healthcare industry. TruScreen is a unique real-time screening device for cervical cancer. Using AI-enabled technology, it screens
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the healthcare industry? My advice is change takes time; governments, hospitals, and clinicians can be slow to adopt new technologies. You have to be determined and patient and keep working at it to make a difference. How do you envision scaling your company's operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond? We have been working during COVID-19 on developing our relationships in key countries and building data. We are excited about 2022-23 as we have new regions adopting the technology and new data showing how effective TruScreen is being released.
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The Prime Mover Juliet Hull commenced her career as a Nurse and has over 23 years of experience in the Medical Device sector across APAC. Juliet's experience in the sector has helped develop the company and expand into more regions and help navigate through the COVID environment. TruScreen has con nued to grow despite access being impacted by COVID. Client Assessments "A device with these characteris cs would make my visits to the gynecologist more pleasant, with no discomfort or anxiety caused by having to wait for days to get my results." Pa ent, Monterrey "I did not know something like this was available. I am really interested." Gynaecologist, Private Sector, Mexico City "For me as a clinician, it is also important that the TruScreen device is an objec ve, rather than a subjec ve method, minimizing the risk of human error. Simultaneously, the examina on is technically very simple and fast. We immediately receive the response and determine the diagnos c strategy." Dr. Ricardo A. Lúa Alvarado, Medical Director, Guadalajara TruScreen was a winner of a Good Design Award in 2017 in the Medical & Scien fic product category. Good Design Australia recognizes the work of teams collabora ng to design new solu ons to global challenges and invites renowned design experts from Australia and around the world to par cipate in the evalua on process.
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