💊 Health Futures #53

Happy Monday 👋

This week in the global health industry, Moderna and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) partnered to advance mRNA-based influenza vaccine research. The collaboration involves funding for clinical development and aims to improve vaccine technology for public health preparedness. 

Absci and Owkin partnered to integrate their TechBio platforms to accelerate AI-driven drug discovery and development and enhance the precision and speed of developing new biologic drugs, focusing on addressing complex medical challenges. 23andMe launched Discover23, a platform designed to foster scientific advancements by facilitating data sharing and collaboration. On the health funding front, Eleos announced a $60M Series C funding round to advance its AI-driven behavioral health platform using natural language processing to analyze clinical conversations, helping clinicians streamline administrative tasks and focus on patient care.

What's new?

HolonIQ’s new Green Skills Map and Workforce section reveal industry-wide sustainability skills and jobs, as well as workforce development initiatives, supporting upskilling for a sustainable economy.

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💊 Drug Production

🩺 Moderna partners with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The partnership advances mRNA-based influenza vaccine research, targeting improved protection and adaptability for seasonal and pandemic flu strains.

🩹 Junshi Biosciences and LEO Pharma entered into a licensing agreement. The agreement focuses on commercializing toripalimab, Junshi’s anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody in Europe and Japan.

🦠 Celltrion launched an autoimmune disease treatment in five major European markets. The company plans to launch Stekima in Germany, Spain, the UK, and France to leverage its existing market presence and product portfolio to target specialists and patients while implementing strategies focused on government and hospital bidding processes.

🌐 AI in Health

🤖 Absci partners with Owkin to integrate their TechBio platforms. The collaboration will combine Absci’s generative AI and synthetic biology capabilities with Owkin’s expertise in multimodal clinical data and AI models.

🏖️ SandboxAQ collaborated with the Mayo Clinic. The partnership focuses on developing advanced AI-based tools for cardiovascular disease monitoring in amyloidosis patients.

🫒 Tempus introduced Olivia in the US. An AI-powered app designed to centralize patient healthcare data onto a unified platform to deliver actionable insights.

🧬 Biotechnology

🧪 23andMe introduced Discover23. A platform aimed at advancing genetic research by providing users with personalized health insights and enabling them to participate in research initiatives.

💉 Orna Therapeutics expanded its partnership with Simnova. The partnership aimed to include BCMA-targeted RNA therapeutics, focusing on advancing treatments for diseases such as multiple myeloma.

🔬 Germany approved the continuation of Pelareorep’s clinical trial for pancreatic cancer. The trial evaluates the combination of Pelareorep, an oncolytic virus therapy, with chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

🛠️ Skills and Workforce

With reskilling and upskilling playing a key role in closing workforce gaps, HolonIQ is now tracking these impactful initiatives shaping the health industry. Read on for this week’s insights, and discover more in HolonIQ's latest Skills newsletter.

🧑‍⚕️ The Maryland Department of Labor has announced $1 million in grant funding for frontline healthcare workers to support recruitment, retention, and career development. The funding includes $250,000 through the Direct Care Workforce Innovation Program, aimed at increasing the number of direct care workers, and $750,000 through the Career Pathways for Healthcare Program, focused on continuing education for healthcare professionals.

🏥 The $1.5 million Country Roads Inclusion Program has been launched to recruit, train, and employ healthcare workers in rural Acadiana communities. In collaboration with regional housing authorities, local colleges, and healthcare systems, the program offers transportation assistance, educational support, paid learning experiences, and job connections. It aims to train and employ up to 450 healthcare workers, addressing the region's critical healthcare needs.

💉 The Sustainable Healthcare with Digital Health Data Competence (SUSA) initiative has been launched with €12M in funding from the Digital Europe Programme. This project addresses critical digital skills gaps in healthcare, equipping professionals to harness technologies like AI, IoT, and cybersecurity for sustainable healthcare solutions. SUSA brings together 12 universities from nine European countries to deliver 46 updated degree programs and 16 lifelong learning modules, aiming to graduate 6,558 students and upskill 660 professionals.

HolonIQ has also launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated for cataloging, evaluating, and contextualizing the different components of the rapidly expanding field of green jobs. This comprehensive taxonomy will serve as a resource for understanding the full spectrum and complexity of green skills required across various sectors, thereby enabling a cohesive approach toward achieving net zero and decarbonizing the global economy. Green Skills Map spans 11 areas, 54 sub-areas, and 243 green skills clusters. A snippet of the map covering four areas has been included above. Explore the full map on greenskills.org.

💰 Deals of the Week

🧠 Eleos secured a $60M Series C funding round to expand its AI-driven behavioral health platform.

⚕️ Arctic Therapeutics raised $27.6M in Series A funding, intending to use the funds to explore the potential of an oral treatment.

🏥 Teal Health raised $10M in seed funding. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its product development and prepare commercialization plans.

🧑‍⚕️ Peregrine Health raised $5M in funding, intending to use the funding to enhance the technology and programs enabling clinics to improve access to care and achieve better patient outcomes.

📷 PhotoniCare secured $4.6M in Series B financing to advance its diagnostic technology for ear infections and other middle ear conditions.

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Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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