For more than a decade, HIV remained the only sexually transmitted infection (STI) with U.S. FDA approval of at-home sample collection, but a growing number of tests for sexually transmitted infections have received the regulatory greenlight for patients to swab themselves in the privacy of their own homes in recent years. With STIs reaching levels not seen in decades, regulators and physicians hope that the move will increase diagnostic rates and reduce disease spread by overcoming stigma and access barriers.

Dexcom Inc. put real money behind expanding its integration efforts, with a $75 million investment in the $200 million series D for Ōura Health Oy, the maker of the Ōura smart ring. Ōura and Dexcom also provided details on a strategic partnership that integrates data from Dexcom’s continuous glucose monitors with vital sign, sleep, stress, heart health and activity data from the Ōura ring.

A gene therapy based on an enhanced lipid nanoparticle (LNP) loaded with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA could be developed for the treatment of preeclampsia, according to a study in mice in which it alleviated maternal hypertension until the end of gestation and improved fetal health. Preeclampsia is a disease that affects 3% to 5% of pregnant women, who suffer from hypertension and proteinuria, elevated levels of protein in the urine, during pregnancy.

Edap TMS SA recently published data showing that its Focal One high intensity focused ultrasound technology is non-inferior to radical prostatectomy as a first-line treatment for localized prostate cancer. The company is also working towards gaining approval for the technology as a therapy for endometriosis.

Nua Surgical Ltd. secured €6.5 million ($6.9 million) in series A financing to support regulatory clearance in the U.S. and early commercialization of its Stericision C-section retractor. The device is a self-retaining surgical retractor designed to improve outcomes for mothers undergoing a caesarean section.

In breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy reduces the tumor before surgery. However, the response to this treatment does not depend solely on the subtype of malignancies. Other factors could play a key role in its effectiveness, as shown in a study that described how the estrous cycle phases contribute to this variation.

Mica AI Medical Ltd. is looking to transform the early diagnosis of breast cancer with its software which helps radiologists analyze mammograms more effectively. The company recently signed a collaboration and licensing agreement with Baptist Health South Florida in a bid to bring its technology to the U.S. market.

Movano Inc., dba Movano Health, added some clinical-grade glitz to its Evie ring with a U.S. FDA clearance for the built-in pulse oximeter. Movan’s stock shot up from an all-time low within minutes of the announcement on Dec. 2, as the clearance breathes new life into Movano’s plans to position the ring as a medical device.

While women with “big hearts” play well in popular culture, cardiologists see a very different picture – with significant implications for women’s health and medical care. Women have smaller hearts and narrower blood vessels than men and their cardiovascular systems respond to disease and treatment in very different ways. Growing evidence that failure to reflect women’s distinct anatomy in cardiac care leads to deadly disparities in outcomes has recently stimulated development of new diagnostics and increased focus on inclusion of women in medical device trials.

Endometriosis has been woefully under-recognized in the medical community, and consequently, the delay between onset and diagnosis is often quite long, with some women waiting up to 12 years for a diagnosis.