Plus: ŌURA partners on women's health research, Calla Lily doses first patients in miscarriage trial, and osteoporosis increases mortality risk by up to 47 percent in postmenopausal women.
PCOS has been renamed PMOS after a 14-year campaign, reflecting the condition's broader metabolic and hormonal impact, with implications for clinical diagnosis and femtech solution development. The new Women’s Health AI Consortium, co-founded by Willow and Ema EQ, brings together executives from organizations including Clue and Oura to create shared standards for AI in women’s health. This initiative aims to address potential biases if AI systems train on underrepresentative datasets. Five takes inside, plus a quick-hits roundup.
Global consensus renamed PCOS to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). This new name avoids misleading references to ovarian cysts and accurately reflects the condition's diverse features. This renaming impacts femtech operators, clinicians, and investors by redefining a widely recognized endocrine condition.
Read the full story →Maternal health company Willow and AI women’s health platform Ema EQ co-founded the Women’s Health AI Consortium to establish standards and governance frameworks for artificial intelligence in women’s health. This initiative aims to create shared benchmarks for women’s health AI, including standards around clinical safety, bias reduction, and transparency. Organisers fear repeating longstanding problems in women’s healthcare if AI systems train on underrepresentative datasets. The consortium's governance framework structures around six core commitments; participating organizations will meet accuracy benchmarks, disclose data sources, and contribute to improving women’s health datasets. This provides a framework for femtech operators developing AI solutions.
Read the full story →A study involving nearly 3,000 postmenopausal women found osteoporosis increased mortality risk by up to 47 percent. The analysis linked higher mortality risk to osteoporotic thresholds or fractures and an inverse relationship between femoral bone mineral density and mortality, especially within the range of 0.46 to 0.71 g/cm². Femtech operators and clinicians should consider early screening and preventative measures to improve bone health and mitigate risks for this demographic.
Read the full story →Alcohol-related emergency department visits nearly doubled in the U.S. between 2003 and 2022. Drinking-related deaths surged by 16% during the pandemic, especially harming women, older adults, and young people. Alcohol, a leading preventable cause of cancer, kills nearly 500 Americans daily. Femtech operators should consider the pervasive impact of alcohol on women’s health.
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