The Women’s Health Innovation Summit (WHIS) has reminded startups that applications for its 2026  Innovation Showcase close on Tuesday, August 18.

The Showcase gives early and growth-stage companies the  opportunity to pitch live on stage to the most influential audience in women’s health, at a summit that convenes more than 1,000 senior decision-makers from across the ecosystem, including payers, providers, pharma, and  investors.

Now in its eighth year, WHIS takes place October 13–15, 2026 at Encore Boston Harbor.

The event has built a  reputation as the leading platform uniting the full women’s health ecosystem, from health systems and health  plans to pharmaceutical leaders and the investors funding the next wave of innovation in the space.

A Direct Line to Funding, Partnerships and Adoption

Companies selected for the Innovation Showcase will present directly to an audience with the capital, clinical  expertise and commercial relationships to move deals forward.

Past participants have gone on to secure investor  introductions, commercial partnerships and clinical collaborations that started as presentations on the WHIS stage  and turned into signed agreements.

Applications Reviewed by an Expert Selection Committee

Submissions are being reviewed by a selection committee of leading investors and industry operators, including:

• Parambir Bhangu, Executive Director, External Innovation & Emerging Science, Organon
• Elizabeth Bailey, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Foreground Capital
• Karla Loken, Founder, Loken and Associates
• Mané Mikayelyan, Associate Partner, DeciBio
• Anna Valcheva, Founder, Managing Director & CEO, Astra Ventures
• Azin Radsan van Alebeek, Co-founder & General Partner, Emmeline Ventures

WHIS is where the women’s health ecosystem comes together to get deals done,” said Poppy Howard-Wall,  Event Director of WHIS.

How to Apply

Early and growth-stage companies across digital health, therapeutics, diagnostics, med device and consumer  health are encouraged to apply before the August 18 deadline.

Full details and the application form are available  at whisusa.com/attend/start-ups.

A third of women surveyed did not know perimenopause could affect mental health, with many experiencing symptoms for months before recognising them.

The survey of 1,000 women found many had been caught off guard by mental health symptoms linked to perimenopause or menopause.

It was conducted by Dynata on behalf of LifeStance Health in June 2026 and included women born between 1960 and 1990 who had, or suspected they had, perimenopause or menopause.

Respondents described anxiety as somewhat or extremely severe in 66 per cent of cases and depression in 54 per cent, with many initially attributing the symptoms to a separate condition rather than a hormonal transition.

Stephanie Eken, chief medical officer at LifeStance Health, said: “Women’s mental health needs change across their life stages, and perimenopause and menopause are among the biggest transitions of all.

“Specialised, life-stage-specific care should be standard practice, and I believe the organisations that build care around this reality, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, will define the next era of women’s health.”

Around 33 per cent of respondents said they did not know perimenopause could cause mental health symptoms.

Almost half, 49 per cent, were surprised that mental health symptoms linked to perimenopause or menopause could last for several years.

A further 22 per cent were surprised that perimenopause could begin shortly after childbirth.

The survey found 74 per cent experienced symptoms for six months or longer before suspecting perimenopause or menopause, while 27 per cent recognised the transition within six months.

Before recognising the symptoms as potentially linked to perimenopause or menopause, 49 per cent believed they were experiencing anxiety as a standalone condition and 39 per cent thought they had depression.

Around 36 per cent were surprised that symptoms linked to perimenopause or menopause could resemble a standalone mental health condition.

Among respondents who tried therapy for perimenopause or menopause-related symptoms, 83 per cent said it was helpful.

Around 82 per cent of those who tried medications such as antidepressants or oestrogen also found them helpful.

Nearly half, 47 per cent, said mental healthcare should be a standard part of perimenopause care, while 59 per cent said they would be more likely to seek mental healthcare if they knew it could meaningfully improve their symptoms.

Around 35 per cent said perimenopause or menopause had a slight to significant negative impact on their overall mental health, while 42 per cent reported a negative impact on mood.

However, 32 per cent reported no impact on their overall mental health and 22 per cent reported no impact on mood.

The survey points to women experiencing mental health symptoms for an extended period before connecting them to perimenopause or menopause, with many initially attributing anxiety or depression to an unrelated cause.

That delay may help explain why nearly half did not realise how long these symptoms can persist and why more than a third were surprised they could resemble a standalone mental health condition.

Despite the awareness gap, most respondents who sought treatment, whether therapy or medication, said it had been helpful.

Separate research published in 2023 estimated that menopause symptoms cost the US economy around US$1.8bn a year in lost work productivity.

The estimated cost rose to US$26.6bn when associated healthcare costs were included.

That research was based on more than 4,400 employed women aged 45 to 60, with its authors saying further studies in larger and more diverse populations were needed to confirm the findings.

Glaucoma drugs could potentially be repurposed to treat aggressive breast cancer after researchers identified markers linked to response.

Scientists found that several cancers, including breast cancer, melanoma and a type of blood cancer, rely on the same molecule to become aggressive and spread.

Drugs that block the molecule are already used to treat glaucoma and may therefore have potential as cancer treatments.

Researchers also identified markers that could help indicate which patients may respond well to the drugs.

Experts said the findings could help establish which patients may benefit from existing treatments.

Repurposing medicines already shown to be safe could also allow treatments to reach patients faster.

Lead author Victoria Sanz Moreno, professor of cancer cell and metastasis biology at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, said: “Some cancers are particularly aggressive, and once they spread they become very hard to treat.

“Catching these aggressive cancers and preventing their ability to move around the body is really crucial to our mission to keep more people living well with cancer.

“Our research has identified a shared weakness of aggressive cancer cells that could be targeted across many cancer types, wherever they originate in the body.

“We confirmed our findings in aggressive cancers such as breast cancer, melanoma, and a type of blood cancer called acute myeloid leukaemia, but we believe this molecular fingerprint of cancer cells likely to die after treatment applies to many more cancer types.

“It’s reassuring to know that a treatment already exists – a drug currently being used safely in some patients could be adapted to treat these cancers.”

Researchers set out to find markers that could identify which cancers would respond well to drugs blocking ROCK, also known as Rho kinase.

Aggressive cancer cells rely on ROCK as they spread around the body and cause advanced disease that is harder to treat.

The molecule keeps the scaffolding inside cells tense, causing them to contract and become round and generating enough force for cancer cells to squeeze through tissue.

The team, working in the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research, examined data from a drug-sensitivity database to identify which cancer cells responded to ROCK inhibitors.

Breast cancer cells that responded to ROCK inhibitors had a particular gene called E-Cadherin that was not working properly.

In melanoma, responsive cells tended to have a more rounded shape and high activity in a signalling pathway called NFKB.

Acute myeloid leukaemia cells that responded well to ROCK inhibitors had a specific subset of genetic alterations.

Researchers then tested the findings in laboratory tumour samples and mouse studies.

They hope tumour biopsies showing these markers could eventually help identify patients who may respond well to ROCK inhibitors.

Dr Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, said: “With around 11,500 women tragically dying from breast cancer every year in the UK, research like this is vital to finding more effective treatment options.

“This study helps to lay the foundation for understanding who among those with certain cancers, including breast cancer, might benefit most from existing drugs. Finding new uses for existing treatments, which we know people can safely take, is easier and faster than developing new cancer drugs from scratch.

“It’s encouraging that these drugs may be especially effective in targeting cancer cells that are more likely to spread and resist treatment.

“While this research is still at an early stage and clinical trials are needed, it’s an important step towards more personalised breast cancer treatments in the future.”

First author Jaume Barcelo, formerly a postdoctoral research fellow at The Institute of Cancer Research in London and now based at Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London, said: “Our study has identified a specific pattern of features that is consistent across many cancer types, and that can be used to match the right patients to this treatment.

“The next stage for this research will be to test how these drugs that inhibit ROCK work in combination with other treatments, to maximise the benefit for patients.

“As ROCK inhibitors are already approved to treat glaucoma, I hope that our findings can be used to progress the drugs into clinical trials to treat cancer in the near future.”

The research was funded by The Institute of Cancer Research, Breast Cancer Now, Barts Cancer Charity, Cancer Research UK, Worldwide Cancer Research and UK Research and Innovation.

Susanna Daniels, chief executive officer of Melanoma Focus, said: “Despite major advances in melanoma treatment over the past decade, too many people still die from the disease each year, and not every patient responds to the treatments currently available.

“Every new discovery improves our understanding of how melanoma grows and survives, bringing us closer to treatments that are more effective, more targeted and have the potential to improve survival.

“While these findings are still at an early stage and will need to be tested in clinical trials, they offer an encouraging direction for future melanoma research and the development of more personalised treatments.”