News

Long-term air pollution exposure is linked to more advanced heart disease, with notable differences between women and men, a large-scale study has found. The findings show that even levels of pollution below or near regulatory standards are associated with early signs of disease, often before symptoms appear. Felipe Castillo Aravena, study lead author [...]

Boston biotech Metri Bio has raised US$5m in an oversubscribed pre-seed round to develop endometrial therapies. The company emerged from stealth with the funding announcement. The funding will accelerate development of Metri Bio’s discovery platform and therapeutic programmes for endometriosis. The company will expand its team and research and development operations as it moves toward [...]

A new study is the first to systematically examine how severe menstrual symptoms affect working life, exposing a major research gap and the need for more inclusive policies. Researchers analysed global studies to identify common themes and to map the challenges women face at work. The work, led by the University of Portsmouth, [...]

An overlooked fat-derived hormone may drive higher breast cancer death risk in postmenopausal women with obesity, an analysis suggests. The review identifies oestrone, a form of oestrogen produced in fat tissue, as a major driver of oestrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer, the most common and deadly form of the disease in postmenopausal women. ER+ [...]

Older women with both insomnia and sleep apnoea show worse verbal memory than those with sleep apnoea alone, a new study has found. The research revealed that older adults with comorbid insomnia and sleep apnoea, often referred to as COMISA, demonstrated worse memory performance than those with sleep apnoea alone. Sleep apnoea is a condition [...]

Innovate UK has opened the Women in Innovation Awards for 2025 to 2026, with grants of up to £75,000 for as many as 60 winners. HealthTech winners in 2024 included a tampon that prevents bacterial infections, an AI audio device for visually impaired people, and an app for gynaecological conditions. The awards target female founders [...]

MyBliss has secured investment from women-led angel groups to scale science-led intimacy care and women’s health research. The company, founded after co-founder Mo Carrier’s experience with hormonal contraception side effects, centres products on women’s bodies and needs. Its flagship MyBliss Ultra-Thin Condoms were developed using gynaecologist-informed criteria and strict formulation standards. The condoms are vegan-certified [...]

Joi + Blokes acquires HerMD, creating a virtual women’s health platform serving all 50 US states after HerMD’s shift to online-only care in spring 2025. HerMD relaunched as a virtual-only platform in spring 2025 after closing its physical sites in March 2025. Financial terms were not disclosed. The company had previously raised about US$30m, including [...]

Health tech companies advancing female health outcomes through AI innovation are being encouraged to enter Femtech World's third-annual awards event. The awards celebrate the best examples of leadership, innovation and impact in key areas that affect women's health and wellbeing. Introduced in 2025, the AI Innovation award honours an individual or organisation pioneering the use [...]

Fertility finance platform Sunfish has expanded its partnership with US clinic network Ivy Fertility to support patients across all 28 of its locations. The deal will give all Ivy patients access to Sunfish's Financial Hub, a platform designed to help people navigate the costs of medically assisted fertility care, as well as its loan marketplace [...]