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“So... Apple is entering the hearing space!” For the past two weeks, I've been flooded with messages asking how Apple's latest announcement will impact Concha Labs. Another consumer tech giant is stepping into the hearing space, but what does this really mean? With over 1.5 billion people affected by hearing loss globally, this is a massive market. Yet, like mental health, hearing loss is something people don’t talk about much. If you ask anyone who’s tried hearing aids, you’ll likely hear stories of frustration—they’re often disliked because of impersonal sound quality. For me, they were always too loud or too quiet, and I could never find the “right” fit. This isn’t new. Apple, like Bose before them, will likely face similar challenges in replicating the status quo. Despite their audio expertise, Bose entered the hearing aid space but exited due to the same hurdles. Bluetooth earpieces, with their short battery life and social awkwardness, also highlight how hard it is to create a practical, long-term solution. But here’s the good news: more attention on hearing health, thanks to Apple’s announcement and the OTC Hearing Aid Act, is a win for everyone. It’s sparking conversations about hearing loss—something I kept hidden for decades. Concha Labs' hearing aids are nearly invisible, like contact lenses. When I tell people I’m wearing our product, they’re always shocked because they don’t notice them, even with my hair up! (And this goes for the guys who wear them, too!) What’s clear to me is that while awareness is growing, real innovation comes from solving actual user pain points. That’s where Concha Labs comes in: we offer a fully personalized hearing experience, much like how Spotify revolutionized music personalization beyond iTunes. Our solution is designed for real-world usability—comfortable, discreet, personalized, and customizable in multiple sizes and colors. Created by people who were tired of the status quo (like me!), our Concha Sol hearing aids are made for those who want something better. So, if you’re tired of the same old hearing aids, let Concha Labs empower you to hear clearly. We promise, you’ll notice the difference. 😉 Amy www.conchalabs.com #hearing #hearingaids #apple #conchalabs #invisible #otchearingaids #startup

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This 👂 podcast episode and insight’s from a16z Bio + Health's Julie Yoo spoke so clearly to the fundamental challenge facing both 🩺 clinicians and 🏥 healthcare systems.  There is a huge disconnect between supply, in the availability of clinicians, and demand, in the increasing volume and complexity of healthcare needs. -     36% of physicians plan to reduce their hours next year according to the AMA -     48% of physicians reported feeling burned out in a 2024 Medscape survey At the same time, the demographic baby boomer bubble and steady increase in the prevalence of major chronic disease, which consumes up to 90% of healthcare expenditures according to some estimates, is driving demand. With this context, Yoo points to a major opportunity for AI adoption in healthcare in 2025. Yeah, a VC hyping a wave of new AI companies that will replace the decades of training and experience of clinicians, the skeptic would say.  But Yoo is thoughtful in pointing to the role AI can play, and is already playing, through solutions such as ambient, autonomous scribe solutions (of which local star Abridge is leading the pack) in not replacing, but freeing up productivity for clinicians. There is so much unstructured context in both the complexity of disease and treatment options and the social/emotional considerations that we shouldn't be looking for AI to *replace* clinicians. But companies are getting better at finding the structured, repetitive and time-consuming places where AI tools can *help* clinicians. Nearly two-thirds of doctors cited bureaucratic tasks as the leading contributor to burnout. Rigorously trained-AI driven solutions can be a force multiplier for clinicians, and I’ve seen several interviews where nurses and doctors go as far as to say some of these solutions are ”restoring their joy in practicing medicine”. Our health is precious; and we rightly want any technology engaging with it to be developed thoughtfully and thoroughly tested. This requires top AI talent and diverse and realistic training data. Pittsburgh’s strengths in both areas is why we are an emerging hub for data-driven healthcare. #AIinhealthcare #clinicianburnout #healthinnovation #digitalhealth

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Thoughts on this? >> Four Revelations from Minnesota’s First 340B Transparency Report >> Comment below! >>> lqventures.com #strategy #competitiveintelligence #marketing #pharmaceutical #pharma #healthcare #productmarketing #biotech

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Curious what you think -- do brand insulin manufacturers have a RESPONSIBLITY to continue to manufacture insulin? This is a quote from a Stat News article that is focused on insulin shortages that have forced some countries to prioritize insulin supply - “Of course they’re more interested in GLP-1s now. Of course they are, and they want to maximize their profits before their patents run out,” said Helen Bygrave, a chronic disease adviser for Doctors Without Borders who has been monitoring the shortage of insulin pens in South Africa. “But at the same time, they have a responsibility to make sure people who need insulin continue to get it.” Over the past few years there has been a lot of focus on insulin prices and how they are too high. But if they are too low, they might still make a profit but the company might lose out on the opportunity cost of other areas of focus (GLP-1s, etc.). Biosimilars could step up so it isn't necessarily on the initial manufacturers to produce the product. I guess I see both sides -- moral obligation to make sure patients have access but financial obligation to stakeholders and I suppose moral obligation to patients taking (or wanting to take) GLP-1s. What do you think?

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Great actionable ideas from Tim Mitchell and Mike Melnick on how to apply omnichannel principles and experience design to take Medical Affairs to the next step in its evolution. Check out their MedXD framework!

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***From Best Practices to Next Practices*** Digital Health is an Emerging Determinant of Health says OCED's first-ever chapter on Digital Health in their annual Health-at-a-Glance report. Digital health readiness is considered a determinant of health as it influences health data usage, healthcare service delivery, and health outcomes through digital transformation. Countries with higher digital health readiness have better responses to health crises, improved resource utilization, lower costs, and enhanced patient experiences. Perhaps the most important point is featured in the image below, where the HUMAN FACTORS live. We have over-invested the last decade in the technologies and data systems to support Digital Health, however, we have heavily under-invested in the capacity and literacy building, community collaboration, transparent governance, and systems thinking that is required to take advantage of said technology and data. I liken it to 100 years ago, in 1924 when the automobile first arrived. At that time 95% of the world was still operating the horse and buggy, it took 40-50 years later to harness the power of the automobile to transport goods and services to every community. It's time we realize our healthcare system is the HORSE and BUGGY of this century... Here is a link to the copy of the chapter: https://lnkd.in/gzJ-GQbp #DigitalHealth #HealthTech #HealthData #HealthcareInnovation #HealthcareTransformation #DataSecurity #Interoperability #PatientEngagement #AIinHealthcare #PublicHealthImpact #digitalreadiness #communityimpact

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Function wants to reimagine healthcare. The preventative diagnostics platform closed a Series A investment led by a16z Bio + Health, bringing its total funding to $53M. Co-founded by functional medicine expert Mark Hyman, MD, the company leverages robust lab testing to improve longevity and healthspan. Taking a proactive approach, twice-annual 100-biomarker panels are reviewed by AI and human clinicians to spot and treat disease. Members can also opt for additional tests as needed. Operating in beta since April, Function Health counts 50K paying customers, a 200K person waitlist, and recently partnered with Equinox. Losing faith in traditional healthcare, more people are seeking preventative scans, alternative medicine, and longevity protocols. Democratizing diagnostics, Function wants to prioritize health over healthcare. 

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Every year at CES we see a lot of promising health tech prototypes and concepts - from noninvasive CGM’s to patches for everything - very few actually make it to market. Often, when it does, the launch product falls short from the initial promise. The reason: FDA Approval. The FDA is designed to protect public health - regulating medical devices falls under its prevue. The FDA clearance process is rigorous and complex to navigate. It a process that takes years - not months - something that the tech industry isn’t used to. A device would need to show clinical-level accuracy for measurements - with a margin of error of under 4 percent or better. Data infrastructure would need to be HIPPA compliant. FDA also requires areas such as communication protocols, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity to be include as a part of the filing. The workaround: Wellness Devices. Most consumer health devices focus on wellness features because they lack FDA certification. As a result, they can only display the data but lack any true medical or diagnostic application. As consumers are pushing their wearables to be health devices, it is getting more and more difficult for wearable companies to hide behind the “wellness” label as an increasing number of companies achieve FDA clearance. Which is a big reason why we wanted to invest in bringing FDA approval capabilities in-house to serve our portfolio of brands. In partnership with B-Secur, SweatWorks can now help any wearable product (and associated software functions) achieve expedited FDA certification. This is a first for a digital agency and has already led to several news devices starting on the FDA approval journey. How important do you view FDA certification for the next generation of wearables devices? Let me know below. 👇 #wearables #fda #certification #innovation #technology #data #fitness #wellness #hardware #medical #devices #CES

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The New, New Point of Care Huge thanks to Marc Iskowitz and Medical Marketing and Media for allowing me to share my perspective on the new POC 2.0. There's a reason that our industry is growing +15% annually...in a pharma marketing world of fragmented storytelling, Point of Care delivers measurable results and now delivers brand building messaging at many points of care both inside and outside of the doctor's office.

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0/ Ready for your #FridayFertilityNews? We've got viral pregnancies, political debates, and breakthroughs in fertility research. Dive into this week’s highlights… 1/ 👶 IVF Hits the Political Stage: Minnesota Gov. and VP nominee Tim Walz gets personal about his own IVF journey, while reproductive rights heat up in U.S. politics. https://lnkd.in/e2rNh2_V 2/ 🚨 51 and Thriving! Grace Collins’ journey to motherhood at 51 emphasizes the importance of planning and health checks before pregnancy. https://lnkd.in/eFmswTga 3/ 🍽️ Weight Loss & Fertility: A new study from Fertility & Sterility found that shedding those extra pounds before conception might boost your chances of getting pregnant, but it does not make a big difference in live birth or miscarriage rates. https://lnkd.in/e7AS8UVp 4/ 🎤 Halsey’s Journey: The pop queen shares her 8-year rollercoaster ride to motherhood, including two heartbreaking miscarriages. https://lnkd.in/ezn5AFfd 5/ 🍺 Dad’s Night Out Matters: New research shows that what dad drinks before conception can affect your future baby’s health. It’s not just about mom—future dads, take note! https://lnkd.in/eNQWtcCH 6/ 🔥 IVF Under Fire: Alabama’s ruling that embryos have legal rights disrupts IVF services, sparking nationwide debates and a renewed push for reproductive rights. https://lnkd.in/eqygYigF 7/ 🌿 Cannabis & Pregnancy: PsyPost study shows that prenatal cannabis exposure may change brain structure and connectivity in kids, potentially affecting attention. Something to consider before lighting up! https://lnkd.in/ex7FgfDW 8/ 🥇 Olympic Moms: Discover how elite athletes like Dara Torres return to competition post-pregnancy, balancing motherhood and medals. https://lnkd.in/eeVkDWXB 9/ ❄️Cryostorage Challenges: Manual cryostorage in IVF labs is grueling. Our friends at TMRW Life Sciences have been exploring the challenges and found that automation could be the game-changer we need. https://lnkd.in/ekvEygHW 10/ 🌟 Stay updated with The Eggdrop! Our newsletter is brimming with the latest in reproductive health, insightful tips, and more. Don’t miss out—sign up here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ek2nW4Nf

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Curious about what we’re working on at Cheemia ReSET, industry insights, and my personal musings?😎 Sign up for the Cheemia ReSET monthly e-newsletter to stay in the loop! 📧 You’ll get the latest updates, details about our upcoming Digital Transformation Series LinkedIn Live, and all things HCP engagement that matter to you. Subscribe here: www.cheemiareset.com (scroll to the bottom of the page) #CheemiaReSET #DigitalTransformation #Pharma #Pharmaceuticals

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After multiple postponements and kicking the can down the road - #Google has done an about turn on the #cookie deprecation policy. https://lnkd.in/ggd4d5gf "we are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice. Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they’d be able to adjust that choice at any time. We're discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out." The initial 2020 announcement has created a lot of buzz and awareness and there are quite a few positives to come out of it, though the innumerable hours spent on this topic will never be recovered. The positives cannot be limited to those below - let the conversation/debate begin: 1. Created unforeseen awareness of the overall web infrastructure - cookies became known in the C-suite beyond a food item 2. Changing core technology building blocks is difficult, if not near impossible, even for global organizations with resources of the scale of multi-trillion dollar enterprises. 3. #changemanagement within "nimble" tech organizations is near impossible. Sweeping announcements such as the one made by google in 2020 to eliminate cookies, are better to be thought through before putting the entire industry in a spin 4. Sprang a lot of #consulting opportunities with a lot of $$ spend associated with it 5. Now we, #digitalmarketers, can all take a deep breath and prioritize other important parts of our portfolios.

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Last month, I wrote a piece for Pharmaceutical Commerce Magazine about step therapy (also known as "fail first"), a tool used by health plans to control spending on patients' medications.    With step therapy, an insurance company may require a patient to try different medications and treatments and have those "fail first'' before they're able to access the drug initially prescribed by their physician.     It's a way to contain the cost of prescription drugs, but it can notably result in delayed access and negative side effects.    A national poll from the PAN Foundation Center for Patient Research found that most adults (55%) who have been required to “fail first” say the policy delayed their access to the medication their healthcare provider (HCP) originally prescribed by up to 11 weeks.     - 1 in 6 (16%) adults say their HCP has required them to “fail first” before authorizing drugs prescribed by their HCP.    - The majority (59%) of adults who have been required to “fail first” say they appealed their health insurance provider’s request.    - 1 in 5 adults who were required to “fail first” say they had to visit the emergency room (21%) or be admitted to the hospital (20%) because of the policy.    Although most states have passed laws addressing the issues related to step therapy, there is no federal legislation—and it is direly needed.    Learn more about why Congress should pass the Safe Step Act:  https://lnkd.in/eaPeew_T 

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Read how StoryMD is transforming patient engagement by changing the way patients view their health data, empowering them to understand, engage, and take control.

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