#35 Healthtech Highwire 🪂
Also: The weight wars, residency roulette, and chocolate covered anything.
Think about it 💡
⛰️ What can digital health learn from Epic's revenue? In the swirling whirlpool of healthtech, Epic Systems stands tall, reeling in a staggering $3.8 billion in revenue while wielding near dominion over half the U.S. market. But here's the kicker: that colossal figure owes a debt to federal incentives and subsidies, sparking a debate about the cap on software sales in this arena. With a $100 billion influx driving a startup stampede, challenges newcomers face abound—from organizational inertia to complexities in revenue diversification. Emulating Epic's triumphs demands grit, but it also calls for a savvy twist. Judy Faulkner's Epic and Reinhold Messner's legendary climb whisper that cracking this code might need some unorthodox wisdom and a pivot towards shrewd network strategies and clever platforms.
💸 The landscape of weight-loss drug development is undergoing a seismic shift, with an expanding market luring in a flurry of pharmaceutical giants eager to claim a stake. Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic have set the stage as blockbuster obesity drugs, propelling the market's value towards an anticipated $100 billion by 2030. Roche's recent $2.7 billion acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics marks its entry into the race, joining AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk in the quest for innovative solutions. Despite hurdles faced by some, including Pfizer and AstraZeneca, patents for key drugs are set to expire, reshaping the competitive dynamics and creating opportunities for new contenders to challenge the current leaders. The race for third place in this burgeoning field remains wide open, fueling ongoing acquisitions and diverse drug development strategies beyond the current frontrunners.
Residency Roulette 🎲
🧑⚕️ The impact of state abortion bans stretches beyond reproductive rights, affecting medical students' residency choices. A survey found 77% consider abortion access when selecting programs, citing its influence on training and patient care. With 58% hesitant to apply to restricted states, this trend also affects broader aspects, with corporations offering coverage in hostile regions and professionals altering plans post-Supreme Court rulings. This shift hints at a looming brain drain in medicine, potentially shaping future workforces and economies in unexpected ways beyond individual reproductive decisions.
Neat News 🗞️
🤰 Maia Oncology, a virtual oncology care coordination company, secured $4.25 million in seed funding to drive its go-to-market strategy. Neat.
🎯 Targeted cancer drugs finally live up to the hype. Super neat.
🩺 AI laser that reads heartbeat through the throat could replace stethoscopes. Ultra neat.
Clean Content 🧼
🏅 Check out CB Insights’ cream of the crop in the digital health startups for 2023.
…versus 150 in 2022, times are tough folks.
🔮 Here are 10 of the healthcare industry's top predictions for 2024. No more, no less.
💡 Wondering what makes top-notch medical note generation? Nabla’s engineers have you covered.
This is what you came for 🍑
🍫 This Saturday marks the glorious Chocolate Covered Anything Day - a timely opportunity to discuss chocolate's aphrodisiac potential. As it turns out, a somewhat ancient study (a couple of decades old) focusing on 163 adult women discovered no notable variations in reported sexual arousal or distress among those who indulged in a daily serving of chocolate, those who had three or more servings, or those who skipped it altogether. Bummer. But hey, who needs a reason? Just crack open that advent calendar and savor the goodness.
Byeeee,
🌟 Shoutout to the brilliant minds behind this week's Hoagie inspiration - Seth Joseph, Tina Reed, Pavithra Mohan, Erin Brodwin, Sachin H. Jain, Lisa Jarvis, Robin McKie, the CB Insights team.