As artificial intelligence reshapes healthcare, the fight against cancer is witnessing unprecedented breakthroughs, from microscopic nanorobots to virtual treatment twins. This acceleration in drug discovery is just one example of AI&#8217;s impact on oncology, now and in the future.



According to the British Journal of Cancer, cancer research is one of the most heavily-funded areas of science. Billions are poured into research every year but the main ways in which we treat cancer – surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy – haven&#8217;t changed in the past 80 years.



But now artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming this landscape entirely, revolutionizing not just how doctors diagnose and treat cancer, but how we discover new treatments. “I think we are really in the golden age of scientific discovery, powered by the cloud and AI at scale,” says Dr Rowland Illing, Amazon Web Services’ Chief Medical Officer and Director of Global Healthcare and Nonprofits. At its core, cancer presents a fundamental challenge: cells that go rogue, growing and dividing uncontrollably without the normal genetic &#8216;braking system&#8217; that regulates cell growth.



“But finding a way to put the brakes on is where it gets interesting,” says Dr Divya Chander, a physician, neuroscientist and futurist. For Chander, there are three key areas where AI is making significant inroads: drug discovery, designing new therapeutics (like living medicines) and precision clinical trials and precision medicine.



From data to diagnosis



Traditional drug discovery is expensive and time-consuming but AI models can accelerate the process by identifying shared genomic features across diseases to predict effectiveness. “It&#8217;s incredibly helpful because with older medications, we already know they&#8217;re safe,” says Chander. “When we find drugs that are useful for another indication, it’s really an extraordinary gift.” This is particularly important for rare and undiagnosed diseases, including certain cancers, that affect over 300 million people globally (but only 5%-7% have FDA-approved treatments).



A new open-source AI model called TxGNN, developed by Harvard Medical School researchers, aims to close this gap by identifying drug candidates for over 17,000 diseases, including rare cancers, using existing medicines. Then there’s Insilico Medicine, a Hong Kong-based biotechnology startup, who now has one of the first AI-discovered drugs to enter the clinical pipeline. The company’s own Pharma.AI platform, which includes tools like PandaOmics and Chemistry42, uses multiple AI models trained on millions of data samples to identify disease targets and design new drug compounds. What’s really exciting about this is the speed. Insilico reached the first phase of clinical trials in just two and a half years, compared to the traditional six-year timeline, and at a fraction of the usual $400 million cost. “It can cost over a billion dollars per drug and take over a decade and a lot of lives are lost in that time,” adds Chander.



This acceleration in drug discovery is just one example of AI&#8217;s impact on oncology. Working with Genomics England, Illing and his team faced an immense challenge: analysing thousands of scientific papers about genetic links to diseases. “They have a team of bio curators – experts who do searches, pull out papers, read them and work out the associations between disease types and genes,” explains Illing. But with so much key data on cancer and genetics being published, Genomics England’s manual review process couldn’t keep up with the sheer volume of research. Illing’s team worked on an AI solution – automated bio-curation – which transformed this landscape completely. “Over an eight to 10-week period, we built a generative AI platform that was able to look at all of those papers published and identify 20 new gene associations which previously were not known,” Illing says, adding that if they had manually looked at all the data, it would be out of date. “The role of AI is very much automation. It&#8217;s how do you take stuff which needs to be done at scale globally, make it faster and take off the burden of the care providers?”



The digital patient



This revolutionary approach isn&#8217;t simply fast-tracking research, it&#8217;s shifting how quickly scientific discoveries can become life-saving treatments. Among these innovations, AI is being utilized to create increasingly sophisticated simulations of disease progression in virtual environments called digital twins. In fact, Research and Markets have projected that the digital twin industry will reach $130.77 billion by 2029, driven by demand in healthcare and pharmacology. In a new research paper published in Nature Medicine on digital twins, Dr Eric Stahlberg, a Leidos scientist, explained that “if you look at the aerospace industry, they&#8217;re using digital twins extensively to simulate fluid dynamics and materials processing to improve engine and aircraft designs. There are many similarities between those models and newer models that simulate the human cardiovascular and circulatory systems,” he continues. “The complexity of the human body is so substantial that there will always be uncertainty in the models. But ultimately, digital twins will inform patients, help them rank various treatment options and increase their chances of survival.&#8221;



UK Biobank, a global biomedical database and research hub, currently has a project underway that’s using AI to create detailed digital twins that mirror how cancer develops and responds to treatment for individual patients. “Digital twins enable precision care in a way that could never be done before,” says Chander. These computer models are groundbreaking because they combine multi-modal data from genetic patterns and protein behavior to chemical changes in the body and patients&#8217; full medical histories. “Most of the models that are coming out to date, like ChatGPT or Claude, have been language models, but we&#8217;re seeing a shift into large data models,” explains Illing. “Healthcare isn&#8217;t just language – it&#8217;s also genomics, proteins and imaging. By integrating all of those different data streams you get a much better idea, upfront, about what kind of treatment a patient can have.” By analyzing this rich mixture of biological and clinical information, UK Biobank’s AI system can spot subtle warning signs that traditional methods might overlook. First tackling pancreatic cancer, where the complex mixture of different cells in tumors makes early detection difficult, the team is hoping to look at lung, breast, colon, prostate, skin and bladder cancers in the future.



These AI breakthroughs are reshaping how doctors approach cancer treatment, turning an uncontrollable disease into one they can analyze, track and target with unprecedented precision. It’s a new era in medicine where cutting-edge technology can customize care. “The promise of personalized medicine is that when you come in with your specific problem, you will be treated as an individual, rather than just one of a &#8216;this sex, this age, in this environment&#8217;,” ends Illing. “AI is already having a massive impact on this kind of tailored understanding of what patients have got but also how things evolve over time.”



Will next-gen oncology be driven by nanorobots?



Remember those illustrations in the 1976 children&#8217;s book The Value of Believing in Yourself: The Story of Louis Pasteur? Tiny warriors drawn inside syringes, ready to battle disease. What once captured children&#8217;s imaginations is now a scientific reality. Today, AI is turning this vivid imagery into a radical new approach to fighting cancer: nanorobotics – sophisticated molecular machines that are redefining how we target and treat tumors. “These are kind of like rocket ships,” explains Dr Divya Chander, “your rocket ship could be a bacterial cell, or it could be a virus&#8230; or it can be a nanorobot that we create, but essentially it can hold a payload. And so, the shell, the main structure, is something that can actually be activated, like a heat seeking missile.” These tiny machines, typically measuring between 1 to 100 nanometers, are programmed to act as precision delivery systems. One breakthrough example comes from Arizona State University, where researchers have developed DNA nanorobots loaded with thrombin. These microscopic warriors seek out cancer cells and effectively starve tumors by cutting off their blood supply – a far cry from the broad, systemic effects of traditional chemotherapy. The development of nanorobots goes hand-in-hand with what Chander calls “living medicines”. Instead of traditional drugs, living medicine uses nature’s own tools (like bacteria or viruses) to fight diseases. It&#8217;s almost like having tiny helpers that can do things our bodies can&#8217;t do on their own. “A living medicine involves programming a life form to deliver a specific treatment, unlike traditional medicines, which are molecules that spread passively through the body based on physics and chemistry,” explains Chander. “These targeted therapies are extraordinary because they don&#8217;t come with the same side effects as systemic drugs… and chemotherapy is toxic.” What makes nanobots so exciting for cancer treatment is their ability in precisely attacking tumor cells. One new study found that nanorobots reduced tumor size by 65.2% compared to chemotherapy&#8217;s 40.5% reduction. They also delivered drugs with an impressive 92.7% accuracy, detected tumors nearly twice as fast and caused significantly fewer side effects. Most strikingly, patients treated with nanorobots achieved a 78% survival rate within 12 months, compared to 54% for those on chemotherapy.

3D virus cells attacking a DNA strand

A New Era In Oncology: Tackling The Dreaded ‘C’ Word With AI

Dalan Animal Health is working to sell its bee vaccines to commercial beekeepers and governments – and potentially expand to other invertebrates.



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How do you vaccinate a honeybee? And will beekeepers care enough to do it?



Those are the questions Annette Kleiser has been wrestling since founding Dalan Animal Health in 2018. Five years after launching the startup, the government approved an oral vaccine her team created that’s designed for the world’s beekeepers to feed to worker bees, which then feed it to their queens in royal jelly. The result, strangely enough, is immunity for the queen’s offspring. Now, she’s on a mission to get as many bees vaccinated as she can — helping to safeguard not only the hives but the crops that they pollinate.



“We know that the loss of insects is dramatic for this world,” Kleiser said. “We cannot survive on this planet or anywhere else without insects.”



The Dalan vaccine defends against a devastating bacterial disease aptly named American Foulbrood, and Kleiser sees it as a first step toward keeping the roughly 3 million honeybee colonies in the U.S. healthy. It’s not the only disease bees can suffer from; about 50% of colonies and millions of bees die each year from a variety of ailments, including a nasty parasite called the varroa mite, pesticide poisoning, inadequate nutrition and the stress of traveling around the country to pollinate crops. Those are devastating numbers for beekeepers: “Imagine a cattle farmer losing 30 to 50% of their cattle each year,” said Matt Mulica, a senior project director at the Keystone Policy Center, which facilitates the Honey Bee Health Coalition. “How do you combat that?”



Kleiser and her team at Athens, Georgia-based Dalan Animal Health believe specially designed bee vaccines are an important tool in keeping more bees alive, enabling commercial beekeepers (who may have some 5,000 to 30,000 colonies) to continue bringing them around the country so they can pollinate crops like almonds, blueberries, cucumbers and apples.



“If you have an outbreak [of American Foulbrood], the spores have such resiliency that the recommended treatment is to kill all the bees and burn all the hives,” said Tom Chi, founder of At One Ventures, who invested in a $3.6 million seed round in summer 2022 as Dalan was taking its vaccine against American Foulbrood through clinical trials. “It’s catastrophic if you get it.”



Kleiser, who has a Ph.D. in neurophysiology from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, discovered the research that would lead her to bee vaccines when she was working to help universities transform academic work into businesses. While visiting the University of Helsinki, she met Estonian biologist and zoologist Dalial Freitak, who had an unorthodox idea: to inject an inactivated bacteria into a queen to improve the hive’s overall resilience to disease. Insects and other invertebrates don’t have antibodies like humans and other mammals do, so the traditional way of creating vaccines won’t work on them. “When I heard about the research, I was like, ‘Why isn’t anybody doing this?’” Kleiser recalled.



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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-plain has-medium-font-size is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“If someone cuts their winter losses in half because of these vaccinated queens, it would spread like wildfire.”Commercial beekeper Chris Hiatt
</blockquote>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Kleiser spun Freitak’s research out of the university, then they created a vaccine that’s mixed into the so-called “queen candy” for the queens’ attendants, who then incorporate it into the royal jelly that is fed to the queen. The result is that the queen’s larvae will be primed against the disease when they hatch.



Beekeepers are watching closely. “This is really new. I think that’s why it’s caused a lot of interest and excitement,” said Blake Shook, a commercial beekeeper in Leonard, Texas, who is testing out the new vaccine. And national governments are interested too: Kleiser said she is in conversation with half-dozen countries in Asia, South America and Europe about buying the vaccine to protect their countries’ bees (she declined to name which ones). She’s raised $14 million in venture funding from At One Ventures and Prime Movers Lab so far. While this is an early-stage startup with revenue below $1 million, Kleiser is optimistic she’ll be able to land major contracts with both governments and commercial beekeepers in the next year.



But there’s a major hurdle: convincing beekeepers that the cost of $10 per vaccine is worth it. “Everyone is interested,” Shook told&nbsp;Forbes.&nbsp;“But it is expensive, and beekeeping isn’t exactly a high-margin business.”



Russell Heitkam, whose Heitkam’s Honey Bees is a major producer of queens (he sells some 75,000 of them a year), said his customers are actively trying to understand the economics and value of vaccination. For a commercial beekeeper with 30,000 hives, the cost of vaccinating at $10 a queen adds up quickly, to roughly $300,000. Heitkam, who is working with Dalan on trials of the vaccine, told&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;he’d like to see proof that the vaccines allow each colony of bees to become more dense with healthy insects that can produce greater quantities of honey and do more pollination. Dalan argues that the cost to vaccinate will be more than offset by having fewer bees die off and healthier bees survive, but Heitkam and other beekeepers want to see the vaccine do more than just protect against American Foulbrood, which commercial beekeepers can in part prevent through better beekeeping practices, like not sharing equipment between colonies and cleaning hive tools carefully.



“People call me and say, ‘Hey, I want to get some queens, should I get them vaccinated?” he said. “An average queen is $28, and now you want to put another $10 on top of that, so you need to be able to monetize that $10.”



But, he points out, “If their vaccine can produce one more frame of bees at pollination time, that will pay for itself.” A frame is the movable part of the hive and can typically hold 2,000 to 2,500 bees.



Adds Chris Hiatt, a commercial beekeeper with Hiatt Honey who is also president of the American Honey Producers Association: “In beekeeping, it’s word of mouth. If someone cuts their winter losses in half because of these vaccinated queens, it would spread like wildfire.”



That’s just for one bee disease. Dalan’s researchers are studying whether its vaccine can provide protection against others, especially a particularly harmful one known as deformed wing virus. So far, experimental trials across 400 commercial hives have shown an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-research-from-the-company-behind-the-first-honeybee-vaccine-offers-hope-for-beekeepers-against-a-deadly-viral-pathogen-302243458.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">83% reduction</a>&nbsp;in the levels of a highly transmissible variant of the virus. “Anything above 65% to 70% is considered effective treatment, and we’re well beyond that,” investor Chi said.



The next step is to expand beyond honeybees to other invertebrates, starting with shrimp. “It was clear for me from day one that this is not only the solution for one insect, but potentially for all invertebrates,” said Freitak, the company’s scientific cofounder.



Like beekeeping, shrimp farming — a $40 billion market — suffers from double-digit losses each year from diseases, despite relying heavily on chemical pesticides that take a heavy environmental toll. “There are billions of losses, and shrimp production is growing and has a big impact on mangroves because of the chemicals used in shrimp farming,” Kleiser said.



Since the immune system of shrimp is similar to that of bees, she thinks Dalan could vaccinate maternal shrimp similarly to queen bees. The company has begun testing vaccines for a common shrimp disease, known as white spot syndrome virus, starting with small shrimp and then as they get big enough for commercial sale. The company said it’s beginning to see promising results with a 64% survival rate in early tests at an aquaculture research facility. “In shrimp, everything has failed in the field,” she said. “We believe our approach is so different that we have a chance of cracking the market.”



If a vaccine works for bees and shrimp, what else might it be able to do? Longer term, Kleiser believes that even mosquitoes, known for carrying diseases like malaria and dengue fever to humans, could be vaccinated, reducing outbreaks worldwide. As climate change raises the risks of formerly tropical diseases spreading north, the ability to vaccinate insects could ultimately be as important for human health as for food security.



“It’s much, much bigger than the honeybee,” Kleiser said. “The honeybee is big because we need this animal to survive to feed us, but the science that is unfolding is way bigger than this.”

Mustard Agriculture In India

This Startup Makes A Vaccine For Honeybees. Shrimp Are Next.

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Higher levels of belly and arm fat may increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, while high muscle strength may decrease this risk, new research suggests, the latest study to explore the link between body composition and brain degeneration.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



The study included 412,961 participants between the ages of 40 and 70 who were followed for an average of about nine years; 8,224 participants developed neurodegenerative diseases during this time—mainly Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.



The researchers found participants with excess arm fat had an 18% greater risk of developing these diseases compared to participants with low levels of arm fat, according to the study published Wednesday in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.



Participants with high levels of belly fat were also 13% more likely to develop these neurodegenerative diseases, and this risk was slightly higher in men than women.



However, there was one factor that consistently decreased risks among participants: Having high muscle strength lowered risks by over 25%.



Previous&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2807421#:~:text=High%20levels%20of%20lean,between%20risk%20factors%20and%20diseases." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">research</a>&nbsp;found having higher levels of lean muscle mass—the difference between total body weight and body fat—decreases neurodegenerative disease risk, but the Neurology study researchers found inconsistent results on this factor, and suggested muscle quality may play a more important role in reducing risk than muscle quantity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



“Targeted interventions to reduce trunk and arm fat while promoting healthy muscle development may be more effective for protection against these diseases than general weight control,” Dr. Huan Song, a study author and professor for Sichuan University in China, said in a statement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-excess-fat-increase-the-risk-of-neurodegenerative-disease">WHY DOES EXCESS FAT INCREASE THE RISK OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE?</h2>



One reason high levels of belly fat increases this risk is due to a type of fat called visceral fat, which only lies around abdominal organs. Visceral fat is also called “<a href="https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-visceral-fat" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">hidden fat</a>” because it’s located within the stomach and isn’t visible to the naked eye. Middle-aged people with excess visceral fat have increased levels of tau and amyloid proteins in their brains, which are both indicators of Alzheimer’s, according to a 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aginganddisease.org/EN/10.14336/AD.2023.0707" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;published in Aging &amp; Disease. Researchers have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2023.1294420/full" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;obesity significantly increases the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. The brain naturally shrinks with age, but obesity can cause this process to speed up, causing the brain to age by about 10 excess years and increasing Alzheimer’s risk,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/managing-the-risk-of-dementia/reduce-your-risk-of-dementia/obesity" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the Alzheimer’s Society. Metabolic changes associated with excess fat can damage the central nervous system, and can then lead to neuronal cell death, which is a known contributor to neurodegenerative disease, a Life Sciences&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002432051730276X?via%3Dihub" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;suggested.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



The Neurology study researchers also considered how cardiovascular diseases—like heart disease or stroke—factor into degenerative brain disease development. Around 35% and 22% of participants with excess belly and arm fat, respectively, developed some form of cardiovascular disease after the study began, but before the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Cardiovascular diseases have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">previously linked</a>&nbsp;as risk factors for neurodegenerative disease. The researchers believe early management of cardiovascular diseases in people with excess arm and belly fat may mitigate neurodegeneration.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



30 million. That’s how many people worldwide are living with a degenerative brain disease,&nbsp;<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24976-neurodegenerative-diseases" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the Cleveland Clinic.

Neurology research, conceptual image

Excess Arm And Stomach Fat Boosts Alzheimer’s And Parkinson’s Risk While Muscle Strength Decreases It, Study Suggests

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



The use of GLP-1 medications like semaglutide for weight loss has increased twofold over the past decade, but declined in use among type 2 diabetics, according to a new study, and the researchers warn the resulting and ongoing drug shortage may limit diabetics’ access to the drugs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center examined 1 million first-time GLP-1 prescriptions in the U.S. between 2011 and 2023 and separated patients by those who took GLP-1s for type 2 diabetes, and those who didn’t have diabetes but took them for obesity or obesity-related health conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease.



The amount of new patients prescribed GLP-1s for diabetes decreased by almost 10% between 2011 and 2023, while those who were prescribed the drugs for obesity or other obesity-related conditions more than doubled during the same time period, particularly since 2020, according to the study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.



Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide—the generic name for Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus—was the most prescribed GLP-1 in 2023, making up over 88% of all new prescriptions.



<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551568/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">GLP-1s</a>&nbsp;are medications designed to manage type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity by lowering blood sugar and A1C, interacting with the hunger part of the brain to suppress the appetite and slowing down the process of food emptying from the stomach, causing patients to feel full longer.



The researchers warned the medications’ growing popularity among those with obesity could be exacerbating a nationwide drug shortage, and also raises concerns about “the need to ensure that patients with diabetes still have access to these treatments,” Dr. Yee Hui Yeo, the study’s co-first author and a clinical fellow in the Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Cedars-Sinai, said in a statement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-glp-1s-have-been-approved-for-weight-loss">WHAT GLP-1S HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR WEIGHT LOSS?</h2>



There are&nbsp;<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">seven approved</a>&nbsp;GLP-1 drugs in the U.S. There’s also a similar class of medications called dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists, and tirzepatide (the generic name for Mounjaro and Zepbound) is the only drug available in the U.S. from this group. However, only&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-drug-treatment-chronic-weight-management-first-2014" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">semaglutide</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.novonordisk.com/content/nncorp/global/en/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=1430#:~:text=Bagsv%C3%A6rd%2C%20Denmark%2C%2023%20December%202014,for%20the%20treatment%20of%20obesity." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">liraglutide</a>—the generic name for Saxenda and Victoza—and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-medication-chronic-weight-management" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">tirzepatide</a>&nbsp;have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight management. Saxenda was the first to be approved in 2014, followed by Wegovy in 2020 and Zepbound in 2023.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-there-still-a-glp-1-drug-shortage">IS THERE STILL A GLP-1 DRUG SHORTAGE?</h2>



Yes, several GLP-1s have been in short supply for months, though some appear to be back in stock. The three lowest doses of Wegovy are still in a shortage with no expected date of recovery, while all doses of Ozempic are available, according to the FDA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/dsp_ActiveIngredientDetails.cfm?AI=Semaglutide%20Injection&amp;st=c" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">database</a>. Two doses of both Mounjaro and Zepbound are in a shortage, though the FDA reports availability will improve after July. Doses of Saxenda and Victoza are also in short supply. The FDA blames increasing demand as the reason for the shortages. The shortages aren’t just affecting the U.S.: The European Medicines Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/385/bmj.q1448?utm_campaign=usage&amp;utm_content=tbmj_sprout&amp;utm_id=BMJ005&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">warned</a>&nbsp;the GLP-1 drug shortage is a “major public health concern” that probably won’t be resolved in 2024. Diabetics have had a hard time getting ahold of their medications because of the shortages, with some rationing their drugs to cope with the lack of supply, NPR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/07/10/nx-s1-5006103/ozempic-wegovy-semaglutide-shortage-type-2-diabetes-obesity#:~:text=Television-,Shortages%20of%20Ozempic%20and%20other%20drugs%20harms%20Type%202%20diabetes,them%20when%20they%20need%20them." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Adverse side effects may also be causing a decline in GLP-1 use among type 2 diabetics.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351199#:~:text=Metformin%20(Fortamet%2C%20Glumetza%2C%20others,it%20uses%20insulin%20more%20effectively." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Metformin</a>&nbsp;is considered the go-to drug for glucose management in type 2 diabetics, but many patients take second-line drugs—type 2 diabetes drugs that aren’t insulin—like GLP-1s to assist with treatment, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ajmc.com/view/treatment-modification-after-initiating-second-line-medication-for-type-2-diabetes" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;by Northwestern Medicine. Almost 40% of patients taking second-line diabetes drugs stop treatment, but this number is even higher (50%) among those taking GLP-1s. The researchers believe this may be due to gastrointestinal side effects—like vomiting, nausea and diarrhea—associated with GLP-1s. Other than side effects, the high cost of the drugs is also a leading cause of discontinuation, according to a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://diabetesjournals.org/spectrum/article/34/2/175/32908/Exploring-Why-People-With-Type-2-Diabetes-Do-or-Do" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;by the American Diabetes Association.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



$100 billion. That’s how much the weight loss drug industry could be worth by 2030,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-17/lilly-lly-and-novo-novob-seen-dominating-100-billion-obesity-market-in-2030" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">analysts estimate</a>, though some believe this is a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/28/obesity-drugs-to-be-worth-200-billion-in-next-10-years-barclays-says.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">lowball</a>&nbsp;estimate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



The Cedars-Sinai researchers also found the percentage of people who were prescribed GLP-1s who didn’t meet the FDA requirements for the drugs increased from 0.21% in 2019 to 0.37% in 2023. These are people who are being prescribed the drugs off-label even though they don’t have diabetes, obesity, heart disease or any other related health condition. Although a slight increase, this could be tied to the growing popularity of people who aren’t obese&nbsp;<a href="https://www.webmd.com/obesity/news/20230801/using-ozempic-for-minor-weight-loss-fair-or-foul" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">using</a>&nbsp;Wegovy and other GLP-1s for weight loss. Using GLP-1s for weight loss without meeting the FDA requirements is “abuse,” and these people are “far more likely to develop the serious side effects,” Dr. Nancy Rahnama, a Beverly Hills-based internal and bariatric medicine specialist with her own private practice,&nbsp;<a href="https://beverlyhillscourier.com/2023/11/16/the-real-skinny-on-weight-loss/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;local newspaper the Beverly Hills Courier.

Novo Nordisk A/S Scouts Deals to Gain New Medicines and Technology

GLP-1s Are Growing In Popularity As Weight Loss Drugs But Losing Steam Among Diabetics, Study Suggests

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



A class of diabetes and weight loss drugs that includes Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro could also help protect against a variety of cancers, according to new research published Friday, adding to mounting evidence the injections offer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/04/18/weight-loss-and-diabetes-drugs-like-ozempic-and-mounjaro-could-treat-sleep-apnea-and-parkinsons-too-here-are-other-conditions-scientists-are-looking-at/?sh=62e373b67f76">numerous additional health benefits</a>&nbsp;as pressure builds for insurers and public health providers to cover the popular medication in spite of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/04/30/wegovy-is-available-again-after-shortages-fda-says-but-supplies-are-still-limited/?sh=4773390761b4">persistent shortages</a>&nbsp;and cost&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/05/13/bernie-sanders-urges-ozempic-maker-novo-nordisk-to-be-fair-over-outrageously-expensive-us-drug-prices/?sh=2d9c1973404c">concerns</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists, a class of drugs often known as GLP-1s or GLP-1RAs, were associated with a “significant risk reduction” for 10 different cancers when used to treat type 2 diabetes compared to insulin, according to new&nbsp;<a href="http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.21305?utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=070524" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">research</a>&nbsp;published in JAMA Oncology.



The findings come from an analysis of the electronic health records of 1.7 million U.S. patients over 15 years who were prescribed GLP-1RAs, insulins or metformin for type 2 diabetes — all help control blood sugar — between 2005 to 2018, though it did not specify which drugs were examined.



GLP-1 drugs, which mimic the action of a gut hormone and can help control blood sugar, include popular obesity and diabetes treatments like Ozempic and Wegovy (brand names for semaglutide), Mounjaro and Zepbound (or tirzepatide), Victoza and Saxenda (liraglutide) and Trulicity (dulaglutide).



Semaglutide was only authorized for medical use towards the end of the study timeline and tirzepatide was not approved until much later, though findings for some drugs can give an indication for what might happen with closely related drugs.



All of the 13 cancers studied are considered obesity-associated cancers as excess body fat has been linked to a greater risk of developing them and worse prognosis among patients who do.



GLP-1RAs were linked to a greatly reduced risk of developing esophageal, colorectal, endometrial, gallbladder, kidney, liver, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, as well as meningioma and multiple myeloma, compared to patients taking insulin.



There was no firm evidence for a lower risk for developing the obesity-associated cancers compared to patients taking metformin for their diabetes, however, though the researchers said there were promising but statistically insignificant indications of a lower risk for gallbladder and colorectal cancer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



While GLP-1RAs were associated with a decreased risk for most obesity-associated cancers studied compared to other standard diabetes treatments, the researchers said drugs were also associated with a risk of developing some cancers. Compared to patients on metformin, patients taking GLP-1RAs had a higher risk of kidney cancers, the researchers said, though the risk was also lower than patients taking insulin. There have been no previous reports of kidney cancers associated with using GLP-1s, which are known to have direct effect on kidney function and have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/05/25/ozempic-drug-semaglutide-could-protect-kidneys-study-finds/">linked</a>&nbsp;to lower rates of kidney disease. Nevertheless, the researchers said the findings should be followed up for “full evaluation” and suggest the need for continuous monitoring of patients being treated with GLP-1RAs. There was also no significant reduction in the risk of developing thyroid cancer for patients taking GLP-1RAs compared to insulins, the researchers said. This finding adds weight to existing research highlighting concerns the drugs are associated with an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer and support warnings on drug packages advising caution among patients with endocrine or thyroid problems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-don-t-know">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



The study was observational in nature and therefore can only determine relationships, not cause and effect. It’s possible the reduction in risk for obesity-associated cancers comes from the weight loss and diabetes control afforded by such medications, as these are both issues linked to higher risks of cancers, or from some action of the drug itself or another thing entirely. Given the data available, the researchers said the study doesn’t consider “newer and possibly more effective antidiabetic and weight loss agents,” which could show even more pronounced effects, as well as those with multihormone agonist activities that are increasingly coming to market (tirzepatide, for example, is a multihormone agonist).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



These results add to a growing pile of research suggesting the health benefits of popular weight loss and diabetes injections extend far beyond control of the conditions they were brought to market for, which themselves are implicated in a variety of physical and mental health problems. These data will be crucial to helping companies <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/03/27/heres-why-ozempic-and-mounjaro-rivals-wont-topple-weight-loss-drugmakers-novo-nordisk-and-eli-lilly-anytime-soon/?sh=76a10ccf2b38">maintain an edge</a> over <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/03/13/ozempic-and-wegovy-rivals-here-are-the-companies-working-on-competitor-weight-loss-drugs/">competitors</a> racing to bring their first products to market and will add heft to arguments the drugs should be funded by insurers, employers and public health authorities dragging their heels on coverage. A <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/04/18/weight-loss-and-diabetes-drugs-like-ozempic-and-mounjaro-could-treat-sleep-apnea-and-parkinsons-too-here-are-other-conditions-scientists-are-looking-at/?sh=3724094f7f76">myriad of other conditions</a> are being explored by drugmakers, including <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/06/21/mounjaro-drug-tirzepatide-could-treat-sleep-apnea-study-finds/">sleep apnea</a>, addiction, anxiety, Parkinson’s and fatty liver disease and Novo Nordisk has already secured convincing enough data to add cardiovascular disease to Wegovy’s label.



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Ozempic Manufacturer Sued Over Side Effects Of Medication Used For Weight Loss

Drugs Like Ozempic Could Lower Cancer Risks, Study Suggests

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Patients treated by female doctors fare better than patients treated by male doctors, according to new research published Monday, despite the field struggling to improve female representation in research and among practitioners.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Patients treated by female physicians in the U.S. had lower mortality rates and lower rates of readmission compared to patients treated by male physicians, according to peer reviewed research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.



The findings come after researchers from the University of Tokyo in Japan analyzed data from the medical records of more than 700,000 Medicare patients aged 65 years or older hospitalized and treated between 2016 and 2019 to assess the differences between patients treated by male and female physicians.



Just under a third of the roughly 460,000 female and 320,000 male patients included in the study were treated by female physicians, the researchers said, and there were no significant differences between groups when it came to key metrics for evaluating hospital care including length of stay, spending, how likely a discharge to home was, management claims and the proportion of time spent under intensive evaluation.



While both male and female patients treated by female physicians fared better than those treated by male physicians in terms of lower death and readmission rates, the researchers found the difference was especially large and clinically meaningful for female patients, who are underrepresented in medical research and far more likely to suffer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/medical-mistakes-are-likely-women-minorities-rcna133726" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">misdiagnoses</a>&nbsp;and medical mistakes during treatment than men.



The researchers said multiple reasons could be behind the stark difference in outcomes for female patients when treated by female physicians, such as male physicians potentially underestimating the severity of illnesses in their female patients and female physicians probably having better communication skills and a more patient-centered approach when it comes to female patients.



Being treated by a female physician could also help alleviate the embarrassment, discomfort and social and cultural taboos that can arise for female patients during sensitive examinations, the researchers said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



The finding that patients treated by female clinicians fare better than those treated by male clinicians has been repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/women-doctors-may-be-better-for-patients-health/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">borne out&nbsp;</a>by research around the world. For example,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/aug/30/female-surgeons-patient-outcomes-better-studies" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">studies</a>&nbsp;published last year from researchers in Sweden and Canada found people operated on by female surgeons had better outcomes and fewer problems during recovery than when male surgeons had been performing the operations. In the U.S., research has shown women who have heart attacks are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45096070" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">more likely to survive</a>&nbsp;when treated by a female doctor. The same is true of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/355/bmj.i6808" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">elderly hospital patients</a>. While studies are typically observational and so cannot determine cause and effect,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/14/well/doctors-male-female-women-men-heart.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">research</a>&nbsp;has shown female doctors tend to listen to their patients more, spend more time with their patients and are more likely to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/01/21/patients-get-better-care-female-doctors-sexism-persists-medicine/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">follow guidelines and collaborate</a>&nbsp;with specialists. While patients might fare better under female clinicians, women doctors face a variety of issues hindering their ability to enter and remain in the field. Female doctors tend to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/gender-identity/women-doctors-earn-2-million-less-than-men-in-their-careers-they-want-to-know-why-is-nothing-being-done/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">paid less</a>&nbsp;than their male counterparts, face&nbsp;<a href="https://hbr.org/2018/08/how-discrimination-against-female-doctors-hurts-patients" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">systemic discrimination&nbsp;</a>and struggle with higher&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health/how-women-physicians-can-find-balance-and-out-workplace" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">rates of burnout</a>&nbsp;amid efforts to manage brutal medical schedules with other commitments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



Despite decades of vowing to address systemic bias against women in healthcare and research, medical research still <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/nov/20/women-health-research-jill-biden-white-house" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">knowingly and consistently overlooks</a> women and women are still <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/27/underrepresentation-women-clinical-trials/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">underrepresented</a> in clinical trials. The bias pervades the entirety of medical research, even down to the laboratory level, with animal <a href="https://nautil.us/which-sex-of-mouse-should-you-ask-for-directions-313331/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">subjects</a> like <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/07/science/female-mice-hormones.html#:~:text=But%20a%20large%20sex%20gap,by%20a%20factor%20of%20five." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mice</a> and <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/14/health/sex-biological-variable-research-science-drugs-scn/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rats</a> all overwhelmingly male.

Doctor soothing senior patient

Patients Fare Better With Women Doctors, Study Finds

Women-founded companies in African health technology soared to new heights last year, raising $52 million in funding, 31% of the total investments compared to 2022’s 1.4%, which represents over 2,000% increase, as per Salient Advisory&#8217;s latest Market Intelligence report titled 2023 Roundup: Investments in African Healthtech.



The report establishes that it is an increase over the $2 million in funding that went to women-founded companies in 2022. Year-over-year, the number of deals that went to women-led companies in comparison were 26 deals in 2022 and 33 deals last year. Funding to mixed-gender founding teams increased from 10% in 2022 to 21% last year.



&#8220;The key driver in the overall increase was the fact that we saw large funding rounds for a number of women-founded companies, including Kasha’s $21 million round which is the largest by a woman-founded company in African healthtech,&#8221; Yomi Kazeem, Engagement Manager at Salient Advisory, shares with FORBES AFRICA.



&#8220;Alongside Kasha (Kenya), Dawi Clinics (Egypt), Maisha Meds (Kenya) and Chefaa (Egypt), collectively accounted for 75% of the total funding raised by women founders in 2023.&#8221;



He considers it great to see such large funding rounds for women, explaining that it aligns with his team&#8217;s advocacy to investors and donors for intentional approaches to providing funding to women founders with the aim of bridging long-running gender financing gaps.



For him, if the trend is sustained, the implication is that funding in African healthtech ecosystems will become more inclusive, with more &#8220;amazing&#8221; women-founded companies getting crucial early and late-stage funding to support their work. &#8220;It will also mean that these women founders will also be at the forefront of transforming health systems across the continent.&#8221;



The report also highlighted a nuanced perspective on funding dynamics within African healthtech receiving $167 million in equity, grant, and debt funding. While overall investments experienced a marginal 2% decline, the sector demonstrated resilience compared to the broader African tech ecosystem, which saw a substantial 39% drop in funding.



The African healthtech ecosystem’s number of deals rose by 17%, to a total of 145. However, the average ticket size for deals decreased by 15%, to $1.1 million, with 78% of innovators raising less than $1 million in individual deals. In total, 114 innovators received funding last year, with 23 of them receiving multiple investments.



Zillah Waminaje, Consultant at Salient Advisory, elucidating on the funding landscape, states to FORBES AFRICA, &#8220;The reality is that much of the funding deals for healthtech startups on the continent are grants, which typically have smaller ticket sizes. In 2023, 52% of all the deals we tracked were grants but this added up to just 7% of all funding, with an average ticket size of around $170,000.&#8221;



Waminaje further highlights the strategic significance of grants, emphasizing their role in validating business models and propelling growth trajectories for innovators.



&#8220;We expect to continue to see a large number of grant deals for healthtech companies, especially as grant-based programs like Investing in Innovation, which has an annual cohort size of 30 healthtech companies, deepens the important work they are doing across African healthtech ecosystems.&#8221;



The report unveiled a surge in funding activity, with a notable focus on online pharmacy solutions, primarily driven by Series B raises. Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt emerged as focal points for investments, while francophone Africa witnessed a modest uptick, propelled by notable deals in Côte d’Ivoire.



Equity investments dominated the funding landscape, comprising 91% of total investments, with only a single debt-based investment recorded. Pre-seed and seed-stage funding collectively amounted to $36.8 million across 50 deals, and $99m was invested at Series A or higher stages across seven deals.



Last year also witnessed a doubling of merger and acquisition activity compared to 2022, with the report highlighting a burgeoning investor appetite for African health tech as over $600 million was raised in new funds.

close-up-hand-young-black-female-doctor-male-patient_536628-371

Women-Led African Healthtech Firms Secure $52M In Funding, Marking Over 2,000% Increase

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY CONSTANTLY pushes boundaries with its innovations. Over the years, we’ve seen disruptions like 3D bio-printing; the Internet of Medical Things; virtual reality for mental health; robotic surgery and nanomedicine – precision healthcare at a molecular level. 



Early in the pandemic, telemedicine took center stage as patients and healthcare workers turned to technology out of necessity, but it remains to be seen if its popularity will last.



 It was also during the pandemic that Microsoft experimented with its mixed reality (MR) headset, the HoloLens 2. The headset enables surgeons to view 3D holographic images of a patient, obtained from X-rays or CT scans, and supports hand gestures and voice commands. 



Recently, at its annual Ignite conference in March, the company announced Microsoft Mesh, a mixed-reality platform built on Azure that can be accessed on the HoloLens as well as other VR headsets, smartphones, PCs, Macs and tablets, making it more mainstream. 



The HoloLens 2 project was led by Professor Thomas Gregory who used the original HoloLens for its first MR surgery back in 2017. He brought together 15 surgeons across 13 countries to perform a series of MR orthopedic operations. Shoulder surgeries were chosen because it requires 3D planning and modeling of the shoulder. Professor Stephen Roche, orthopedic surgeon at Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town in South Africa participated in three surgeries; one in South Africa and assistance with two others in France and Germany.



 “Technology is playing a bigger role in surgery, research, and healthcare and certainly during Covid-19, where trainees have not been able to operate, this has highlighted the use and need for technology in training and teaching,” says Roche. 



The HoloLens 2 lets us manipulate images in real-time so intraoperative findings can be checked with surgical planning, he adds. 



“It allows us to access the internet during surgery and more importantly, we can bring a surgeon into the theater virtually for advice, which would be a massive benefit for a continent like Africa, with many of our colleagues working in poorlyresourced areas.” 



Another company targeting disadvantaged communities in South Africa is a start-up called Robots Can Think, which adapted during Covid-19 by 3D-printing personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. 



<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:35% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="917" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Natalie-Raphil-917x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50857 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Natalie-Raphil-917x1024.jpg 917w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Natalie-Raphil-269x300.jpg 269w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Natalie-Raphil-768x857.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Natalie-Raphil-1376x1536.jpg 1376w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Natalie-Raphil-1834x2048.jpg 1834w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Natalie-Raphil.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 917px) 100vw, 917px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">At Robots Can Think, we strive to use AI for good, to place AI in a meaningful way in the hands of all, from Sandton to Kagiso, to deep rural Eastern Cape. – Natalie Raphil</blockquote>
</div></div>



Natalie Raphil, founder of Robots Can Think, says that during level 5 of the lockdown in South Africa, when imports and exports were at a standstill and PPE was in demand, she read about healthcare workers using cloth to cover their face and nose due to PPE delays. 



“I have access to a 3D-printer and decided to print face shields and masks with the 3D-printing material I had available. I then distributed them to medical staff in public hospitals, those in Alexandra in Johannesburg and so on,” says Raphil.



Raphil has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence (AI) from Stanford University and started Robots Can Think three years ago with a current focus on the medical and healthcare sectors. After questioning the inclusivity of AI for the visually and hearing impaired, she realized things needed to change. 



The start-up came up with an AI module that is fitted on to existing walking sticks, and once activated, assists the visually-impaired to navigate outdoors.



“The device captures real-time images and the AI then recognizes objects such as traffic lights, traffic light colors, how many vehicles/ pedestrians (essentially objects) are in front of the visually-impaired, all the while navigating them to their final destination.”



The device then either communicates back to the visually-impaired via speech through a Bluetooth device or via sensory pulses emitted from the device to the hand holding the stick. 



The AI walking stick is still in a testing phase, and runs on proprietary software that includes image recognition, image/text to speech, and text/speech to sensory conversion software, hosted on-premise.



Raphil credits Robots Can Think’s partner, All Round Tech, for its engineering genius in developing the AI module for walking sticks. Once approved, it will be made available to purchase; supplied to medical organizations; and will be donated to the needy. 



Over the next two years, Robots Can Think will focus on exploring medical tech to enhance the continent’s adoption of AI, invent products that are easily accessible to all and continue to use AI for good, says Raphil. 



“At Robots Can Think, we strive to use AI for good, to place AI in a meaningful way in the hands of all, from Sandton to Kagiso, to deep rural Eastern Cape in South Africa.”



BY NAFISA AKABOR

HoloLens2

The Advancements In Medical Technology That Go Beyond Covid-19

While most cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus have been reported in the U.S. , Europe, and China, the virus is spreading rapidly across the African continent. 



The confirmed worldwide cases for the virus have surpassed 50 million with the current figure being at 86,979,718.



The increase in newly reported cases around the world has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the coronavirus a global pandemic. 



The death toll continues to rise globally now surpassing <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/current-affairs/2020/09/29/coronavirus-claims-the-lives-of-more-than-1-million-people-worldwide/">one million</a>. It is currently at 1,878,992.



The U.S. leads with 365,740 deaths. Brazil comes second with 197,777. India&#8217;s deaths are at 150,151; Mexico is with 128,822 deaths, and The U.K is with 76,329.



China, where the virus originated from, maintains that the country&#8217;s death toll is at 4,634.



The figure of the global recoveries stands at 61,684,121.



The African continent now has a total figure of 2,895,592 confirmed cases of Covid-19, while the death toll stands at 68,872. The continent has made 2,388,345 recoveries. 



Here are the country-wide numbers for Africa:



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-regular"><table><tbody><tr><td>Country </td><td>Confirmed Cases </td><td>Confirmed Deaths</td><td>Confirmed Recoveries</td></tr><tr><td>Algeria</td><td>100,873</td><td>2,782</td><td>68,185</td></tr><tr><td>Angola</td><td>17,756</td><td>410</td><td>11,376</td></tr><tr><td>Benin</td><td>3,304</td><td>44</td><td>3,185</td></tr><tr><td>Botswana</td><td>15,440</td><td>45</td><td>12,481</td></tr><tr><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>7,342</td><td>86</td><td>5,443</td></tr><tr><td>Burundi</td><td>842</td><td>2</td><td>687</td></tr><tr><td>Cameroon</td><td>26,848</td><td>448</td><td>24,892</td></tr><tr><td>Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)</td><td>11,983</td><td>113</td><td>11,608</td></tr><tr><td>Central African Republic (CAR)</td><td>4,963</td><td>63</td><td>1,924</td></tr><tr><td>Chad</td><td>2,289</td><td>105</td><td>1,876</td></tr><tr><td>Comoros</td><td>995</td><td>13</td><td>759</td></tr><tr><td>Congo</td><td>7,107</td><td>108</td><td>5,846</td></tr><tr><td>Cote d&#8217;Ivoire (Ivory Coast)</td><td>22,855</td><td>138</td><td>22,154</td></tr><tr><td>Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) </td><td>18,248</td><td>599</td><td>14,723</td></tr><tr><td>Djibouti </td><td>5,854</td><td>61</td><td>5,752</td></tr><tr><td>Egypt</td><td>144,583</td><td>7,918</td><td>115,414</td></tr><tr><td>Equatorial Guinea</td><td>5,286</td><td>86</td><td>5,154</td></tr><tr><td>Eritrea</td><td>1,445</td><td>3</td><td>740</td></tr><tr><td>Eswatini&nbsp;(formerly Swaziland)</td><td>10,338</td><td>252</td><td>6,094</td></tr><tr><td>Ethiopia</td><td>126,241</td><td>1,963</td><td>112,813</td></tr><tr><td>Gabon</td><td>9,605</td><td>66</td><td>9,415</td></tr><tr><td>Gambia</td><td>3,812</td><td>125</td><td>3,677</td></tr><tr><td>Ghana</td><td>55,168</td><td>335</td><td>53,928</td></tr><tr><td>Guinea</td><td>13,845</td><td>81</td><td>13,199</td></tr><tr><td>Guinea-Bissau</td><td>2,455</td><td>45</td><td>2,398</td></tr><tr><td>Kenya</td><td>97,398</td><td>1,694</td><td>79,966</td></tr><tr><td>Lesotho</td><td>3,206</td><td>65</td><td>1,496</td></tr><tr><td>Liberia</td><td>1,779</td><td>83</td><td>1,406</td></tr><tr><td>Libya</td><td>102,880</td><td>1,546</td><td>77,435</td></tr><tr><td>Madagascar </td><td>17,767</td><td>262</td><td>17,298</td></tr><tr><td>Malawi</td><td>7,110</td><td>199</td><td>5,753</td></tr><tr><td>Mali</td><td>7,349</td><td>284</td><td>5,070</td></tr><tr><td>Mauritania</td><td>14,981</td><td>367</td><td>12,639</td></tr><tr><td>Mauritius</td><td>531</td><td>10</td><td>513</td></tr><tr><td>Mayotte</td><td>6,045</td><td>56</td><td>2,964</td></tr><tr><td>Morocco</td><td>445,439</td><td>7,581</td><td>416,708</td></tr><tr><td>Mozambique</td><td>19,542</td><td>171</td><td>17,069</td></tr><tr><td>Namibia</td><td>25,887</td><td>222</td><td>21,777</td></tr><tr><td>Niger</td><td>3,557</td><td>112</td><td>2,152</td></tr><tr><td>Nigeria </td><td>92,705</td><td>1,319</td><td>76,396</td></tr><tr><td>Réunion</td><td>9,173</td><td>42</td><td>8,706</td></tr><tr><td>Rwanda</td><td>8,955</td><td>110</td><td>6,878</td></tr><tr><td>Sao Tome and Principe</td><td>1,024</td><td>17</td><td>987</td></tr><tr><td>Senegal</td><td>20,156</td><td>433</td><td>17,782</td></tr><tr><td>Seychelles</td><td>354</td><td>1</td><td>224</td></tr><tr><td>Sierra Leone</td><td>2,724</td><td>76</td><td>1,924</td></tr><tr><td>Somalia</td><td>4,714</td><td>130</td><td>3,612</td></tr><tr><td>South Africa</td><td>1,127,759</td><td>30,524</td><td>920,879</td></tr><tr><td>South Sudan</td><td>3,589</td><td>63</td><td>3,131</td></tr><tr><td>Sudan</td><td>23,316</td><td>1,468</td><td>13,524</td></tr><tr><td>Tanzania</td><td>509</td><td>21</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>Togo</td><td>3,770</td><td>69</td><td>3,515</td></tr><tr><td>Tunisia </td><td>147,061</td><td>4,934</td><td>110,324</td></tr><tr><td>Uganda</td><td>36,407</td><td>290</td><td>12,387</td></tr><tr><td>Western Sahara</td><td>10</td><td>1</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>Zambia </td><td>23,495</td><td>417</td><td>19,672</td></tr><tr><td>Zimbabwe</td><td>17,194</td><td>418</td><td>11,813</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>







Note: The numbers will be updated as new information is available.

KENYA-HEALTH-VIRUS

[IN NUMBERS] Coronavirus Update: COVID-19 In Africa

There has been enough debate and deliberation around South Africa’s proposed National Health Insurance Bill for unified health coverage. Covid-19 has turned the spotlight on it again, and there’s more news expected in February 2021.



I FEEL GOOD,” WERE THE LAST WORDS 33-YEAR-OLD Charlie Mpogeng remembers his brother, Herman Motlhabane, saying to him before his untimely passing on the morning of July 17.



Motlhabane died, his relatives not knowing it was because of Covid-19 as his test results were only made available two weeks after his passing.



He had complained of a flu before being hospitalized.



“It was during that time of mass hysteria when everyone was like ‘if you have the flu, have it checked out’,” Mpogeng remembers as he walks to his brother’s grave at Westpark Cemetery in Emmarentia, west of Johannesburg. Even as he speaks, a tractor is digging up more graves around him, for other hapless victims who have succumbed to Covid-19.



By the end of July, 1,932 people had died of the pandemic in South Africa’s Gauteng Province, Motlhabane one of them.



With a disruptive virus still on the prowl to claim more unsuspecting lives, political establishments everywhere are sitting up and revisiting their healthcare systems – or the lack of it.



In South Africa, the focus has returned to the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, proposed to improve and strengthen the health financing system and provide quality, affordable medical care to all.



“The pandemic also showed the need for the public and private healthcare sectors to work together,” Dr Zweli Mkhize, the country’s health minister, said at a press briefing in October. “This is one of the core principles of the NHI.”



To further enable this, the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) and The National Institute For Communicable Diseases Of South Africa (NCID) have fallen under one umbrella, to ensure tests are adequately and accurately captured, but also to ensure labs can exchange skills, information and resources as and when the need arises.



“At the start of the pandemic, there was a critical shortage of test kits. At that time, the labs 



would count all the kits that were available in the country and then distribute them equitably amongst each other, regardless of whether the lab was private or public and it’s important



to point out that both public and private labs co-sponsored each other in ensuring equitable distribution,” Popo Maja, the spokesperson for the national Department of Health in South Africa, tells FORBES AFRICA.



Healthcare workers were counted as “one workforce” during these dire times, working freely between public and private sectors and some moving to work at field hospitals. Due to the high demand for hospital beds for Covid-19 patients, the government agreed with private hospital groups about pricing and acceptance of state patients. According to Maja, such negotiations have previously taken years 



and were often facilitated by lawyers and courts, at times without resolution.



“Covid-19 reminded us that we depend on each other. We have been able to forge cooperation between private and public,” Mkhize further stated in a one-on-one interview at the fifth annual FORBES AFRICA Philips Future of Health Summit in November. “We need a system that will ensure equitable access to quality healthcare irrespective of class and status or financial standing. Universal health coverage is now a global aspiration.”



The NHI Bill has been deliberated for years and the next development is expected to happen in February 2021. The Parliament’s portfolio committee on health dealing with the bill said that it plans to submit a report on the comments by then. According to ‘BusinessTech’, the pandemic had an impact on the process regarding the NHI and parliament which had to go through a mountain of submissions on the bill.



And though the Department of Health is confident that the pandemic has proven that the NHI is necessary, others believe differently, in consonance with the fact that the bill has sparked much debate from various quarters over the years.



“Our economic situation has deteriorated so drastically, that if it was unaffordable before, it’s even more unaffordable now. I mean the estimates of costs are hundreds of billions of rands,” says Jack Bloom, Democratic Alliance Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, to FORBES AFRICA.



Bloom goes on to explain that right now, the state should be focusing on fixing the administration issues in the health sector, including those around poor hospital infrastructure, frustrated medical personnel, and delayed surgeries and treatments.



However, Dr Nicolas Crisp, public health specialist and NHI advisor to Mkhize, remains optimistic that the NHI can alleviate some of the problems. He believes that by having the NHI, some of the strain on the private sector can be alleviated.



“This is an ethical matter that needs to be debated between clinicians. It’s not a political matter. And it’s not a purely budget matter. It’s an ethical clinical discussion around what can you give to a patient and it’s about what the evidence shows to be the best outcomes for the inputs,” Crisp says.



He believes that countries with a single health system have tended to do better than those with more than one. Decisions and actions can be taken swiftly with one system as instructions don’t need to be directed to multiple networks. Countries like the United Kingdom and Vietnam already boast such systems.



“So it doesn’t matter who’s actually delivering the services, it’s that there’s a coherent mechanism of making decisions and disseminating those decisions. And there’s a coherent mechanism of collecting data to one central point,” Crisp offers.



He has been a medical practitioner in the public sector from the 90s, consulting not only in South Africa but in other parts of Africa including Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, and Lesotho. Crisp became the advisor in July this year to assist with the design and development of the administrative and operational capacity to implement the NHI. For just over a year, Crisp has been working with the Department of Health in South Africa looking at the practical implications and requirements to support the NHI fund.



“It is extremely complicated. Let’s take just the public sector. At the moment, the money to run the public health services comes from the national fiscus; it is distributed to the provincial governments, the government, and then they are the ones who decide what percentage of that equitable share will go to health, then they inform the National Treasury and the National Department of Health that this is the amount of money they set aside for health,” Crisp explains, adding that the private sector is not any better. 



There are two ways to pay for healthcare in the private sector. One is where if you are fortunate enough that you can afford it, and you insure yourself through a medical scheme. However, the terms and conditions of this are that you only manage to cover what you can afford, and when it runs out, some are required to use public services.



“The second way that we pay for healthcare in the private sector is that when the need arises, we scramble and raise money,” Crisp explains, “And for people who are middle income and relatively poor, the only way they can raise money is to sell assets or to scrounge from their neighbors, friends, and family, and to basically blow their cash reserves to pay for their healthcare. So it’s very tenuous, and it’s insecure.”



But what do the healthcare workers feel about the NHI in South Africa in these pressing times?



It’s all good and well to consider the patient but what of those who are in the frontline, tending to them?



Solidarity, a trade union, tells FORBES AFRICA that it believes the NHI can and will destabilize the healthcare sector.



The primary research they did in 2019 amongst medical practitioners in both the private and public sectors threw up a negative response towards it.



Morné Malan, the union’s strategic specialist for research and communication, says the report indicated that 83% of medical professionals believe that should NHI be implemented, it will lead to a drastic increase in immigration to other countries; 41% said they would personally consider taking steps to immigrate if 



it is implemented and 21% of healthcare professionals indicated that they have already started taking steps towards immigration.



“The feedback that we’re getting from the industry itself is that there’s very little confidence in government, and there’s very little confidence in the system itself. And you know, this is a crucial factor. Because these are the professionals who are going to be at the frontline,” Malan says.



Other than the practical implications around NHI, is the financial and fiscal aspect that it will cost billions. And the concern from the trade unions is who will have to pay for the NHI.



“Only around 12% of South Africa’s population pays taxes. Most countries, which do have universal healthcare systems, or I should say, which do have nationalized or socialized medicine, the figure is closer to around 30% plus,” Malan says.



“It is the current system that is unstable,” Maja says. “The government currently uses the same amount of money to fund 16% of the population that uses private healthcare as it uses to fund 84% of the population that uses public facilities. The public healthcare system is under enormous pressure due to a growing population and rise of non-communicable diseases amongst other issues.”



However, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) say they have always supported NHI as it provides universal healthcare to everyone, and healthcare should not be divided into the “haves and have-nots”.



Nehawu spokesperson Khaya Xaba explains that the coronavirus has proven the need for one healthcare system, and not two.



According to Nehawu, the need is urgent, as currently, the private sector only treats 14% of South Africans, who have medical aid; while 86% of South Africans are treated by the public sector.



“I believe that the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country has proven beyond reasonable doubt that we need the urgent implementation of the NHI,” Xaba says.



“Through the NHI, we believe that working together between the two sectors and collapsing them into one will be able to deal with the needs of the country. We will be able to attend to everyone who’s sick, even if they don’t have money.”



Covid-19 may be a stark reminder of the urgent need for a unified healthcare system, but is all of South Africa ready for it yet?



Only time – and perhaps another treacherous jolt from nature – will tell.

FRANCE-HEALTH-VIRUS-TEST

What Next For The NHI?

TOPLINE: Some U.S. cities have now run out of space in their ICUs, with many more on the brink of being overwhelmed as Covid hospitalizations keep skyrocketing to new national records on a daily basis.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h4>



<a href="https://twitter.com/TCBPubHealth/status/1326888035129176064?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jackson, Mississippi</a>—the state’s capital—has “zero” ICU beds available, while the rest of the state has “very few,” State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said.



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/11/10/tulsa-has-run-out-of-icu-beds-and-el-paso-is-out-of-morgue-space-heres-the-latest-grim-toll-of-covid/?sh=78c74f022133">Tulsa</a>&nbsp;health officials announced Tuesday night that the city had run out of ICU beds.



<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/state-and-regional/running-out-of-room-st-louis-hospitals-forced-to-turn-away-patients-from-rural-areas/article_0e17fc93-3e67-5a49-9a33-0b346618b5c3.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. Louis</a>&nbsp;hospitals are so overwhelmed they’re reportedly having to turn away some patients.



In North Dakota, nurses are being allowed to continue working in certain cases even if they are<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/11/10/covid-positive-nurses-allowed-to-keep-working-in-north-dakota-amid-staffing-crisis/?sh=392003af60fd">&nbsp;Covid-positive</a>, as Gov. Doug Burgum (R) has warned that the state’s healthcare system could soon be pushed beyond its limits.



A field hospital has been set up for surge capacity in<a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/22/926809402/wisconsin-opens-a-field-hospital-at-state-fair-grounds-as-coronavirus-cases-spik" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Wisconsin</a>, with<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/11/13/metro/mass-reopen-field-hospital-dcu-center-worcester/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Massachusetts</a>&nbsp;planning to reopen one in December, and $10 million going toward converting a parking garage in<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/525995-nevada-hospital-turns-parking-garage-into-covid-19-surge-unit" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Reno, Nevada</a>, into a Covid unit.



Vineet Arora, a hospital expert at the University of Chicago, warns that Illinois is “dangerously close” to exceeding capacity, telling<a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/12/934266517/illinois-health-care-workers-say-hospitals-will-run-out-of-icu-beds-by-thanksgiv" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;NPR</a>&nbsp;that ICUs will run out of space by Thanksgiving.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h4>



Several other places around the country—like Kansas City and<a href="https://www.rochesterfirst.com/coronavirus/strong-hospital-nearing-100-capacity-as-covid-19-cases-surge-in-monroe-county/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Rochester, New York</a>—are also pushing the limits of their health care capacity. In<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/14/934185297/covid-19-hospitalizations-surge-in-dakotas-its-like-we-opened-up-a-spigot" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;South Dakota</a>, a health official told NPR that it’s “a possibility” the state would follow North Dakota in taking the exceptional step of allowing nurses with Covid to work in Covid units at hospitals and nursing homes, provided they are asymptomatic. That’s a step Dr. Steffanie Strathdee, Associate Dean of Global Health at UC San Diego and author of “<a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/pOQeCZ6ZQ7fAY0XwTysi5X?domain=theperfectpredator.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Perfect Predator</a>,” told&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;earlier this week was “crazy” for North Dakota to take. Another looming problem could be a lack of nurses nationwide. During the spring surge, scores of health workers flocked to New York, which was the hardest-hit city in the country. But the crisis now is nationwide, meaning there could be competition for health workers in many places.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



The U.S. has set a new record for hospitalizations for four-straight days, according to data from<a href="https://covidtracking.com/data" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;The COVID Tracking Project</a>, and the trend seems to only be accelerating. Significantly adding to the problem is that new cases are also not only increasing, but constantly increasing at a faster pace, as well. The U.S. added more than 180,000 new cases on Friday, again setting a new record, which keeps getting broken<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/11/14/another-grim-new-record-us-tops-180000-new-infections-friday-covid-cases-rising-in-all-50-states/?sh=6c8aa7821ea5">&nbsp;day after day</a>. Just 10 days earlier, the U.S. had never topped 94,000 cases in a single day. And before the fall surge, the daily case record stood at just over 75,000. Hospitalizations stood at 68,516 on Friday, according to The COVID Tracking Project.<a href="https://covidtracking.com/data/charts/us-daily-deaths" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Deaths</a>, which lag behind increases in cases and then hospitalizations, have been on a steady rise since mid-October. The U.S. is now averaging more than 1,000 Covid deaths a day.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h4>



<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/10/us/el-paso-covid-mobile-morgues/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">El Paso, Texas</a>, is dealing with an even more grim problem than hospitals reaching capacity—the city has run out of morgue space.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/11/10/tulsa-has-run-out-of-icu-beds-and-el-paso-is-out-of-morgue-space-heres-the-latest-grim-toll-of-covid/?sh=78c74f022133">Tulsa Has Run Out Of ICU Beds And El Paso Is Out Of Morgue Space—Here’s The Latest Grim Toll Of Covid</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/11/10/covid-positive-nurses-allowed-to-keep-working-in-north-dakota-amid-staffing-crisis/?sh=392003af60fd">Covid-Positive Nurses Allowed To Keep Working In North Dakota Amid Staffing Crisis</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/14/934185297/covid-19-hospitalizations-surge-in-dakotas-its-like-we-opened-up-a-spigot" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COVID-19 Hospitalizations Surge In Dakotas: &#8216;It&#8217;s Like We Opened Up A Spigot&#8217;</a>&nbsp;(NPR)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/11/14/another-grim-new-record-us-tops-180000-new-infections-friday-covid-cases-rising-in-all-50-states/?sh=6c8aa7821ea5">Another Grim New Record: U.S. Tops 180,000 New Infections Friday, Covid Cases Rising In All 50 States</a> (Forbes)



-By Nicholas Reimann, Forbes Staff

COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit Within A Houston Hospital Cares For Patients As Cases Continue To Rise

Here’s Where You Can No Longer Get An ICU Bed Because Of Covid

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved remdesivir as a treatment for hospitalized coronavirus patients, Gilead Sciences said, making it the first FDA-approved drug for Covid-19.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h4>



The drug was previously granted an emergency use authorization in May, which allowed healthcare providers to administer the treatment even though it wasn’t formally approved by the FDA.



Remdesivir, which is sold under the brand name Veklury, “should only be administered in a hospital or in a healthcare setting capable of providing acute care comparable to inpatient hospital care,” Gilead said.



The drug is approved for adults and children 12 and older weighing at least 88 lbs. for coronavirus treatment requiring hospitalization.



Clinical trial data has been mixed: A&nbsp;<a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04292730" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">randomized</a>&nbsp;trial from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases found remdesivir improved recovery time, but a study from the World Health Organization, which has not yet been peer reviewed,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2020/10/15/antiviral-drug-remdesivir-proves-ineffective-in-treating-covid-19-who-study-finds/#ff60bb95d01d">found</a>&nbsp;last week the drug did not increase the chances of survival or result in faster recovery.



Gilead shares jumped 3.8% in after hours trading following the announcement.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h4>



“It is incredible to be in the position today, less than one year since the earliest case reports of the disease now known as COVID-19, of having an FDA-approved treatment in the U.S. that is available for all appropriate patients in need,” said Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day in a statement.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



President Donald Trump took remdesivir when being treated for the coronavirus earlier this month.



&#8211;By Rachel Sandler, Forbes Staff

GERMANY-HEALTH-VIRUS

FDA Approves Remdesivir For Covid-19 Treatment

American researchers Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice and British scientist Michael Houghton were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus, a breakthrough which “made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives,” the Nobel Assembly <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2020/10/press-medicine2020.pdf" target="_blank">said</a> on Monday.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h4>



In its press release, the Nobel Assembly praised the scientists’ for their “seminal discoveries that led to the identification of a novel virus, Hepatitis C” noting that prior to this, most blood-borne hepatitis cases remained unexplained.



The blood-borne disease may cause liver inflammation and cancer and the World Health Organisation estimates that there are 70 million cases of hepatitis worldwide, leading to 400,000 deaths each year.



In 1976, American scientist Baruch Blumberg won the Nobel prize for discovering Hepatitis B, the first blood-borne hepatitis.



The Nobel in medicine is the first of six prizes that are set to be announced this month, marking exceptional achievements in the fields of physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economics.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



The winners of the 2020 Nobel prizes will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/about/the-nobel-prize-amounts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">receive</a>&nbsp;a gold medal and prize money of 10 million Swedish Kronor ($1.12 million). While working at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Alter was the first to discover that patients receiving blood transfusions were getting infected by a new form of chronic viral hepatitis that was distinct from Hepatitis A and B. Houghton, working for pharmaceutical firm Chiron, then helped genetically sequence the then-unknown pathogen and discovered it was a novel RNA virus belonging to the Flavivirus family and named it Hepatitis C. Rice, a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, through his work on the virus’ genome, found proof that the Hepatitis C virus alone could cause unexplained cases of transfusion-mediated hepatitis.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/health/nobel-prize-medicine.html" target="_blank">Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded for Research on How Cells Manage Oxygen</a> (New York Times)



-By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

SWEDEN-NOBEL-MEDICINE

Nobel Prize In Medicine Awarded To Trio Of Scientists Who Discovered Hepatitis C Virus

When Houston was gripped by a severe Covid-19 wave in June, a mutated form of coronavirus that developed elsewhere in the world and which is known to be especially contagious grew to eventually dominate the city’s infected patients, according to a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.22.20199125v1" target="_blank">study released Wednesday</a> that could raise new questions about how quickly the virus evolved as it spread around the world.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h5>



The study, which was not peer-reviewed and was first reported by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/09/23/houston-coronavirus-mutations/?arc404=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Washington Post</a>, looked at virus samples from two different Covid-19 waves in the Houston area over the spring and summer.



Many different strains of the virus entered Houston initially, but when the city moved from a small initial wave in March to a much larger outbreak in late June, almost every coronavirus sample contained a particular mutation on the virus’ surface that had previously been found in cases in Europe.



Patients with that strain of coronavirus carried more virus particles than other people, meaning they were probably more infectious, the study found.



Researchers say the rise of this contagious strain of the virus may have driven up the infection rate in the Houston area, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tmc.edu/coronavirus-updates/infection-rate-in-the-greater-houston-area/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">jumped</a>&nbsp;from an average of around 200 new Covid-19 cases per day to more than 2,400.



The mutation did not appear to make the virus more dangerous or change patients’ outcomes, according to the study.



A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.31.20166082v2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">similar study</a>&nbsp;from earlier this month found evidence that the United Kingdom was also overtaken by the same virus strain over the spring.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h5>



Scientists are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/mutant-virus-should-we-be-worried-sars-cov-2-changing-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">not surprised</a>&nbsp;that coronavirus has evolved over time. Mutations take place when a virus replicates and, after infecting more than 30 million people, coronavirus has had plenty of opportunities to mutate. Most mutations have no impact, but this process sometimes changes the virus’ behavior or makeup, and if that change helps the virus spread, a mutated version of the virus can eventually dominate through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02544-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">natural selection</a>. This study from Houston is the latest evidence that coronavirus is changing as it moves around, possibly becoming slightly more infectious in the process.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h5>



&nbsp;If coronavirus is evolving over time, that process could impact the effectiveness of a vaccine. The virus rarely infects the same person twice, but some research shows that reinfection is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/coronavirusfrontlines/2020/09/22/can-you-get-a-covid-19-infection-twice-an-infectious-disease-doctor-discusses-new-evidence/#130382fd7b09">more possible</a>&nbsp;if a patient gets two different strains of coronavirus. For that reason, as the virus changes, a vaccine might need to change along with it.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h5>



“We’ll have to chase the virus and, as it mutates, we’ll have to tinker with our vaccine,” David Morens, a virologist and advisor at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the&nbsp;Washington Post.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h5>



<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/09/23/houston-coronavirus-mutations/?arc404=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Massive genetic study shows coronavirus mutating and potentially evolving amid rapid U.S. spread (Washington Post)</a>



<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/mutant-virus-should-we-be-worried-sars-cov-2-changing-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mutant virus: should we be worried that Sars-CoV-2 is changing? (The Guardian)</a>



<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02544-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The coronavirus is mutating — does it matter? (Nature)</a>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/coronavirusfrontlines/2020/09/22/can-you-get-a-covid-19-infection-twice-an-infectious-disease-doctor-discusses-new-evidence/#130382fd7b09">Can You Get A Covid-19 Infection Twice? An Infectious Disease Doctor Discusses New Evidence (Forbes)</a>



-By Joe Walsh, Forbes Staff

Coronavirus blood test in hospital laboratory

Coronavirus May Have Mutated To Become More Contagious, Study Finds

As the coronavirus crisis wears on, new research from the Pew Research Center shows that public perception of the economy has “<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/03/views-of-the-economy-have-turned-sharply-negative-in-many-countries-amid-covid-19/" target="_blank">turned bleak</a>” in large parts of the world.



KEY FACTS



A median of 68% of people considered their country’s current economic situation to be bad, the researchers found, while 31% said conditions were good.&nbsp;



Italy had the largest portion of people who rated the economic situation negatively, with 90% describing the situation as “bad.”&nbsp;



In eight of the 14 countries surveyed, including the U.K., France, and South Korea, the majority of people expected their countries’ economies to get worse.



In the United States, Germany, and Canada, however, people were more likely to say that the economy would improve over the next year than to say it would get worse.&nbsp;



The researchers noted that in nearly every country they surveyed, the perception of how bad the economy is tied to how the country handled the coronavirus crisis: people who viewed their country’s response negatively were more likely to have a negative view of the economic situation.&nbsp;



CRUCIAL QUOTE



“In addition to the broadly negative assessments of current economic conditions, few in the countries surveyed are hopeful things will get better in the next year,” researchers Shannon Schumacher and Mara Mordecai wrote.&nbsp;



KEY BACKGROUND



Countries all around the world are now faced with the dire economic consequences of the pandemic. Australia has entered its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/business/australia-recession.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first recession</a>&nbsp;in almost 30 years. The United Kingdom has entered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53748278" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">its first recession</a>&nbsp;in more than a decade; CNN reports that the U.K.’s economy shrunk by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/28/economy/global-recession-g7-countries/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more than 20%</a>&nbsp;between April and June. France just unveiled a<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-economy/france-unleashes-100-billion-euro-stimulus-to-revive-economy-idUSKBN25U0IA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;$118 billion stimulus&nbsp; plan</a>&nbsp;to combat its own economic woes. Japan’s economy saw its biggest downturn on record, the BBC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53802967#:~:text=Coronavirus%3A%20Japan%20suffers%20its%20biggest%20economic%20slump%20on%20record,-17%20August%202020&amp;text=The%20Japanese%20economy%20has%20shrunk,27.8%25%20on%20an%20annualised%20basis." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>, after its GDP fell nearly 8% between April and June. In the United States, trillions in stimulus spending is on track to push debt to GDP levels above 100% next year.&nbsp;



FURTHER READING



<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/03/views-of-the-economy-have-turned-sharply-negative-in-many-countries-amid-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Views of the economy have turned sharply negative in many countries amid COVID-19</a>&nbsp;(Pew Research Center)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/09/02/thanks-to-stimulus-spending-us-debt-expected-to-exceed-the-size-of-the-entire-economy-next-year/#7ad2290d2384">Thanks To Stimulus Spending, U.S. Debt Expected To Exceed The Size Of The Entire Economy Next Year</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/07/30/economy-shrank-at-historic-33-annual-rate-in-second-quarter-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/">Economy Shrank At Historic 33% Annual Rate In Second Quarter—But That’s Not The Whole Story</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



-Sarah Hansen, Forbes Staff

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