INSIGHTS
December 23, 2024

2024 Healthcare Innovation Wrapped

Let’s break it down: If 2024 had a top genre, it was partnership activity—Rock Health tracked 440+ collabs this year between healthcare players, digital health startups, and Big Tech. Food as medicine (FaM) was the breakout star, with funding for FaM startups nearly doubling year-over-year and Rock Health port co Foodsmart headlining the largest U.S. digital health funding deal so far in 2024 at $200M. GLP-1s dominated as the year’s top track (millennial throwback to Shots Shots Shots), with nearly 1 in 9 U.S. adults reportedly using weight-loss drugs—sparking new collaborations between pharma and telehealth players to address supply-demand mismatches. AI was the industry’s most-played buzzword, with AI-enabled digital health startups commanding 36% of all sector funding from January through October, and EHR giants like Epic and Oracle spreading their wings into the healthcare AI landscape (Siri play Mariah Carey’s Butterfly). As we close out 2024, eyes are on opening acts like digital twins and climate health to see which trends continue to grow in 2025. That’s a wrap—Rock Weekly returns January 13 with a year-end funding recap! 🕺

There is still time to submit nominations for this year's Top 50 in Digital Health! The Top 50 in Digital Health Awards recognize digital health’s leading innovators across an array of award categories. The nomination period closes Thursday, January 9, 2025—submit a nomination today!

Headlines

Congress Passes Spending Bill With Essential Healthcare Programs
Medicare telehealth flexibilities and CMS’s hospital-at-home program extended through March 31 Fierce Healthcare

FDA Says Eli Lilly's Weight Loss Drug Zepbound Is No Longer In Shortage
Decision is a blow to telehealth players selling compounded GLP-1s CNBC

Trump Administration Could Breathe Life Into The Food-As-Medicine Movement
Nominated agency leaders support FaM for chronic condition management Endpoint News

Drugmakers Paid PBMs Not To Restrict Opioid Prescriptions
Investigation places scrutiny on PBM role in opioid crisis The New York Times

WellTheory Announces Women's Health Program To Address Hormonal Conditions
Rock Health port co expands beyond autoimmune disease to hormonal health MedCity News

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