FDA OKs OTC BC
Public health advocates cheered last week as the FDA formally approved Opill (or norgestrel), the first over-the-counter birth control pill. This move has the potential to significantly boost reproductive healthcare access, particularly for those who are uninsured, underinsured, or without traditional access channels. We’re watching whether this is also a true win for healthcare affordability; the price has not yet been announced and experts note that payers are not required to cover birth control methods obtained without a prescription. We're also considering how this will play out for digital health companies providing D2C prescription and medication delivery as they contemplate whether Opill is a growth opportunity or competitive threat to their offerings. In the meantime, it's encouraging that the FDA is taking steps to empower consumers in their healthcare decisions as reproductive autonomy is otherwise impacted—and it's certainly a boon to reproductive health champions everywhere to see their efforts rewarded.
Headlines
Digital Health Funding Down, But At-Home Care Still Hot
Big bets were also placed on non-clinical workflow and value-based care enablement Modern Healthcare
How Walgreens Recruits Patients Of Color For Clinical Trials
Performance indicators include access, patient comprehension, and provider training Healthcare Brew
Unlabeled Digital Health Rounds Surge In Tough Market
41% of H1 funding didn’t have a round label (e.g. Series A) to delay “valuation haircuts” Axios
Medication Abortion Via Digital Health In The United States
Study finds telemedicine increases access to abortion care Nature
He Was Diagnosed With ALS, Then They Changed The Face Of Medical Advocacy
Founders of Synapticure apply lived experience to address neurodegenerative disease NPR
Recent Funding
- Flywheel picks up $54M for its medical imaging and AI data solution
- AI-enabled care management solution for seniors CarePredict lands $29M
- Healthcare credentialing software solution Verifiable scoops $27M
- Eureka Health collects $7M to build its online patient community for chronically ill patients
- Value-based primary care software solution Fold Health inks $6M
- Gradia Health raises $4.2M for its its integrated concierge care management tool
- Hello Pediatrics banks $3M for after-hours pediatric telehealth