DITTO raises $6M seed to bring clinical-grade menstrual health supplements to market 🩸
UK-based menstrual health startup DITTO has raised a $6M seed round led by FoodLabs, with Eka Ventures returning after leading its £1.35M pre-seed in August 2025 - bringing total funding to approximately $7.7M. Founded by neuroscientist-turned-nutrition-scientist Alice van der Schoot, DITTO's flagship Cycle Supplement targets PMS and PMDD using time-release delivery of 10 clinically supported ingredients - with 88% of trial participants reporting reduced symptom severity.
“They're [women] finally feeling validated. They go to the doctor time and time again, and they’re dismissed, being told their symptoms are not connected, what they’re dealing with is normal. They finally feel like a sense of validation, like I was right all along.”
— Alice van der Schoot, Founder, DITTO
AstraZeneca's Etcamah receives EU approval for first-line metastatic breast cancer 💊
The European Commission has approved AstraZeneca's Etcamah for adults with ER-positive, HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer with an ESR1 mutation, used in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor without disease progression during first-line endocrine therapy. The green light is based on the Serena-6 Phase III trial, in which the Etcamah combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 56% versus standard of care. Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death among women in Europe, with 540,000 diagnoses and 140,000 deaths in 2024.
"This approval marks an important shift in the first-line treatment paradigm for patients, as well as providing a new standard-of-care to address emerging resistance ahead of disease progression. It also reflects the strength of AstraZeneca’s oncology pipeline and our commitment to translate innovative science into practice-changing treatment options for patients."
— Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President - Oncology Haematology Business Unit, AstraZeneca
Kāhu SiliconBio secures £1.2M to develop continuous hormone biosensor for women's health 🔬
The University of Edinburgh spinout has received £1.2M from SPRIN-D - the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation - to develop its next prototype. Combining engineered biology with silicon chip technology, Kāhu's system tracks hormone levels throughout the day rather than at a single point in time, building a detailed picture of how they change in response to sleep, stress, nutrition and the menstrual cycle. The funding will support prototype development, team expansion and new clinical partnerships.
"Hormones play a fundamental role in health, but we still have limited visibility into how they change throughout our lives and how those fluctuations relate to disease. This funding will help us take an important step towards creating a new type of biological sensor that could give both researchers and patients a much deeper understanding of hormone patterns and their impact on women’s health.”
— James Flewellen, Co-founder & CEO, Kāhu SiliconBio
MoleSense and Impli selected for SPRIN-D challenge on continuous hormone monitoring 🧬
MoleSense and Impli have been selected by the German Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation for its continuous hormone monitoring challenge. MoleSense has received a €1.5M pre-commercial R&D contract to measure four hormones within 12 months using its sweat-based wearable biosensing platform. Impli's minimally invasive microneedle device will also track a panel of reproductive and metabolic hormones continuously over a multi-day wear period. Both companies will also contribute to a shared reference data pool - described as the first standardised collection of continuous hormone data across populations and life phases.
TD Bank invests $1M to advance research into menopause, migraines and brain fog 🧠
TD Bank Group has committed $1M to Sinai Health Foundation to fund an expanded study at the Weston and O'Born Centre for Mature Women's Health in Toronto, investigating whether menopausal hormone therapy can safely and effectively reduce migraine and brain fog symptoms during menopause. The study will use advanced brain imaging and neuropsychological testing. Sinai Health is one of the only academic centres in the world to make menopause and women's health a key strategic priority.
"Menopause affects millions of women, yet too many continue to navigate it without enough support. At TD, we believe progress starts with understanding people’s experiences. That's why we're proud to support Sinai Health's research to help address an area of women's health that has been overlooked for too long."
— Anna Iacobelli, Senior Vice President, Metro West Region, TD Bank Group
DKSH acquires Meliane contraceptive brand from Bayer 💊
Swiss market expansion specialist DKSH has signed an agreement to acquire the Meliane oral contraceptive brand from Bayer. The low-dose combined contraceptive has been on the market for over 30 years and generated net sales of approximately CHF 15M in 2025, primarily in markets already served by DKSH across Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The deal expands DKSH's Healthcare Own Brands portfolio and strengthens its position in women's health.
