Massachusetts General Hospital Develops Smartphone-Based Cancer Diagnostic System; Omada Health Secures $48M Series C Funding and Files IPO Prospectus

1. Massachusetts General Hospital: Smartphone Cameras Enable Cancer Diagnosis

Two researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a device that can return cancer diagnosis results within an hour, using not minimally invasive biopsy techniques but a smartphone.

The device developed by Massachusetts General Hospital, called the D3 System (Digital Diffraction Diagnosis System), is a small attachment for smartphone cameras that can turn them into high-powered microscopes to analyze cell samples from blood, fine-needle biopsies, or cervical smears. After the system identifies cancer cells, it injects fluorescent specific antibodies to label the cancer cells.

Smartphones capture “shimmering” antibodies during photography, enabling researchers to diagnose cancer in patients based on this marker. This technology will be used in the future to detect a wider range of diseases.



2. Chronic Disease Management Company Omada Health Secures $48 Million in Funding

Recently, chronic disease management company Omada Health secured $48 million in Series C financing. With this round, the total funding raised by the San Francisco-based digital health company, founded in 2011, has reached $77.5 million. (Further reading:Overseas Case: Omada Health—Digital Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Disease Management）

Omada’s flagship product is a health program called Prevent, which reduces weight by modifying users’ lifestyles, thereby lowering the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, and various cardiovascular events. It is particularly effective for individuals with prediabetes in preventing type 2 diabetes, as Omada’s program is based on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Diabetes Prevention Program from 2002.

Each user is assigned a dedicated health coach who monitors the user’s progress through the program. Every week, users can attend interactive health classes via mobile devices or computers, covering topics such as exercise and nutrition. As part of the program, users receive a curated package that includes a smart scale, an activity tracker, and a photo of their assigned health coach. The health coach maintains ongoing communication with the user through online messaging, email, and phone calls. Users are encouraged to upload photos of their meals, while weight and activity data are synced to the app in real time, allowing for timely adjustments to their weight-loss plan.



3. Walgreens, the Largest Pharmacy Chain in the U.S., Tests Online-to-Offline (O2O) Pharmaceutical Services

Recently, Walgreens, the largest pharmacy chain in the United States, launched a “One-Hour Medication Delivery” service in partnership with third-party delivery company Postmates. The service is available at Walgreens stores and its independently branded subsidiary, Duane Reade. Although Postmates has previously collaborated with merchants such as 7-Eleven convenience stores, its operations have primarily focused on food delivery; this venture marks its first foray into pharmaceutical delivery.

Unlike domestic O2O models in China, Walgreens is itself a chain pharmacy, and its “one-hour delivery” is merely one of the services it offers. In contrast, pharmaceutical O2O platforms in China primarily refer to third-party delivery companies specializing in home medication delivery. Furthermore, Walgreens leverages third-party logistics providers, charges a $4.99 delivery fee per order, and delivers prescription medications.



4. Google Glass Project Renamed to Project Aura

According to The Wall Street Journal, Google’s struggling smart glasses project has been revived under a new name: Project Aura.

According to a recruitment posting on the professional networking site LinkedIn, the Aura team is developing a new generation of Google Glass while also working on other wearable technologies. Dmitry Svetlov, the software development manager, described the Aura project as “glasses and more” on his LinkedIn profile, stating that the team is “developing cool wearable devices.”

Google ceased sales of Google Glass this January. However, Eric Schmidt, Google’s Executive Chairman, stated earlier this year that the company would not abandon Google Glass, as wearable devices represent a new market with immense potential.

Google has quietly launched a new version of Google Glass for enterprises in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and energy. The new consumer-grade Google Glass will take at least another year to be released. The new Aura team is developing this technology in a new direction.



5. Dingdang Kuaiyao Forms Strategic Partnership with Ele.me: Further Upgrade of Pharmaceutical and Food Delivery O2O Services

On September 17, Dingdang Kuaiyao announced a strategic partnership with Ele.me, marking another significant strategic move following its collaborations with platforms such as Chunyu Doctor, Dianping, and 360 Navigation.

With this, Dingdang Medicine has completed its horizontal partnerships with the three major food delivery platforms. This marks a further upgrade in the strategic collaboration between pharmaceutical O2O and food delivery O2O services. Pharmaceutical e-commerce players are breaking away from their previously siloed operations and joining forces with lifestyle consumption platforms to target higher-net-worth white-collar customers.



 

 

By John Wang