Is a $140 Gut Microbiome Test Worth the Money?
Guten Tag, it's Sonja in Frankfurt, where I recently paid €120 (nearly $140) for a gut microbiome test, just to learn I'm an acne-prone meat-eater (spoiler: I'm not). More on that in a bit, but first.…
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Scientists unveil breakthrough drug that could halt and reverse deadly liver fibrosis
Liver fibrosis often develops without symptoms and has no approved cure. But researchers at the University of Sunderland have discovered a new enzyme-blocking treatment that could finally help stop or reverse the disease. Dr Maria Teresa Borrello and her team have found that blocking the enzyme HDAC6 with newly developed drugs could reduce liver scarring in people with fibrosis. HDAC6 plays a role in regulating inflammation and cellular stress, and the research suggests it also helps activate hepatic stellate cells, which are responsible for producing collagen, a major driver of scar tissue formation. Dr Borrello, who is a lecturer in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry at the University, said her team has developed two new drugs specifically designed to block HDAC6 activity. 'So far, we've seen encouraging laboratory results showing that HDAC6 inhibitors – or blockers – reduce inflammation and cellular stress responses – both of which are key contributors to fibrosis, she said in a release. 'These findings support the idea that HDAC6 is a promising drug target for treating liver fibrosis. We are also starting to understand more about how these compounds work at the molecular level, which is essential for designing better, safer treatments.' The researchers hope their findings will form the basis of new treatments that can significantly improve the lives of people with this condition and potentially other inflammation-related diseases, including skin disorders. 'This research is a step forward in finding a treatment for liver fibrosis. Our HDAC6 inhibitors provide a more targeted approach and by focusing on a key cause of fibrosis, we may be able to stop the disease before it reaches irreversible stages,' Dr Borello said. 'By stopping or reversing the scarring process, we could reduce the need for liver transplants and improve long-term health outcomes.' Researchers believe that targeting the root cause of fibrosis could mark a turning point in the treatment of liver disease. As efforts to tackle chronic conditions evolve, such precision therapies could change how currently untreatable diseases are managed. The UK's leading liver health charity, the British Liver Trust, has welcomed the research findings. "Liver disease often develops without symptoms, and most people only learn they have liver damage when it's too late for effective treatment - usually limited to a liver transplant or lifestyle changes,' Pamela Healy OBE, Chief Executive at the Trust, said. 'While this new research is still in its early stages, it shows promise for developing treatments that could improve, and ultimately save, the lives of thousands affected by liver disease." Liver disease is responsible for approximately four percent of premature deaths globally, with liver fibrosis being one of its most serious and often undetected forms. In the UK alone, an estimated 2 million people are affected. The condition develops when long-term damage to the liver, commonly caused by alcohol use, obesity, or chronic infections, triggers the formation of scar tissue. As the scarring worsens over time, it can lead to life-threatening complications such as liver failure or cancer. Because symptoms often appear only in the advanced stages, many people are unaware they have the disease, and currently, there are no approved treatments to halt or reverse the scarring study has been published in The Febs Journal.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Revelation-Backed Omada Health Jumps After $150 Million IPO
(Bloomberg) -- Omada Health Inc. shares ended their debut trading day exactly where they started after the digital health-care company raised $150 million in its initial public offering. Next Stop: Rancho Cucamonga! ICE Moves to DNA-Test Families Targeted for Deportation with New Contract Where Public Transit Systems Are Bouncing Back Around the World US Housing Agency Vulnerable to Fraud After DOGE Cuts, Documents Warn Trump Said He Fired the National Portrait Gallery Director. She's Still There. The stock climbed 21% to close at $23 on Friday in New York — the same price it opened at — higher than its IPO price of $19 per share. The stock had jumped as much as 49% during the the trading session. The San Francisco-based company sold 7.9 million shares at $19 each after offering them at $18 to $20 apiece, according to its filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The trading gives Omada a market value of $1.3 billion based on the number of outstanding shares listed in its filings. The IPO adds to the growing pace of US first-time share sales this year, which have raised around $24.9 billion so far, versus $17.6 billion in the same period last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Shares of health-care upstarts that went public on US exchanges this year are also up by a weighted average of roughly 18%, according to Bloomberg calculations. An IPO last month for digital physical therapy provider Hinge Health Inc. — a competitor to Omada — raised $503 million, and shares have risen about 19% since its debut. Omada's offering closed with orders for more than 15 times the shares available, with allocations going to a highly concentrated group of investors, Bloomberg News has reported. Virtual Care Founded in 2011, Omada provides virtual care in between doctor's visits to help people manage chronic conditions including diabetes and prediabetes, obesity, hypertension and musculoskeletal conditions, according to the filing. Users track metrics including weight, blood pressure and blood glucose values to the company's platform, which includes a mobile app. Unlike other digital health firms, Omada doesn't offer GLP-1 weight loss drugs, the filing shows. Instead it has programs to support people using them, including coaching and nutrition guidance, to manage muscle loss and stop the weight from returning when they cease taking the medication, according to the filing. About 50,000 of Omada's 679,000 members are on GLP-1s, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Sean Duffy said in an interview with Bloomberg News. It's a relatively new business for the company that has expanded in the past year as part of its partnership with Cigna Group's Express Scripts unit, he said. 'For support, especially in chronic disease, it's very helpful that someone feels they are not just doing this for themselves but for someone else - to have someone rooting for you in your corner is really important for outcomes,' Duffy said. Omada is using AI to automate the virtual care it provides to chronic disease sufferers, though the services are 'human-led,' he said. 'Our members tell us they want a person and I am yet to see anyone that feels accountable to ChatGPT,' Duffy said. Omada has over 2,000 customers including employers and health systems, and more than 679,000 total members enrolled in one or more programs, according to the filing. Largest Shareholder Revelation Partners is Omada's largest shareholder, beneficially owning 10.9% of the company before the offering, according to the filing. USVP has 9.9% of the shares, Andreessen Horowitz has 9.6% and FMR has 9.3%, the filing shows. Omada was valued at more than $1 billion in a 2022 funding round led by Fidelity Management & Research Co., it said in a statement at the time. The company had a net loss of $9.4 million on revenue of close to $55 million in the first three months of 2025, compared with a net loss of nearly $19 million on revenue of $35.1 million in the same period a year earlier, the filing shows. The offering was led by Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., the filing shows. The company's shares trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol OMDA. (Updates with closing prices.) Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Wants to Donate His Billions—and Walk Again The SEC Pinned Its Hack on a Few Hapless Day Traders. The Full Story Is Far More Troubling YouTube Is Swallowing TV Whole, and It's Coming for the Sitcom Is Elon Musk's Political Capital Spent? Trump Considers Deporting Migrants to Rwanda After the UK Decides Not To ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
The $1.3 Billion Health-Tech IPO Everyone Missed--Until It Soared 21% on Day One
Omada Health (NASDAQ:OMDA) opened its first day of trading with a bangjumping 21% to $23 after pricing its IPO at $19. That move gives the digital chronic-care startup a market cap of roughly $1.3 billion. The $150 million raise was more than just well receivedinvestor demand came in more than 15x oversubscribed, with most allocations going to a concentrated group of institutional buyers. It's another sign that appetite for health-tech IPOs is heating up again. U.S. listings have raised nearly $25 billion year-to-date, and early-stage healthcare names are up an average of 18% since listing. Founded in 2011, Omada offers virtual care between doctor visitsfocused on diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and joint pain. What sets it apart? It's not chasing the GLP-1 gold rush. Instead, Omada supports people already on those drugs, helping them manage side effects, nutrition, and post-treatment maintenance. About 50,000 of its 679,000 members are on GLP-1s. CEO Sean Duffy told Bloomberg that while AI powers much of the back-end, real human interaction is what drives results. Our members tell us they want a personand I have yet to see anyone that feels accountable to ChatGPT, he said. Revenue for Q1 2025 came in just under $55 millionup from $35.1 million a year agowhile net losses narrowed by more than half to $9.4 million. That improving financial picture, combined with a clear niche in chronic care, could be what's drawing top-tier investors. Revelation Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, and USVP are all among the largest shareholders. The IPO was led by Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan. OMDA now trades on the Nasdaq Global Marketand it's one more sign that digital health might be staging a real comeback. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
