Biotech Breakthrough: IIT Guwahati’s New Path to Affordable Insulin

IIT Guwahati has secured two Indian patents for a pioneering insulin production system that could dramatically reduce costs and improve accessibility for millions of diabetes patients.

What’s the Innovation?

• Developed a novel bioprocess using Pseudomonas fluorescens, a safe and efficient bacterial system.
• Unlike traditional methods using E. coli, this system yields soluble insulin, simplifying production.
• Leverages Genetic, Metabolic, and Biochemical Engineering to optimize output and safety.

Key Advantages

• Lower production costs
• Higher yield of usable insulin.
• Potential to produce other therapeutic proteins and industrial enzymes using the same system.

Patent Details

Patent No.	Application No.	Date of Grant
568947	202431045821	22 July 2025
536416	202331058235	01 May 2024

Research Team

• Prof. Veeranki Venkata Dasu (Lead)
• Ansuman Sahoo (PMRF Scholar)
• Prabir Kumar Das
• Dr. MSRC Murthy
• Prof. Sanjukta Patra

With over 537 million adults affected by diabetes worldwide, and projections showing 1 in 8 adults may have diabetes by 2050, this innovation could reshape insulin accessibility and affordability.

Eli Lilly Launches Mounjaro® in India

• Adults taking Mounjaro® with diet and exercise in a controlled clinical trial lost on average 21.8 kg. at the highest dose (15mg) and 15.4 kg at the lowest dose (5mg) over a period of 72 weeks. Individual results may vary
• Mounjaro® delivered superior A1C reductions versus all comparators in phase 3 SURPASS clinical trials
• Mounjaro®, a once-weekly injection is a prescription medicine and should be used under medical advice

Eli Lilly and Company (India) today announced the launch of Mounjaro® in single-dose vial presentation following the marketing authorization from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). It is a first-of-its-kind treatment for obesity, overweight, and type 2 diabetes that activates both GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors.

Mounjaro® is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obesity) or 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition. Mounjaro® is also indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

“The dual burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes is rapidly emerging as a major public health challenge in India. Lilly is committed to collaborating with the government and industry to promote awareness and improve the prevention and management of these diseases,” said Winselow Tucker, President and General Manager, Lilly India. “Our mission to making life better for people living with obesity and diabetes in India is reflected in our efforts to accelerate the introduction of innovative medicines. The launch of Mounjaro® demonstrates our ongoing support to this mission and our shared vision of a healthier nation.”

Tirzepatide was evaluated in two robust global clinical development programs: the SURMOUNT - 1 trials for chronic weight management and the SURPASS trials for type 2 diabetes.

In SURMOUNT-1, a study in 2,539 adults with obesity, or excess weight and weight-related medical problems not including diabetes, people taking Mounjaro® as an adjunct to diet and exercise experienced substantial weight loss compared with placebo at 72 weeks. At the highest dose (15 mg), people taking Mounjaro® lost on average 21.8 kg, while at the lowest dose (5 mg), people lost on average 15.4 kg (compared to 3.2 kg on placebo).1,2 Additionally, 1 in 3 patients taking Mounjaro® at the highest dose lost over 26.3 kg (25% of body weight), compared to 1.5% on placebo, according to data not controlled for type 1 error.1,2 In summary, Mounjaro® significantly reduced weight by up to 21.8 kg in the SURMOUNT-1 study.

In phase 3 SURPASS program, efficacy was evaluated for Mounjaro® 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg used alone or in combination with commonly prescribed diabetes medications, including metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas and insulin glargine. Participants in the SURPASS program achieved average A1C reductions between 1.8% and 2.1% for Mounjaro® 5 mg and between 1.7% and 2.4% for both Mounjaro® 10 mg and Mounjaro® 15 mg over the period of 40 weeks.3-6 Overall, the program demonstrated that Mounjaro®, whether used alone or with other diabetes medications, reduced A1C by up to 2.4%.

India has about 101 million people living with diabetes and nearly half of these in the adult patients category are being inadequately treated with suboptimal glycemic control.10 Obesity, a chronic relapsing disease, is a major risk factor for diabetes, is linked to over 200 health complications, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, and obstructive sleep apnea.11,12 As of 2023, adult obesity prevalence in India stood at around 6.5%, affecting nearly 100 million people.

“Obesity and diabetes are recognized as serious conditions linked to various life-limiting health complications, making effective and sustained treatment critical. We are thrilled to introduce Mounjaro® in India to address these unmet medical needs. Mounjaro® may offer a new approach to metabolic health management, providing healthcare providers with an innovative option to treat these diseases.” said Dr. Manish Mistry, Senior Medical Director, Lilly India.

Once-a-weekly, prescription-based medicine, Mounjaro® is a single molecule that selectively binds to and activates both GIP and GLP-1 receptors, which are natural incretin hormones. In a glucose-dependent manner, Mounjaro® improves first phase and second phase insulin secretion, and reduces glucagon levels; it also improves insulin sensitivity and delays gastric emptying14. GIP receptors and GLP-1 receptors are both expressed in important areas of the brain that regulate appetite. Mounjaro® reduces food intake, body weight, and decreases fat mass by regulating appetite; moreover, Mounjaro® has been demonstrated to regulate lipid utilization.14 Mounjaro® (tirzepatide) has already had a tremendous impact on millions of people living with type 2 diabetes and obesity, respectively.

Diabetes Reversal Company Breathe Well-being Raises Rs 50 Cr in Pre-series B

Breathe Well-being helps prevent, manage and reverse Type 2 Diabetes by using a personalised coach-driven community-first approach

Funds raised will be used to strengthen medical & coaching academy, scale up the tech platform and expand team

Breathe has helped 50,000 members reverse diabetes, lose weight, reduce HbA1c levels and prevent health complications

L to R - Aditya Kaicker( Co-founder & Chief Program officer) and Rohan Verma(co-founder and CEO), Breathe Well-being

Diabetes Reversal company Breathe Well-being has raised Rs 50 crores in a Pre-Series B round co-led by 3One4 Capital, Accel and General Catalyst. The round also saw participation from FounderBank Capital and Supermorpheus. The company will use the funds to strengthen its coaching academy, expand the core team, and scale up the technology platform to enhance customer experience.

Breathe Well-being offers a simple and effective alternative to medicines to prevent, manage and reverse Type 2 Diabetes. The Gurgaon based health-tech startup was founded by Rohan Verma (ex-McKinsey) & Aditya Kaicker (ex-Accenture) in 2020 who come with a deep understanding of healthcare, wellness and life sciences domain. The team strongly believes that medication is not a long-term solution for diabetes and instead focuses on behavioural & lifestyle changes for Diabetes reversal and reducing the risk of chronic lifestyle diseases.

Rohan Verma, Co-founder and CEO, Breathe Well-being says, “India is the diabetes capital of the world and we are on a mission to change that. Our aim is a Diabetes Mukt Bharat (Diabetes Free India) with the aim to reverse diabetes for 1 Million Indians by 2025 and we are well on track to achieve that goal. Referral is our strongest growth lever especially in non-metros and more than half our customers come through word of mouth.”

Radhika Ananth, Vice President, Accel, “We have been impressed by how quickly Breathe Well-being is becoming a household name for Type 2 Diabetes & Pre-Diabetes Reversal across Tier 2 and 3 cities of India. I realised the true value of what Rohan and Aditya are building at Breathe Well-being after seeing my own mother go through the program and reduce her HbA1c levels significantly. Hence Accel invested and we continue to back them in their vision of building a Diabetes Mukt Bharat.”

India's first clinically-proven Diabetes Reversal Program by Breathe helps reduce HbA1c levels, lose weight, improve glucose tolerance and stop diabetes medication eventually. Their program has a proven outcome with 95%+ participants showing an average reduction of 1.5% in their HbA1c levels, 98%+ participants eliminating medication and experiencing an average weight loss of 5.5 kg over the course of the program which has been recognised by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Aditya Kaicker, Co-Founder and COO, Breathe Well-being says, “In our experience, game design and community driven programs deliver far superior health outcomes. We are seeing the highest level of efficacy and the magic happens when there’s strict adherence to the protocols. We have seen more than 90% of participants were able to sustain their results beyond 24 months into the program. This is a big indicator of how engaging our entire plan is and people’s active willingness to get off the diabetes medication. ”

Breathe is the only digital health tech company across Asia to have published clinical evidence in 3 journals; American Diabetes Association, European Society of Endocrinology, and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology. With strong conviction in its program and their medical care team, Breathe is taking its promise of a diabetes-free life a notch higher with their “No Outcome, No Pay” policy - Diabetic patients pay only if they see a significant reduction in the HbA1c levels or medication reduction else the fees is refunded.

Because of the strong clinical evidence and proven results, many of the leading Diabetologists & medical practitioners in India are using Breathe Well-being to help their patients with lifestyle modifications and adherence. Dr P. K. Goyal, MBBS, MD & DNB General Medicine, Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, says, “According to the latest guidelines by ADA, the first line of therapy for Type 2 Diabetes is Diabetes Education and lifestyle modifications. The biggest challenge any medical practitioner faces with Diabetic patients is the time required for Diabetes Education and customising the lifestyle modifications to create behavioural change. This is exactly where Breathe Well-being has proven to be a big boon in my practice. Complimenting my medical practice with powerful lifestyle modifications powered by Breathe is helping my patients get outstanding results for their Diabetes Management & Remission.”

Breathe Well-being’s current core team comprises people from IITs, BITS Pilani, top tier consulting firms like McKinsey, Accenture and is rapidly expanding across Product, Growth, Technology & Analytics. In the long term, Breathe wants to extend its digital therapeutic offerings to other chronic conditions, such as hypertension, PCOS, gut disorders, etc., and establish itself as a leading health & wellness player globally.

About Breathe Well-being

Founded in 2020, by Rohan Verma and Aditya Kaicker, Breathe Well-being is helping 70 million Indians to prevent, manage and reverse Type 2 Diabetes. Breathe Well-being’s clinically proven digital program uses a personalised coach driven, community first approach through interactive gamification to help people with Type 2 Diabetes reduce HbA1c, lose weight and reduce medication dependability.

Precision Health Platform Twin Health Creates Revolutionary Medical Therapy for the Remission of Type-2 Diabetes

Twin Health's 'Whole Body Digital Twin™ creates revolutionary medical therapy for the remission of Type 2 Diabetes and chronic metabolic diseases; the American Diabetes Association recognized the scientific outcome and impact

'Whole Body Digital Twin™ technology enables a personalized approach to help improve disrupted metabolism for individuals with type 2 diabetes

Twin Health, a precision health platform that integrates sensors, machine learning, and medical science, recently announced their breakthrough technology, Whole Body Digital Twin™. The technology has been patented, and its scientific outcomes from the randomized clinical trial have been validated through acceptance in scientific sessions conducted by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD), etc. for the remission of Type 2 diabetes and other chronic metabolic diseases like obesity, hypertension & Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). For individuals with type 2 diabetes, remission is defined as sustaining normal blood glucose (blood sugar) levels for at least three months without taking diabetes medication. The AI-powered research by Twin Health reported the highest known remission rate for Type 2 diabetes to date.

The Twin Health study, 'Remission of Type 2 Diabetes with Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Whole-Body Digital Twin: Initial Six-Months Results of Randomized Control Trial' outcome which was submitted to the American Diabetes Association, was selected to be featured in the official Press Program for the American Diabetes Association's 82nd Scientific Sessions, based on its overall excellence in furthering the research and treatment for people with diabetes, as well as its potential appeal to the medical and general news media. A total of 3 papers were submitted to ADA. All 3 papers got selected, and in addition to the press program, the other 2 papers – 'Metabolic Benefits beyond Glycemic Control with Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Whole-Body Digital Twin: Initial Six Months Results of a Randomized Control Trial' and 'Normalisation of Glycemic and Extraglycemic Parameters with T2DM Remission—Insights from RCT Enabled by Whole-Body Digital Twin Technology' - were invited for presentation.

Twin Health's clinical research team conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine the effect of Twin Precision Treatment technology (TPT) versus standard care (S.C.) on change in A1C and Type 2 diabetes remission at 90-day intervals. The TPT intervention leveraged the Whole-Body Digital Twin Platform, with A.I. and the Internet of Things, to integrate multi-dimensional data to give precision nutrition, sleep, activity, and breathing guidance via the TPT app and coaches. Early RCT data were presented and published in the American Diabetes Association's Diabetes journal, with first-of-its-kind health outcomes. Patients had an average HbA1c reduction of 3.1 (average baseline 8.7), over 90% achieving type 2 diabetes reversal (HbA1c less than 6.5), and 92% eliminating all diabetes medications, including insulin. Furthermore, patients had an average weight reduction of 9.1 kg (20 lbs). Among patients with baseline abnormal liver function (defined by an elevated ALT on clinical lab values), there was an average ALT reduction of 24 units/L.

The scientific outcomes from the RCT and the commercial results have been published in 31 peer-reviewed international medical journals, conference papers, and abstracts. The findings were later presented as a late-breaking poster session at the 82nd Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the world's largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention, and care, held in June 2022 at New Orleans, LA. Additionally, another report presented at the 58thAnnual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes reflected the correlation between the regression of microalbuminuria, blood pressure reduction, and remission of T2DM: Results of Six Month RCCT with Whole-Body Digital Twin Technology. The study demonstrated the potential for Whole Body Digital Twin technology to help achieve remission of Type 2 diabetes without medication in the long run.

Managing Type 2 diabetes can be challenging as each individual's metabolism functions differently, making it difficult to customize treatment for them individually. In July 2021, Twin Health expanded the Whole Body Digital Twin™ from reversing type 2 diabetes to reversing chronic metabolic diseases and improving overall metabolic health. The RCT demonstrated that the Whole Body Digital Twin™ could empower people to reverse and prevent conditions such as diabetes, prediabetes, and obesity, as well as significantly improve diseases such as hypertension, NAFLD, etc.

Speaking about this significant achievement, Dr. Paramesh Shamanna, Medical Director of Twin Health, said, "We are extremely pleased to announce that, The American Diabetes Association has endorsed the Whole Body Digital Twin® enabled precision treatment for the remission of Type 2 diabetes. This has taken us one step closer to our company's mission of reversing chronic diseases and assisting people in living healthier and happier lives. Our technology, the Whole Body Digital Twin™, is patented. Not just in the U.S., but in India, too, around 13000+ patients have benefited since the program's launch three years back. At Twin Health, we aim to address the root cause of metabolic disorders through the combination of advanced medical science and cutting-edge technology."

"Our results demonstrate the potential of Whole Body Digital Twin™ technology to change the conventional, medication-driven management of type 2 diabetes to achieving remission of Type 2 diabetes with a life free of medication. The program's impact on patient satisfaction, quality of life, and total cost of care is substantial and holds significant promise for large populations suffering from metabolic disease globally. We are proud of this accomplishment, which will spur us to develop more advanced technologies to control metabolic disorders in patients in the future," Dr. Shashank Joshi, Chief Medical Officer at Twin Health, added.

In the same vein, Dr. Maluk Mohamed, Co-founder, V.P. (Research) & CEO (India) at Twin Health, said, "Metabolic disorders caused by Type 2 diabetes, if left untreated, can prove fatal. The Whole Body Digital Twin™ has already empowered physicians and patients by offering highly personalized treatment decisions based on real-time metabolism feedback provided by patients' bodies. As a result, twin Members have reported experiencing freedom from difficult-to-sustain fad diets, intense exercise routines, and multiple medications with side effects. With the American Diabetes Association (ADA) endorsement, this revolutionary technology-enabled precision treatment will further gain acceptance among patients and healthcare providers.

As Twin scales its service in the U.S. and globally, it has the opportunity to transform and improve the quality of life for people who have lived with the experience of chronic metabolic disease for years.

About Twin Health

Twin Health invented the Whole Body Digital Twin™ to help reverse, improve and prevent chronic metabolic disease and, in many cases, eliminate medications, ultimately improving energy and physical health. Powered by artificial intelligence, the Whole Body Digital Twin™ is a dynamic representation of each individual's metabolism. Twin Health's randomized control trial is the world's first for reversing chronic metabolic disease using digital twin technology. In December 2021, Twin Health was named to C.B. Insights Digital Health 150 - C.B. Insights' annual ranking of the 150 most promising digital health startups in the world.

Walmart Launches Its Own Private Label Insulin At Low-Prices

Retail giant Walmart has announced that it will sell a more affordable, private-label version of insulin at its pharmacies by mid-July. The new private label ReliOn™ NovoLog® Insulin (insulin aspart) injection, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, is available in Walmart pharmacies and Sam’s Club pharmacies across the United States.

ReliOn™ NovoLog® is a rapid-acting insulin analog used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes.

NovoLog ReliOn Box and Vial

Notably, 25% of insulin users skip doses due to high prices and Walmart claims that its new offering ---analog insulin vials ($72.88) and FlexPen® ($85.88) --- will save customers1 between 58% to 75% off the cash price of branded analog insulin products, which translates to a savings of up to $101 per branded vial or $251 per package of branded FlexPens®. Walmart’s more affordable option could win new customers to its healthcare business.

And, of course customers will need a prescription in order to purchase the these insulin products.

Walmart has just begun to play a major role in affordable healthcare with plans to open 4,000 health clinics by 2029. Its prescription program offers a monthly supply of drugs for $4 to compete with Amazon Pharmacy. As more players like Walmart enter the retail healthcare space, increased competition could drive down the costs of generic medicine.

AstraZeneca's signs MoU with Indian Diabetes Research Society (RSSDI) to empower 1 Crore Indian Diabetic Patients by 2023

With close to 8 Crore diabetes patients in India , the need for building awareness and research-based effort to provide the much-needed support for early detection and treatment of Diabetes will go a long way in decreasing the uncontrolled incidence of the disease and associated complications

BANGALORE, India , Nov. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AstraZeneca India (AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited), a leading science-led biopharmaceutical company, today signed a memorandum of understanding with the Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI). This MoU is aimed at digitising and driving correct awareness of Diabetes amongst people to prevent complications arising from the uncontrolled incidence of the disease.

RSSDI is the largest organisation of Diabetes health care professionals and researchers in Asia with around 6000 members from amongst physicians, diabetologists, endocrinologists, as well as paramedical personnel. The organisation has been instrumental in extensive research on Diabetes, as well as continuing diabetes education initiatives in India . As a key facet of this dual association, AstraZeneca unveiled a campaign-'Beyond Sugar', a three-year patient awareness program developed to benefit over 1 Crore people living with Diabetes across the country. This initiative will empower patients/caregivers to have conversations around Diabetes and make informed decisions about the management of the disease.

The International Diabetes Foundation Atlas on Diabetes shows that 1 in 11 people in south Asia have Diabetes and that India will have around 11.5 Crore diabetes patients by 2030. While 10% to 15% of the general population have Diabetes, a recent study suggested that 44% of patients hospitalised for Heart Failure (HF) have type 2 diabetes showcasing the steep correlation between Diabetes and HF. HF is a major health problem in India with post-admission mortality of 20%-30%. Chronic kidney diseases is associated with significant patient death and an increased risk of heart failure. Therefore, it is critical that Diabetes be controlled to decrease the incidence of HF and CKD in India .

Dr.Anil Kukreja, Vice President - Medical Affairs & Regulatory, AstraZeneca India, said, "AstraZeneca has always been at the forefront of enabling patient-centric solutions for the management of non-communicable diseases. Despite currently available therapies, the awareness levels among the public is relatively low, resulting in uncontrolled Diabetes and additional complications of the heart and kidneys. The partnership between AstraZeneca and RSSDI will go a long way in supporting patient-centric digital awareness campaign and programs to raise awareness about Diabetes and its complications so that they can act early to manage or even prevent the complications".

Dr.Banshi Saboo , President- RSSDI and Organising Chairman 2020, said, "This partnership between RSSDI and AstraZeneca will result in increased awareness levels about Diabetes and its complications. Our vision is to touch 1 Crore lives in India over the next three years through this Digital patient-centric approach. In the COVID era, this digitally-powered initiative will also empower patients/caregivers to have better conversations with their doctors about the disease and make informed decisions in the management of Diabetes. All this will culminate towards shifting from the glucose centric management approach towards a holistic and an early Cardio-Renal focused management of type 2 diabetes. "

Dr. Sanjay Agarwal , Secretary- RSSDI 2020, said, "Being the largest organisation of Diabetes doctors and researchers in Asia , RSSDI is always focused at elevating the patient outcomes in Diabetes with constant research and innovative solutions. Beyond Sugar is one such patient-centric initiative which will play a vital role along with our RSSDI state chapters to raise the awareness by leveraging social media and digital platforms. With the support of AstraZeneca, we aim to reach out to the patients, community and HCP to increase awareness about Diabetes and help patients initiate conversations about the prevention of complications in Diabetes."

About AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism and Respiratory. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries, and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.

AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited (AZPIL) was established in 1979 and is marking its 40th year of a long-standing commitment to patients in India . It is headquartered at Bengaluru, Karnataka. AstraZeneca India has a workforce of over 1400 employees across the country committed to deliver great medicines to patients through innovative science and global excellence in development and commercialization. For more information, please visit: www.astrazeneca.com/india

Managing Diabetes During COVID-19, Doctor Shares Critical DOs & DON’Ts

As part of its Patient Education Programme (PEP) and respecting the lockdown and the social distancing norms set by the Government of India to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19, Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited, a StartUp in the PathLab chain segment, today organized a PEP Talk in the form of a Webinar. The Webinar was addressed by Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman & Chief of Diabetology, Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre and President, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation. Dr. Mohan spoke about managing diabetes during these COVID-19 times and the lockdown period.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Aishwarya Vasudevan, Group COO, Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited said, “In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments in many countries including ours have restricted the movement of their citizens, confining them to the home environment. For people living with diabetes it becomes imperative to take extra precautions in such a scenario. While regular physical activity is of great benefit to the general population, it is even more important for people living with diabetes. We are happy to host someone of the stature of Dr. Mohan to talk about diabetes care during these ‘never seen before’ times. During the lockdown, his recommendations are doubly important for people living with diabetes and anyone in close contact with people living with diabetes."

Dr. V. Mohan needs no introduction. In addition to being the Chairman & Chief of Diabetology at Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, he is also the President at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in Chennai. Dr. Mohan has been delivering care to patients with diabetes across the country through its centres  for over 40 years. Recently he and his group have pioneered Telemedicine for Diabetes care.   He has trained thousands of diabetologists in India and other developing countries. He also has contributed to over 1260 scientific research articles and chapters in textbooks on diabetes which is a world record by a practicing doctor anywhere in the world.  Dr Mohan also  serves on various national and international bodies in his field of specialization. Several prestigious awards have been conferred on Dr. Mohan has received several awards, including the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his accomplishments in the field of diabetology. In 2018, he received the Harold Rifkin Distinguished International Service in the Cause of Diabetes Award from the American Diabetes Association and he is the first Indian to receive this award. He is also a recipient of the Dr. B. C. Roy Award of the Medical Council of India.

During his address, Dr. Mohan stressed on the following aspects of diabetes care vis-à-vis COVID-19…

• There needs to be preparedness in case one falls ill. All relevant contact details must be kept handy.


• Extra attention has to be given to glucose control. Regular monitoring can help avoid complications caused by high or low blood glucose.


• If one does show flu-like symptoms (raised temperature, cough and difficulty in breathing), it is important to consult a healthcare professional. If one is coughing up phlegm, it may be an indication of an infection, in which case one should seek medical support and treatment immediately.


• Any infection is going to raise one’s glucose levels and increase the need for fluids…so access to sufficient supply of water is important.


• One needs to ensure that there is good supply of the diabetes medications she / he needs. Medicine stocks should be in accordance with the requirement if one had to quarantine oneself for a few weeks.


• One has to have the provisions to be able to correct the situation if the blood glucose drops suddenly.


• If someone is living alone, it is important to make sure that someone who can be relied upon knows her / his diabetic condition, as one may require assistance on falling ill.


• It’s important to keep a regular schedule, avoid overwork and have a good night's sleep.


• Healthy nutrition is an essential component of diabetes management. It is therefore important for people with diabetes to eat a varied and balanced diet to keep their blood glucose levels stable and enhance their immune system.

About Neuberg Diagnostics

The best-in-class laboratories from across India, UAE & South Africa have united under the banner of Neuberg Diagnostics to bring the latest technology and techniques within the reach of developing countries. Utilizing their combined strengths, the Neuberg alliance brings capabilities to perform over 6000 varieties of Pathological investigations and will promote Prevention & Early Diagnosis, Focused Wellness Programs and Structured Disease Management programs for rare diseases using the most advanced technologies assisted by Data science and AI tools.

Today, Neuberg Diagnostics is among the top diagnostics companies of Indian origin and the fastest growing healthcare start-up in India. The founding members of the Neuberg consortium - Anand Diagnostic Laboratory (Bangalore), Supratech Micropath (Ahmedabad), Ehrlich Laboratory (Chennai), Global Labs (South Africa), and Minerva Diagnostics (Dubai) bring their combined heritage of over 200 years and process over 20 million tests annually.

Some of the best Pathologists, Biochemists, Geneticists, Microbiologists and several other Clinical Lab Professionals from around the world are working closely, sharing knowledge and using the latest generation of diagnostics techniques to take accurate and timely diagnosis to the next level.

Diabetes Management Tech Startup BeatO Raises $1.3 Mn from Leo Capital, Blume Ventures

Delhi-based BeatO (short for beating the ring ‘O’ of Diabetes), a diabetes management startup using technology, has raised an institutional round of $1.3 million led by Leo Capital and co-led by Blume ventures.

“We are extremely excited to associate with partners like Leo and Blume. India is expected to have 100M diabetics by 2030. This puts tremendous pressure on all stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem both from a cost and well-being perspective to specially cater to this large demographic. This funding is a re-enforcement to the fact that we are solving a problem of massive scale", said Gautam Chopra, Co-Founder, and CEO, BeatO.

“With this funding, we plan to continue adding greater value to our customers through even better technology and distribution. We will also supplement our existing range of product categories including diabetic snacks and specialty foods. Our goal is to be an indispensable ally to a person living with diabetes”, added Yash Sehgal & Abhishek Kumar, Co-founders, BeatO.

Launched in September 2015 by Gautam Chopra, Yash Sehgal and Abhishek Kumar, BeatO is a full stack platform for people living with diabetes. It provides comprehensive platform dedicated to improving the lives of those living with diabetes with a unique mobile based monitoring solution, combined with diabetes-specific products such as diabetic snacks, specialty food, footwear etc. BeatO focuses on addressing all needs of their customers under one roof and supports them in making the right choices.

BeatO makes blood glucose monitoring easy with its smartphone-based glucometer combined with support from experts. This is augmented by their wide range of diabetes-specific food and retail products, thereby catering to all the needs of a person with diabetes. Started just over 2 years ago, BeatO currently serves 25,000 active customers in more than 1,500 cities, some even as far as Baramullah in Kashmir. This depicts the powerful impact that a virtual and holistic solution can have in providing healthcare to everyone. BeatO is currently fulfilling over 5,000 transactions a month.

[caption id="attachment_123833" align="aligncenter" width="971"] BeatO smartphone-based Glucometer[/caption]

Speaking about the funding, Rajul Garg, Founder of Leo Capital, said, “India is the diabetes capital of the world. We have looked deeply at chronic disease solutions and BeatO has been able to demonstrate an approach that diabetics find useful month over month. BeatO’s focus on a solution very unique to India is what attracted us”.

Arpit Agarwal, Principal, Blume Ventures, said, “BeatO is different from other players in the segment given their approach allows patients to manage diabetes effortlessly by having a wide array of healthy lifestyle choices available to them on a single platform. The founding team is perhaps one of the best in the industry and we feel confident that they will capture the opportunity in this space successfully.”

The startup had previously raised an angel round from a few individual investors including Rajeev Chitrabhanu, an early investor in Nazara Technologies, Rentomojoetc and Vishal Sampat, who besides being an angel investor was also the Founder of Convonix, India’s largest digital agency acquired by Publicis.

BeatO has grown 10X in revenue within the last one year. It boasts of having facilitated more than 250,000 glucose readings and has over 80% repeat order rate of acquired customers. The company plans to continue adding products across categories which are useful for diabetics and leveraging technology to make them accessible in the near future.

Leo Capital was founded in 2018 by Rajul Garg and Shwetank Verma. Rajul has been a prolific entrepreneur and angel investor in the Indian ecosystem. BeatO is among Leo Capital’s early investments as a fund. Leo Capital is focused on investing in high growth, early-stage technology startups in India.

Other startups in India working in diabetes related management and services are -- Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, which raised $10.23 million in Series A funding led by Lok Capital advised Growth Fund, Bangalore based Achira Labs, which has devised a way to hand weave diabetes test strips from silk. An another startup called Cooey technologies is also a promising startup that made news when, in 2016, it launched India’s first IOT glucometer that wirelessly syncs data with a smartphone.

About Blume Ventures, it is an early stage venture fund launched in 2010, that backs startups with both fundings as well as active mentoring and support. It invested $1 million in Gurgaon-based online retailer Spinny, in June 2017, thereafter it invested in online grocery startup MilkBasket, in August last year, followed by $1 million investment in car service startup Pitstop, in September 2017.

Blume Ventures' portfolio consists of more than 70 active companies including Grey Orange Robotics, Unacademy, Tricog Health, Locus, Healthifyme, Mettl, Exotel, Belong, Instamojo, and many more. Recently, tech research firm CB Insights ranked Blume Ventures as the leading India tech investor based on the number of investments made since the fund’s inception.

Diabetes Management Tech Startup BeatO Raises $1.3 Mn from Leo Capital, Blume Ventures

Delhi-based BeatO (short for beating the ring ‘O’ of Diabetes), a diabetes management startup using technology, has raised an institutional round of $1.3 million led by Leo Capital and co-led by Blume ventures.

“We are extremely excited to associate with partners like Leo and Blume. India is expected to have 100M diabetics by 2030. This puts tremendous pressure on all stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem both from a cost and well-being perspective to specially cater to this large demographic. This funding is a re-enforcement to the fact that we are solving a problem of massive scale", said Gautam Chopra, Co-Founder, and CEO, BeatO.

“With this funding, we plan to continue adding greater value to our customers through even better technology and distribution. We will also supplement our existing range of product categories including diabetic snacks and specialty foods. Our goal is to be an indispensable ally to a person living with diabetes”, added Yash Sehgal & Abhishek Kumar, Co-founders, BeatO.

Launched in September 2015 by Gautam Chopra, Yash Sehgal and Abhishek Kumar, BeatO is a full stack platform for people living with diabetes. It provides comprehensive platform dedicated to improving the lives of those living with diabetes with a unique mobile based monitoring solution, combined with diabetes-specific products such as diabetic snacks, specialty food, footwear etc. BeatO focuses on addressing all needs of their customers under one roof and supports them in making the right choices.

BeatO makes blood glucose monitoring easy with its smartphone-based glucometer combined with support from experts. This is augmented by their wide range of diabetes-specific food and retail products, thereby catering to all the needs of a person with diabetes. Started just over 2 years ago, BeatO currently serves 25,000 active customers in more than 1,500 cities, some even as far as Baramullah in Kashmir. This depicts the powerful impact that a virtual and holistic solution can have in providing healthcare to everyone. BeatO is currently fulfilling over 5,000 transactions a month.

[caption id="attachment_123833" align="aligncenter" width="971"] BeatO smartphone-based Glucometer[/caption]

Speaking about the funding, Rajul Garg, Founder of Leo Capital, said, “India is the diabetes capital of the world. We have looked deeply at chronic disease solutions and BeatO has been able to demonstrate an approach that diabetics find useful month over month. BeatO’s focus on a solution very unique to India is what attracted us”.

Arpit Agarwal, Principal, Blume Ventures, said, “BeatO is different from other players in the segment given their approach allows patients to manage diabetes effortlessly by having a wide array of healthy lifestyle choices available to them on a single platform. The founding team is perhaps one of the best in the industry and we feel confident that they will capture the opportunity in this space successfully.”

The startup had previously raised an angel round from a few individual investors including Rajeev Chitrabhanu, an early investor in Nazara Technologies, Rentomojoetc and Vishal Sampat, who besides being an angel investor was also the Founder of Convonix, India’s largest digital agency acquired by Publicis.

BeatO has grown 10X in revenue within the last one year. It boasts of having facilitated more than 250,000 glucose readings and has over 80% repeat order rate of acquired customers. The company plans to continue adding products across categories which are useful for diabetics and leveraging technology to make them accessible in the near future.

Leo Capital was founded in 2018 by Rajul Garg and Shwetank Verma. Rajul has been a prolific entrepreneur and angel investor in the Indian ecosystem. BeatO is among Leo Capital’s early investments as a fund. Leo Capital is focused on investing in high growth, early-stage technology startups in India.

Other startups in India working in diabetes related management and services are -- Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, which raised $10.23 million in Series A funding led by Lok Capital advised Growth Fund, Bangalore based Achira Labs, which has devised a way to hand weave diabetes test strips from silk. An another startup called Cooey technologies is also a promising startup that made news when, in 2016, it launched India’s first IOT glucometer that wirelessly syncs data with a smartphone.

About Blume Ventures, it is an early stage venture fund launched in 2010, that backs startups with both fundings as well as active mentoring and support. It invested $1 million in Gurgaon-based online retailer Spinny, in June 2017, thereafter it invested in online grocery startup MilkBasket, in August last year, followed by $1 million investment in car service startup Pitstop, in September 2017.

Blume Ventures' portfolio consists of more than 70 active companies including Grey Orange Robotics, Unacademy, Tricog Health, Locus, Healthifyme, Mettl, Exotel, Belong, Instamojo, and many more. Recently, tech research firm CB Insights ranked Blume Ventures as the leading India tech investor based on the number of investments made since the fund’s inception.

Bangalore Based Achira Labs Turns Silk Into Diabetes Test Strips

The diabetes epidemic of 2011 ended up killing around 10 Lakh people in India. Nearly half the diabetic people in the country don’t even know that they have the disease. Diabetes is one disease that is taken lightly by many. Many don’t realize the fact that late detection and delayed treatment of the disease can expose them to heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, amputations, blindness and nerve damage. By the year 2030, the Indian diabetic population is expected to cross the 100 million mark. Currently, India is only second to China, which is known as the World Capital for diabetes.

In order to help in the early detection of diabetes, a Bangalore based lab called Achira Labs has devised a way to hand weave diabetes test strips from silk. The standard material used for manufacturing of these strips is mainly plastics and paper but in order to reduce the manufacturing costs, challenges and environmental concerns associated with these standard manufacturing materials, Achira came up with silk made diabetes strips. Silk is an easily available material in India and the weavers who can work a handloom are also present in abundance.

The silk strips are expected to hit the market this year. People suffering from diabetes can use the strips to monitor their blood sugar levels on a regular basis. All they need to do is prick a fingertip, dab a blood drop onto a test strip, and then feed the strip into a glucose reader. This thought of using silk for medical sensors is not a first for Achira labs. The lab had earlier also manufactured silk strips that changed color when they detected deadly type of diarrhea in the diapers.



The silk strips provides exactly the same information as other types of glucose strips and are much easier to manufacture when compared to their glucose counterparts. Traditionally, the plastic and paper strips are sprayed with enzymes that help in breaking down of blood sugar into electricity. Then a machine is required to embed the electrodes in the material, so that the electrical signals can be transmitted into the glucose meter. On the other hand, the silk strips manufactured by Achira only require the spray. The coated threads can then conduct the electrochemical signals.

Currently, a box of 100 plastic or paper strips costs around $25 or Rs. 1,600. A box of silk strips on the other hand will cost one-third to one-quarter of that. The price factor is very critical in a country like India. According to the World Health Organization, a low-income Indian family supporting a diabetic relative ends up spending up to 25 percent of its income on care, while a similar family in the United States spends around 10 percent.

Achira is not only helping diabetic patients to reduce the costs of their treatment but it is also helping women weavers earn money and lead a respectable life. In order to do so, Achira Labs has teamed up with the Working Women’s Forum, a forum which helps marginalized women with handicraft skills, like silk weaving, start small businesses. The company has recently received a $ 100,000 grant from Grand Challenges Canada. The team has plans of using the money in recruiting women to open 5 weaving hubs in suburban and rural towns across Tamil Nadu.

Bangalore Based Achira Labs Turns Silk Into Diabetes Test Strips

The diabetes epidemic of 2011 ended up killing around 10 Lakh people in India. Nearly half the diabetic people in the country don’t even know that they have the disease. Diabetes is one disease that is taken lightly by many. Many don’t realize the fact that late detection and delayed treatment of the disease can expose them to heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, amputations, blindness and nerve damage. By the year 2030, the Indian diabetic population is expected to cross the 100 million mark. Currently, India is only second to China, which is known as the World Capital for diabetes.

In order to help in the early detection of diabetes, a Bangalore based lab called Achira Labs has devised a way to hand weave diabetes test strips from silk. The standard material used for manufacturing of these strips is mainly plastics and paper but in order to reduce the manufacturing costs, challenges and environmental concerns associated with these standard manufacturing materials, Achira came up with silk made diabetes strips. Silk is an easily available material in India and the weavers who can work a handloom are also present in abundance.

The silk strips are expected to hit the market this year. People suffering from diabetes can use the strips to monitor their blood sugar levels on a regular basis. All they need to do is prick a fingertip, dab a blood drop onto a test strip, and then feed the strip into a glucose reader. This thought of using silk for medical sensors is not a first for Achira labs. The lab had earlier also manufactured silk strips that changed color when they detected deadly type of diarrhea in the diapers.



The silk strips provides exactly the same information as other types of glucose strips and are much easier to manufacture when compared to their glucose counterparts. Traditionally, the plastic and paper strips are sprayed with enzymes that help in breaking down of blood sugar into electricity. Then a machine is required to embed the electrodes in the material, so that the electrical signals can be transmitted into the glucose meter. On the other hand, the silk strips manufactured by Achira only require the spray. The coated threads can then conduct the electrochemical signals.

Currently, a box of 100 plastic or paper strips costs around $25 or Rs. 1,600. A box of silk strips on the other hand will cost one-third to one-quarter of that. The price factor is very critical in a country like India. According to the World Health Organization, a low-income Indian family supporting a diabetic relative ends up spending up to 25 percent of its income on care, while a similar family in the United States spends around 10 percent.

Achira is not only helping diabetic patients to reduce the costs of their treatment but it is also helping women weavers earn money and lead a respectable life. In order to do so, Achira Labs has teamed up with the Working Women’s Forum, a forum which helps marginalized women with handicraft skills, like silk weaving, start small businesses. The company has recently received a $ 100,000 grant from Grand Challenges Canada. The team has plans of using the money in recruiting women to open 5 weaving hubs in suburban and rural towns across Tamil Nadu.