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Thursday, 28 May 2026 |
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For wearables, it’s a GLP-1 world |
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| We have two pieces of wearables-related news for you today, and (maybe unsurprisingly) GLP-1s came up in our conversations with both companies. |
| First, Signos raised $20 million for its approach to using continuous glucose monitors to help people lose weight. And Oura unveiled today its latest, smallest
ring. |
| These companies, like so many others, are trying to reshape themselves to fit into a world where seemingly everyone is on a GLP-1, rather than trying to be the non-medication option. That could be because they want to reach the consumers are already the most engaged, and who’s more engaged with their health than a GLP-1 user? |
| As part of the ring’s launch, Oura is debuting a GLP-1-specific product. Users taking one of the popular weight loss drugs can combine the biometric data they get from the ring with self-recorded info like symptoms they're experiencing (is the nausea I'm feeling normal?) as well as their goals. That way, users might get a better sense of how they're progressing and whether they might want to tweak their dosing with the support of their doctor. It's the first time Oura's launching a medication-specific product. |
| “This will help show how the medication type, dosing and schedule will actually impact each of our members,” Oura VP of Product Maziar Brumand told Lydia. |
| Meanwhile, Signos is positioning itself as a complement to GLP-1s, helping people learn the best diet and other lifestyle habits to be successful on and off the drugs. Signos users can log their medications in the startup’s app, for example. |
| Historically, “we would always be the fit for folks that wanted to try a solution in lieu of medication, and so now we're gonna see a lot of people wanting to do both,” Signos CEO Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer told Shelby. |
| For Signos, GLP-1s also present an opportunity to strike partnerships with health plans and pharma companies, both of which are looking for ways to ensure people taking the drugs have good outcomes. |
| - Shelby + Lydia |
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Deductibles rise |
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37 |
The percentage increase in the average ACA marketplace deductible from 2025 to 2026 — the biggest increase ever, according to KFF. Deductibles rose to $3,786 on average, from $2,759 last year as millions more people enrolled in lower-premium bronze plans. Higher deductibles tend to mean more out-of-pocket costs for patients. |
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This week in health Тech |
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Bank of America Global Research analysts estimated that Hims will need to capture 45% of all new Wegovy pill cash-pay patients in the US to reach its 2026 sales guidance. That’s about 225,000 new subscribers per quarter from Q2 to Q4, according to a Tuesday research note. “This strikes us as a high bar,” the analysts wrote. They estimated that Hims is facing a $85 million headwind from lost compounded GLP-1 revenue. |
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Worldwide made. Thanks for reading.
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