• California: Oura, a smart ring maker and health tracking company, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO), with an expected valuation of $11 billion. According to the Wall Street Journal, Oura is aiming to list on the Nasdaq as soon as this month. Oura, which was founded in Finland in 2013, now has 5 million paid members, with over 94% of people activating its smart rings historically converting to paid membership. The company's smart rings continuously track more than 50 health metrics, and the company has collected almost 42 billion hours of longitudinal biometric data from the rings. Aside from its wearable devices, the company said it is part of a broader movement toward preventive care and consumer-directed healthcare spending. "We operate at the intersection of three structural shifts: the move from reactive care to proactive, continuous health management; increasing consumer ownership of health decisions and spend; and advances in AI and wearable technology that enable personalized, predictive insights in real time," the company wrote. "We believe we are in the early innings of addressing a large and expanding market opportunity that begins with wearables and extends into preventative healthcare." (Landi, Fierce Healthcare, 9/4; Li, Wall Street Journal, 9/3)
• California: GoodRx has launched a new companion family plan as part of its subscription service to help patients access free and low-cost prescriptions, as well as savings on different healthcare services. The family plan covers a primary member and up to four additional members, including pets. The plan costs $24.99 per month or $16.99 per month for members who pay annually. Through the plan, members can access over 250 generic medications for free and telehealth visits for common health conditions for $19. The plan also offers savings on dental care, vision care, and common lab/imaging services. "Families don't experience healthcare costs one person at a time," said Wendy Barnes, president and CEO of GoodRx. "They're simultaneously managing prescriptions and care for kids, parents, partners, and even pets. Expanding [our subscription service] Companion across the entire household allows us to support consumers in a way that reflects this reality." (Gleeson, Fierce Healthcare, 9/3)
• Maryland: FDA has approved a first-of-its-kind drug Mimrylo to treat a rare blood disorder called polycythemia vera. Mimrylo is the first approved treatment for the disorder and works by mimicking the hormone hepcidin, which regulates iron in the body. The drug limits the iron available for red blood cell production, preventing the body from making too many red blood cells. The drug's approval was based on a Phase 3 trial of 293 adults whose disease was not adequately controlled by existing treatments. In the trial, 76.9% of patients who received Mimrylo did not require a phlebotomy during the 32-week trial period, compared to only 32.9% of patients who received a placebo. The most common adverse reactions to the treatment were injection site reactions and anemia. (Jeffries, Becker's Hospital Review, 8/31)

The rapid adoption of wearable devices gives healthcare organizations new opportunities to boost patient engagement and improve care management — but leveraging this data isn't without challenges. Here's how to navigate the risks and effectively incorporate wearables-derived data into clinical practice.