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Amazon roots run deep at new health care marketplace startup

May 29, 2025
Health Tech Correspondent

Good morning health tech readers!

Today, a look at the growing use of AI for breast cancer screening. Plus, the deep Amazon connections of General Medicine, the new digital health care marketplace from PillPack founders.

Also, a reminder that we're still accepting nominations for STAT Wunderkinds, where we highlight the work of impressive early-career researchers.

Reach me: mario.aguilar@statnews.com

Artificial intelligene

Will radiologists trust AI-assisted mammograms? 

Artificial intelligence is being used to help interpret millions of mammograms, but radiologists remain skeptical. STAT's Katie Palmer reports on a study that found AI-assisted mammography increased the rate at which breast cancers are detected. An extension study, however, found that radiologists didn't always believe the AI, impacting how they acted on the results.

Read more here


big tech

Amazon roots run deep at new startup

Three former Amazon employees including the founders of PillPack, last week announced a new startup, General Medicine, which has raised $32 million in funding. PillPack was acquired by Amazon in 2018 for about $750 million, and as Katie Palmer reports, General Medicine's Amazon connections run even deeper. The description of General Medicine's digital health marketplace bears similarities to Amazon offerings. And behind the scenes, Sunita Mishra, Amazon Health Services' current chief medical officer, has advised General Medicine and helped it set up its telehealth offering. 

Read more here



Industry news

  • Newcomer reports that OpenEvidence, which uses AI to help doctors search the latest medial research, is in talks with GV and Kleiner Perkins to raise over $100 million at a $3 billion valuation. The company only recently announced a $75 million raise at a $1 billion valuation.  
  • Semafor reports, citing unnamed sources, that Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company Neuralink raised $600 million at a $9 billion valuation. The company hasn't confirmed the fundraise. Previously it was reported that the company was in talks to raise slightly less money.
  • The Coalition for Health AI reworked its "assurance labs" idea, STAT's Brittany Trang reported in AI Prognosis, our subscriber-exclusive newsletter
  •  As Viz.ai continues to spread its tentacles, it announced a new offering to support workflows for oncology treatment. Last week, the company announced a deal to develop a solution around COPD care with Sanofi and Regeneron.

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What we're reading

  • Inside the Discord community developing its own hair loss drugs, 404 Media
  • HHS cancels nearly $600 million Moderna contract on vaccines for flu pandemics, STAT
  • When people hear voices, but only when they want to, UNDARK

Thanks for reading! More on Tuesday - Mario

Mario Aguilar covers how technology is transforming health care. He is based in New York.


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