Catching Up With Relentless

Summer is so close, the longest day of the year is approaching, kids are about to be liberated from school, and holiday prep for families is in full swing. While it is still spring, we are keen to share our latest “Relentless RoundUp - It’s Still Spring Edition’ . . .? while it’s still seasonally appropriate.

First of all, thank you to our longstanding subscribers who have engaged and responded with such enthusiasm over the content these past few years. We write with you in mind. To educate, to elucidate, to inspire, to update and on occasion, to entertain. It is always exhilarating to press ‘publish’.?

For those of you who still wonder whether or not I did that run in San Fran sans vêtements, evidence at the end of the latest edition!

We are also navigating a new newsletter service, please be patient with us. So far, so good. Thank you to all the readers that contributed to our record breaking open rate at > 60%.

Please, check your inbox for the latest Relentless RoundUp sent out last Wednesday from me. If not yet a subscriber, we have a link for direct delivery of upcoming newsletters to your inbox right here: Subscribe to Relentless RoundUp Newsletter.?

Or take?~ 8 minutes to catch it now (yes, it is a bit of a long one). It will be ~ 8 weeks before the next one.

Relentless RoundUp - It's Still Spring Edition

Witnessing the world actively engage in all that a lovely spring offers is invigorating. I am even cuing up a bike friendly meeting locations as I finally return to cycling following that wee multi-bone fracturing incident from a while back. If you have followed Relentless since inception, you will know we have always been staunch all-season advocates of active living and movement. ‘Mobility’ is a core investment focus for our health tech fund.

MOVEMENT = MOBILITY = HEALTHIER LONGEVITY

Why include mobility? Well, one only needs to spend a few minutes reading the opinion piece published by Andre Picard in the Globe and Mail on May 21st, 2024 “Getting hip to the dangers of fractures in the elderly”.

The article opens with: “A broken hip is more deadly than cancer.” That grabs attention. He includes recent research comparing survival rates for the elderly post a broken hip versus following a cancer diagnosis. The article continues with, “saying that hip fractures are more deadly than cancer is a crude, simplistic comparison. But it serves to draw our attention to many issues related to aging, and how we don’t always take certain health issues seriously.”

Sadly, I had recent personal experience with the loss of a loved one due to a fractured hip and subsequent immobilization accelerated her decline. My dear friend Diana, in her 80’s, broke her hip and as per medical protocol was subject to bedrest to promote healing of her precious brittle bones. Alas, the experience wiped out her remaining joie de vie. She passed only weeks following the awkward incident.

And just before publishing this RoundUp, the US Preventive Services Taskforce published data that indicated that falls are the leading cause of injury-related morbidity and mortality among older adults in the US. Exercise and regular weekly physical activities recommended as the top preventive action.

At Relentless, we take proactive and preventive health very seriously. Stating the obvious, movement is crucial for long-term mobility and stability. Here are a few specifics as to how movement can nourish healthy longevity, reduce the risk of injury, and improve overall mobility:

·?????? Let’s start with activities that challenge balance and coordination; they can help improve proprioception, reduce the risk of falls, and avoid those hip fractures – at any age!

·?????? Regular movement, such as walking, running, cycling or strength training, helps to maintain and improve muscle strength and flexibility.

·?????? Movement helps to lubricate your joints and promote the flow of synovial fluid, which nourishes and protects the cartilage within your joints.

·?????? Movement improves circulation by stimulating blood flow throughout your body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and organs.

·?????? Regular movement also helps to maintain a healthy body weight. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the strain on your joints and lowers the risk of obesity-related conditions that can impair mobility, such as diabetes and heart disease.

·?????? Movement is also an accessible option for improving our mental health. Physical activity releases endorphins and these neurotransmitters promote feelings of happiness and well-being. We enjoy being happy. Don’t you?

The Healing Power of Compassion

All of May was considered ‘mental health month’ in the U.S. and in Canada we had a one-week focus (curious – why limit to one week?). Nonetheless, I will boost mental health every month, every week, every day. I was particularly fond of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) theme this year – kindness. It aligns with my personal word choice for 2024 – tenderness. As per CMHA website, we all have the capacity to be compassionate, and we?know that doing so can make an enormous difference; compassion has profound healing power. We all have the capacity to be natural healers. We just need to lead with compassion.

Thought Leadership – “What Canada Must Do to Meet the Needs of Our Aging Population”

I was invited to write an Op-Ed for the Future Economy which was published on April 5th, 2024. ?The Future Economy publishes interviews and op-ed’s with Canada’s leaders from business, government, academia and other key stakeholders to define a strong vision for Canada’s future economy. I was grateful for the opportunity to share more on why the Relentless commitment to our older adults is so important.? Please take a few minutes to read the entire piece. However, if you are a Cliff’s notes TLDR kind of reader here is the concluding segment where I plead for specific policy changes to ACTIVATE!

Coordinated and Collaborative Care

Innovation is the great risk mitigator. Health innovation can facilitate a shift in how care is delivered and immediately address gaps that are amplified by the silver tsunami. But we need the systems, resources, and government support to facilitate risk mitigation and advance access to innovation.

We can do more to avoid risks and manage health conditions. Here is a sampling of what to activate:

o?? Nationwide billing codes for remote patient and therapeutic monitoring.

o?? Federal funding for collaborative and synergistic programs that facilitate continuity of care, complex care in the home and a virtual ‘hospital-to-home’ strategy.

o?? Grants for family members coordinating care and providing part time care. Compensate the ‘invisible care economy’.

o?? Grants for community-based health and wellbeing initiatives.

The fractures in care, as well as depleted resources, were amplified by the pandemic. National calls to action rallied groups that typically competed in the private sector to work together and alongside government to deliver critical solutions. Why wait for the next crisis to bring organizations together? Truth be told, we are already facing a crisis in care. Our vulnerable seniors need immediate solutions.

Sprung Another Relentless Portfolio Partnership with US Veterans Affairs

The imperative of Relentless portfolio company, Orpyx Medical, is to both prevent and eliminate the occurrence of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and improve the healthy lifespan of individuals living with diabetes. The company’s smart insole is one example of a digital health product that provides a connected care solution for our aging population. The fragile tissue of older adults living with diabetes creates high risk of DFUs as well as drastically reduced mobility.

In spring news for Orpyx, they announced that their national contract with US Veterans Affairs is cued up to launch. As a selected preferred vendor, Orpyx received approval to broaden their previous pilot program to cover a large area in the VA known as VISN 10. VISN 10 stands for Veterans Integrated Service Network 10 and is one of 18 of such networks within the VA. VISN 10 serves Veterans in the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, as well as portions of Kentucky. Each VISN is responsible for managing and overseeing the healthcare services provided to veterans within its geographic region. The US VA system currently spends over $3 billion annually on diabetes-related amputation costs.

Canary Soars

4 for 4 – Canary Medical has received their fourth ‘breakthrough device designation’ from the FDA, this time for their smart spine lumbar cartridge. In addition to their three FDA breakthrough designations in orthopedic applications, the smart sensor is the first smart?sensor application for spine procedures.

This recent designation followed winning another prestigious industry award for the company’s inaugural ortho product, the CanturioTM Tibial Extension. Canary was declared “Best Overall Medical Device Solution” at the annual MedTech Breakthrough awards.

Did You Know a Group of Canaries is an Aria and Goldfinches is a Charm?

VitaminLab announced a new partnership with California based Charm Health (see what I did there? smooth segue). This is VitaminLab’s first collaboration with a company that has its own electronic health record (EHR) business, creating access to more than 100,000 practitioners with specialties that include integrative medicine and psychiatry. As a vendor for Charm Health, VitaminLab achieves a significant business development milestone with their technical integration success within the workflow of an EHR

Spring Blossoming at Bloom (Burton) Conference

A trio of Relentless portfolio companies (Newtopia, Canary Medical and Orpyx Medical) all presented at this year’s Bloom Burton conference held in Toronto April 16th and 17th, the largest Canadian healthcare focused conference. Presenting companies determined by BB to be at a breakout phase.?

LSBC Inaugural Digital Health Conference

Huge shoutout to Life Sciences BC hosting their first Digital Health Conference this spring.

Relentless enjoyed solid representation. I participated in an early morning panel with my health tech peers following a spotlight on the graduates of the ‘LSBC Investor Readiness Program’. Later in the day both Canary and Thrive Health delivered inspiring company overviews.

Tamer Takes a Top 50 Spot

In May, Co-founder and CEO of Aspect Biosystems Tamer Mohamed was declared a Top 50 Innovator IN THE WORLD by International Technology Leaders Network, Codex. The company’s innovative bio-printed tissue therapeutics platform cued up to restore lost or damaged tissue function is getting notice worldwide.

Super FUN Fact – Did You See Who Is Captain of the Canadian Women’s America’s Cup Team??

Relentless Team Member Isabella Bertold is shining on the international stage! She is captain of Canada’s team participating in the first women’s race in the history of the America’s Cup in October 2024. So very exciting to witness her leadership while also being a role model of the excellence of women in sport.

Check out the link to Isabella speaking about the team, sponsorship and upcoming race here.

Relentless Activation in California

In May, I spent a few days away from our spring showers at sunny UCSF in San Francisco. I participated as an evaluator for the UCSF Innovations program, providing feedback to innovators in digital health and medtech. I also enjoyed exceptional content and collaborative discussions at the UCSF Rosenman Institute Symposium. Over the weekend in between these UCSF events, I spontaneously signed up for the “Bay to Breakers” 12km fun run. If you have never heard of this event it is described as San Francisco’s most iconic run party, with more than 120 years of history. So, I joined Ape Hashbury and his runtourage. I ‘strutted’ through the streets of San Francisco with 20,000+ other breakers, where every mile WAS a party and every runner WAS a vibe. When the website indicated ‘It’s time to ditch the ordinary and run the extraordinary’, I didn’t realize that my commitment to movement in SF included a ‘ditch the clothes’ option.

No, I did not run naked to blend in.

Brenda

On the heels of Realize Capital’s Fund II anchor commitment, we continue to build our capital capacity. Please reach out if you are an accredited investor and would like to learn about the current investment opportunity with the “Relentless Health Pursuit Fund” via [email protected].