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Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and this week in healthcare news:

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Lung cancer doctor
Getty Images

Pharma's next big cancer bet

One of our most popular stories this week is one Andrew Dunn pulled together on a promising new cancer treatment that's caught the eyes of a number of drugmakers.

The hope is that these drugs, which go after the protein TIGIT, could improve existing treatments that use the body's immune system to go after cancer.

So far, Andrew has spotted 13 companies in the race.

Get the full picture>>

Big Pharma is betting billions on the next cancer breakthrough. Here are the 13 drug companies leading the way.


Truepill cofounders Umar Afridi and Sid Viswanathan
Truepill cofounders Umar Afridi and Sid Viswanathan
Courtesy Truepill

The most active corporate VC

This week, we looked at the data coming out of CB Insights' report on the first half of 2021.

Mohana Ravindranath found that there are 11 startups that have reached billion-dollar valuations for the first time in 2021. That includes companies like LetsGetChecked and Capsule.

The report also found that Optum Ventures, the venture arm of UnitedHealth Group, was the most active corporate VC of the first half of 2021.

Megan Hernbroth rounded up the 18 biggest investments Optum Ventures has made to date, including a lot of newcomers in 2021.

Here are the investments>>

The biggest US health insurer has a $600 million VC arm that places bets on the future of healthcare. Here are Optum Ventures' 18 biggest investments, including startups reinventing home care and pharmacies.


Akili EndeavorRx4
A child plays Akili's prescription video game for ADHD, EndeavorRx.
Akili Interactive

New approaches to behavioral health

Companies are taking a lot of new approaches to medical care these days.

From virtual visits to video games, it's evolving beyond prescription drugs and in-person clinics.

As part of our Future of Healthcare series (no paywall!), Allison DeAngelis mapped out what the future could look like for video games treating health conditions.

In particular, telehealth firms could be potential acquirers of the technology.

Some are taking new approaches and using them in care for kids and young adults. Jade Khatib this week laid out six startups worth keeping an eye on.

Check out the full list>>

6 startups to watch that are tackling youth mental and behavioral health


More stories we've been working on:


- Lydia

Read the original article on Business Insider