Wing, a drone business backed by Google-parent Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL, and Apian, a British technology start-up, have launched a drone service for NHS blood sample deliveries in London.
What Happened: This new drone service, operating between Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals, reduces delivery time for blood samples from 30 minutes by van or motorbike to just 2 minutes, reported The Times.
The drones are used to transport critical samples from patients at risk of bleeding disorders, helping to speed up decisions for surgeries and ensuring quick access to lab analysis.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai took to X, formerly Twitter, and said, "Reducing blood sample delivery from 30 min to 2 min means faster results and quicker care for patients in critical need. Important use case for drone technology."
See Also: Apple’s Next Big Bet? Think Smaller, Says Analyst: ‘There Will Never Be Another… iPhone’
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust have also backed this venture.
Why It Matters: This initiative comes after Alphabet reported a 15% year-over-year increase in third-quarter revenue, highlighting the company’s extraordinary momentum.
The drone project also aligns with Alphabet’s previous ventures into drone delivery services, such as its partnership with DoorDash in the U.S. to deliver food items.
Apian, which identifies itself as a “healthcare logistics” business, aims to become the “Deliveroo of medical transport”, creating a platform to match clinicians with urgent transport requests and commercial drone companies.
The company was founded in 2020 by Dr. Christopher Law, Dr. Hammad Jeilani, and Alexander Trewby, formerly of Google Health.
Price Action: As of the latest data, Alphabet's Class A shares declined 0.24% in after-hours trading to $175.15, while Class C shares slipped 0.20% to $177. In the regular session on Thursday, Class A and Class C shares closed at $175.58 and $177.35, respectively, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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