Positive early stage data for Verve Therapeutics Inc.’s base editing therapy points to a range of development options, including bringing partner Eli Lilly and Co. in a little closer. The new data helped ease the company’s pain from the April 2 enrollment pause of a similarly designed therapy from Verve. Verve’s Heart-2 phase Ib of VERVE-102 in treating 14 patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and/or premature coronary artery disease showed one infusion led to dose-dependent decreases in blood PCSK9 protein levels and low density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Boston Scientific Corp.’s up to $664 million acquisition of Bolt Medical Inc. closed just days after Bolt secured U.S. FDA 520(k) clearance for its intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) system, positioning Boston Sci to challenge Johnson & Johnson’s Shockwave IVL system, which has been the only player in the market.
GE Healthcare Technologies Inc. gained full ownership of Nihon Medi-Physics Co. Ltd. after acquiring the remaining 50% stake from Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. on March 31.
A 1,000-person study using Heartflow Inc. technology demonstrated that findings of coronary plaque on heart CT scans could indicate which patients were at risk of cardiovascular events up to seven years in the future – potentially providing a road map toward screening for heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. and worldwide.
In early validation of widespread predictions of a robust year for M&A activity, Boston Scientific Corp. signed a definitive agreement to acquire the 74% of Bolt Medical Inc. it doesn’t already own for $443 million up front and up to $221 million in contingent milestone payments.
Two recent trials in cardiovascular disease took critical steps toward addressing ongoing and deadly disparities in cardiac care by focusing entirely on women.
Shockwave Medical, a unit of New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson Medtech, completed enrollment in the first prospective all-female study of percutaneous coronary intervention in complex disease. The real-world, all-comers trial will evaluate the benefits of coronary intravascular lithotripsy in female patients with calcified lesions.
Elixir Medical Corp. reported positive 12-month data from the Infinity-Swedeheart trial that compared its Dynamx coronary bioadaptor system to Medtronic plc’s Resolute Onyx zotarolimus drug-eluting stent in patients requiring percutaneous coronary intervention with coronary artery disease.
The clearance by the U.S. FDA of Healthccsng V2.0, an artificial intelligence cardiac solution developed by Nano-x Imaging Ltd.’s (Nanox) subsidiary, Nanox.AI, is highly “significant” for the company and will offer “substantial” benefits to cardiology departments by significantly enhancing the detection of coronary artery calcification, Erez Meltzer, Nanox CEO told BioWorld.
A collaboration between Plaquetec Ltd. and a lab at the Babraham Institute has demonstrated the druggability of a pro-inflammatory protein discovered by Plaquetec.
