A new study by Mayo Clinic and Nference Inc. researchers suggests that prior childhood and adult vaccinations for illnesses such as polio, measles and flu may provide protection against COVID-19 infection. The study, which analyzed patient data using Nference artificial intelligence (AI) software, underscores the critical role immunizations play in curbing the spread of diseases and preventing future pandemics. “What we discovered represents compelling evidence that vaccinations are a critical element in prevention of disease, even diseases one doesn’t anticipate,” said Venky Soundararajan, co-founder and chief scientific officer of the Cambridge, Mass.-based company.
Drug and device companies dragging their feet on diversifying late-stage clinical trials could conceivably get a wake-up call in court or in FDA approval delays.
In 2020, Appliedvr Inc. reported results from a three-week proof-of-concept study showing reduction of lower back pain with the use of its Easevrx virtual reality (VR) therapy. Now the company has pivotal data affirming the benefit to patients with chronic low back pain who used Easevrx at home for eight weeks.
Patensee Ltd. initiated a first-in-human trial of its machine vision-based surveillance system for stenosis in hemodialysis patients. The trial will evaluate the imaging system's ability to perform contact-free surveillance of the access points or fistulas essential for dialysis, which nearly all narrow or become blocked over time. The surveillance system aims to mimic the central components of a dialysis nurse's exam using technology.
Last year, artificial intelligence (AI)-focused Caption Health Inc. won the U.S. FDA’s nod for software that guides untrained clinicians step-by-step in providing a cardiac ultrasound exam, a process normally performed by a highly skilled specialist. Now, the Brisbane, Calif.-based company has published data showing nurses without prior ultrasound experience who used Caption Guidance software captured ultrasound images of diagnostic quality to assess known cardiac conditions.
Emitbio Inc., a life science company developing light-based therapies, is seeking emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. FDA for its investigational device to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 infection at home. The portable, hand-held device works by directing precise wavelengths of visible light to the back of the throat and surrounding tissues. It is not yet available for sale in the U.S.
An artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm developed by Geisinger researchers that uses echocardiogram videos predicted all-cause mortality at one year more accurately than three out of four expert cardiologists and other predictors commonly used in clinical practice, a study in Nature Biomedical Engineering demonstrated.
As COVID-19 variants have emerged, so have questions about the effectiveness of tests for infection. While the risk of mutations significantly limiting their ability to detect the novel coronavirus is thought to be relatively low, companies that make COVID-19 tests are moving quickly to enhance and revalidate their products.
By mid-January 2021, the U.K., South Africa and Brazil had confirmed that “variants of concern” were driving massive surges in COVID-19 cases in their countries. Once alerted, other nations found these troubling strains rapidly multiplying within their populations as well. At the time, the world had reported 90 million cases, creating abundant opportunities for the coronavirus to mutate. Of those cases, the virus in just 360,000 had been sequenced – and nearly all of them from just a handful of countries.
As of the end of January, SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrably infected more than 100 million individuals globally. It has killed more than 2 million. And the long-term sequelae of COVID infections – to say nothing of the health consequences of grief, social isolation and widespread economic distress – are still unfolding and will be for years to come.