There has been some skepticism about the value of electronic health records (EHRs) beyond their role as a source of income for EHR developers, but an April 3 presentation at the 2022 America College of Cardiology scientific sessions being held in Washington suggests this type of software offers some real value for heart failure patients. Tariq Ahmad of Yale School of Medicine said a study of EHRs suggests their power lay in part in prompting compliance with heart failure medication regimes, an application of this type of software that can both save lives and cut costs for the Medicare program and Medicare beneficiaries.

Pharmaceutical agents took center stage in Washington on the first full day of the 2022 scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology, such as an April 2 presentation on the use of the mavacamten for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (OHC). Milind Desai of the Cleveland Clinic said 16-week data for this cardiac myosin inhibitor showed well in reducing heart failure class status, but there are data arising from studies in China which suggest that radiofrequency (RF) ablation might also work for these patients.

Carthera SA reported results from a pilot clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its Sonocloud technology in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The results, published in Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy, show early promise of the treatment in reducing the amyloid load of AD and potentially other neurological conditions as well as to stimulate neurogenesis and improve cognitive performance.

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine continuing to disrupt thousands of clinical trials throughout the region, the European Commission, the EMA and the Heads of Medicines Agencies are developing advice to help sponsors mitigate the issues. For now, sponsors should apply the approaches and flexibilities used during the COVID-19 pandemic to the current situation, the groups said March 30.

Pavmed Inc. implanted its Portio system in three patients in a first-in-human (FIH) study of its intraosseous infusion system and successfully infused fluids in all patients without complications. The Portio system allows long-term direct access to bone marrow for delivery of fluids, medications and other substances in individuals with poor venous access, kidney dialysis or adverse reactions to anticoagulants.

SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.'s three-pronged plan for tackling epilepsy is going strong, with lead drug cenobamate for drug-resistant focal-onset seizures nearing the finish line, and earlier-stage programs for a mRNA-based approach and a digital therapeutic in the works.

Resapp Health Ltd. saw its stock shoot up 35% on the heels of positive clinical results for its new smartphone-based COVID-19 screening test. In a pilot clinical trial of 741 patients recruited in the U.S. and India, digital health company Resapp’s screening test, which uses machine learning to analyze the sound of a patient’s cough, correctly detected COVID-19 in 92% of people with the infection.

After a challenging 2021, nerve repair company Axogen Inc. is focusing on building clinical data to turn around its luck. The Alachua, Fla.-headquartered company reported disappointing fourth quarter results, with procedure volume negatively impacted due to COVID-19 and hospital staffing. The Nasdaq-listed company is anticipating results from a major phase III pivotal study comparing its flagship nerve graft product Avance to commercially available products in the second quarter of 2022.

Biological Dynamics Inc.’s Verita platform correctly identified 96% of patients with stage I pancreatic cancer, a study in Nature Communications Medicine demonstrated. The platform uses protein biomarkers present in extracellular vesicles and showed an overall 71% sensitivity and 99.5% specificity in pathologically confirmed stage I and II pancreatic, ovarian and bladder cancer.