Medical science has not yet convincingly duplicated the remarkable properties of cartilage, an omission that sustains an epidemic of life-altering knee replacement surgeries. Anthony Ratcliffe, CEO of Synthasome Inc., of Del Mar, Calif., said on a recent FDA webinar that companies might want to consider the lowly goat as the animal model of choice in preclinical studies of cartilage products because “the cost, ease of management, and the social aspects were all manageable” with goats.

Pulse Medical Imaging Technology Co. Ltd.’s latest trial showed its quantitative flow ratio (QFR) guidance provided a 35% risk reduction in the one-year rate of major adverse cardiac events, compared to standard angiography guidance. QFR, developed by Pulse, could be used to guide the strategy and optimization of percutaneous coronary intervention.

The FDA has removed an obstacle to Provention Bio Inc.’s development of teplizumab in treating type 1 diabetes.

Efforts to find new treatments for cancer and infectious diseases account for nearly half of the phase I, II and III clinical data recorded in 2021.

A phase IIb trial of Connect Biopharma Holdings Ltd.'s CBP-201 in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) showed all three doses tested reduced eczema severity vs. placebo by a statistically significant percentage at 16 weeks, meeting the trial's primary efficacy endpoint.

The FDA granted Cardialen Inc. an investigational device exemption (IDE) to begin a clinical trial of its Multipulse Therapy (MPT) to treat paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). MPT is a low-energy electrical pulse therapy aimed at restoring abnormally rapid heart rates, such as AF, to a regular rhythm to reduce the potential for high-energy shocks. Studies have shown that almost 1 in 4 patients experience anxiety or depression after receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).