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).

PARIS – Incepto Medical SAS, in partnership with Marie-Lannelongue Hospital, is developing an automated system to measure maximum aorta diameter. Called ARVA (Augmented Radiology for Vascular Aneurysm), it’s hosted in the cloud and is CE marked as a class I device. “Our tool uses the first algorithm to provide automatic measurement of external aortic diameter along the entire aorta, from ascending aorta to the iliac arteries,” Antoine Jomier, co-founder and CEO of Incepto, told BioWorld. This new tool for radiologists and surgeons will be used to diagnosis and monitor aneurysms.

NHS England has struck new pricing agreements that expands access in the U.K. to blood thinning direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) to tackle strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. Though still available to NHS clinicians, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH’s blockbuster DOAC Pradaxa (dabigatran) is notably not involved.