Novocure GmbH secured U.S. FDA approval for Optune Lua, a wearable device that delivers alternating electric fields or tumor treating fields that kill cancer cells. Indicated for use with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors or docetaxel in the second or subsequent line for the treatment of metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer following the failure of platinum-based regimens, the approval was driven by the significant improvement in overall survival rates seen in the LUNAR pivotal study for Optune Lua.

Qnovia Inc. received U.S. FDA clearance to start its clinical trial for Respirx, a nicotine inhaler designed as a replacement therapy for smoking.

The $15.3 million Mindpeak GmbH recently raised in its series A funding round will allow the company to be able to accelerate the development and deployment of its AI-based solutions, Felix Faber, CEO of Mindpeak, told BioWorld.

The U.K. government recently unveiled £148.4 million (US$193.7 million) in funding for a raft of initiatives to tackle cancer. Backed by public and private sector investment, the projects will deliver new technologies to speed up cancer diagnosis and new methods to transform treatment.

GE Healthcare Technologies Inc. is participating in the €25.3 million (US$27.8 million) Thera4care project that aims to expand the use of theranostics in Europe. The 29 partners involved in the project will develop new cancer treatment tools, strengthen the manufacture and supply of radiotheranostic, and optimize the clinical use of radiotheranostics.

Certis Oncology Solutions Inc. filed for protection of its artificial intelligence platform that utilizes big data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning to predict drug efficacy based on gene expression biomarkers.

Exact Sciences Corp.’s Cologuard Plus received U.S. FDA pre-market approval as a non-invasive colorectal cancer home screening test. The next-generation, stool-based assay, developed in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic, reduces false positives by 30% compared to the original Cologuard test without diminishing its sensitivity for cancer or advanced adenomas.

Varian Medical Systems Inc. launched its Hypersight imaging solution for its Truebeam and Edge linear accelerators across the Asia Pacific region, providing clinicians with better image quality, enhancing their ability to deliver more precise radiation treatments.

Owkin Inc. partnered with Astrazeneca plc to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tool to pre-screen for germline BRCA mutations (gBRCAm) in breast cancer directly from digitized pathology slides. The companies hope that the gBRCA pre-screening solution will not only transform patients’ lives but bring value to health care systems.

A study presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology on Oct. 1 offers promise for the treatment of high-grade gliomas using Elekta AB’s Unity MR-Linac system.