Stem cells haven’t exactly panned out as hoped when it comes to approved therapeutics. There are only a couple that have received a nod from the FDA in very specific indications. But the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could push stem cells back into the limelight and more firmly establish them as therapeutically relevant.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most dangerous comorbidities for COVID-19 patients – as well as a major cause of death that predates the current pandemic. Pulmonx Corp. has the first minimally invasive valve to treat severe emphysema, which is a form of COPD that accounts for about one-quarter of the patients.

TORONTO – Within a week of completing clinical trials the chest radiography AI tool developed by Vancouver, B.C.-based 1Qbit Inc. has been given the all-clear from Health Canada for deployment across the country. The XrAI was originally developed to better identify patients with respiratory illness including SARS, pneumonia and tuberculosis (TB), but then in February was tested on a publicly available data set of COVID-19 X-ray images.