Digital medicine startup Appliedvr Inc. has gained breakthrough device designation status from the U.S. FDA for its virtual reality (VR) platform for treating treatment-resistant fibromyalgia and chronic intractable lower back pain. The designation follows the completion of a clinical trial assessing VR-based therapy for self-management of chronic pain at home.

PERTH, Australia – During the COVID-19 pandemic, 90% of Australia’s clinical trials were put on hold, and the market cap of biotech and medical device companies on the Australian Securities Exchange dropped 5% to AU$11 billion (US$7.78 billion), according to a recent report by Australia’s Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals Industry Growth Centre.

PERTH, Australia – See-Mode Technologies has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. FDA to market its Augmented Vascular Analysis (AVA) program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze vascular ultrasound scans to better predict stroke. Caused by plaque that ruptures in blood vessels and blocks blood flow to the brain, stroke affects roughly 15 million people per year and is the second-leading cause of death globally.

The U.S. FDA cleared Ezra AI Inc.'s artificial intelligence (AI) system for prostate cancer and its cloud-based picture archiving and communication system (PACS) that enables radiologists to use the Prostate AI from their browser. The New York-based company’s Prostate AI is the first prostate-focused artificial intelligence system to gain clearance. The Prostate AI accurately quantifies prostate volume, lesion size, and renders 3D volumes of the prostate gland and lesions.

NEW DELHI – Indian health care technology startups have gained ‘significant momentum’ over the last five years, fueled by a government push towards digitization, the uptake of technological advances and a spurt in health care apps. “The Indian health tech startup landscape has now come of age and includes a robust pipeline of ventures across both ends of the spectrum,” Sathguru director Pushpa Vijayaraghavan told BioWorld.

The news that the U.S. FDA has opened a new digital health office carries some significant expectations for stakeholders, expectations that may take time to meet. More than one participant in the Oct. 19 FDA listening session for the Digital Health Center of Excellence (DHCoE) called on the FDA to ensure that this new center provides more regulatory clarity regarding a number of products, a task that may be some time in coming, given the need to harmonize with other national and international regulatory entities.

Nec Corp.’s bioinformatics subsidiary Nec Oncoimmunity AS said it is working with Oslo University Hospital to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that will allow the team to design a T-cell diagnostic to complement the current serological tests for infectious diseases, including COVID-19.