PERTH, Australia – In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Trajan Scientific and Medical Ltd. and Synexa Life Sciences Ltd. have developed and validated a SARS-CoV-2 serology assay that enables more efficient, population-based monitoring of the longevity of COVID-19 vaccines being deployed and to help determine the timing and deployment of booster vaccinations.

Prenetics Ltd. is working with Oxford University researchers again to develop molecular diagnostic testing for the new COVID-19 variants, six months after it acquired Oxsed Ltd., a University of Oxford University spinoff to enable rapid airport testing. On April 19, Hong Kong-based Prenetics inked a multimillion-dollar partnership with the University of Oxford and Oxford Suzhou Center for Advanced Research (OSCAR) to upgrade the molecular testing technology Oxlamp for infectious diseases.

HONG KONG – Beijing Stonewise Technology Co. Ltd., a med-tech firm that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to aid in the discovery of small molecule drugs, closed series B and B+ financing rounds that added $100 million to its pocket. The company intends to use the proceeds to upgrade its AI-enabled drug discovery platform.

HONG KONG – A professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) claims that retinal eye scanning can help to improve early detection of autism and treatment outcomes for children. Benny Zee, a professor at CUHK, has developed a method to identify children at risk of autism and get them into treatment programs sooner.

HONG KONG – Coreline Soft Co. Ltd. has taken its first step into the Greater China market after receiving approval from Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) on April 8 for its Aview suite of artificial intelligence (AI) medical solutions.

PERTH, Australia – Australia’s TGA issued final guidance on clinical evidence requirements for medical devices in response to updated regulations that have resulted in changes to evidence requirements. Clinical evidence is required for all medical devices and in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) that are listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). The clinical evidence requirements apply when a device is first listed as well as over the lifecycle of the device. If safety issues are identified, the TGA may ask manufacturers to update clinical information to more accurately reflect risk.

PERTH, Australia – Analytica Ltd. signed a joint venture agreement with Hebei Nacol Bio-Technology Co. Ltd. and Shijiazhuang Biosphere Pty Ltd., of Hebei Province, China, to manufacture and distribute its Pericoach device for urinary incontinence in China, Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

PERTH, Australia – In a boost for Australia’s medical technology innovators, A$3.2 million (US$2.4 million) in partnership projects are being deployed to help get innovative new medical devices to the next steps of starting human trials and early-stage manufacturing.

PERTH, Australia – Ferronova Ltd. has developed an injectable magnetic and fluorescent tracer that can map the spread of cancer in the lymph nodes more accurately for improving the staging of complex cancers. The polymer-coated iron oxide nanoparticles show more detailed assessment of sentinel lymph nodes and detect micro-metastasis and isolated tumor cells that would otherwise not be detected.

HONG KONG – Johnson & Johnson Vision (J&J Vision) has received its first global approval from Japan for its Acuvue Theravision with Ketotifen contact lenses. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s green light will help with patients with vision correction, while simultaneously alleviating ocular allergic symptoms for allergic conjunctivitis, while they wear the lenses.