Alcon AG reported on Dec. 9 that it had sweetened its offer for intraocular lens maker Staar Surgical Co., raising its offer by roughly 10% to $30.75 a share from its prior bid of $28 a share. The revised offer comes on the heels of the expiration of Staar’s go-shop period on Dec. 8, in which Lake Forest, Calif.-based Staar said no superior offers were received.

Roche AG received CE mark for its cobas Bacterial Vaginosis/Candida Vaginitis assay, which will help to improve accuracy in detecting vaginitis in women. The molecular test identifies specific bacteria and yeast responsible for BV and CV from vaginal samples collected using the cobas PCR Media proprietary tube.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified a new recombinant strain of mpox (formerly monkeypox) that contains elements of clade Ib and clade IIb of the virus, in a traveler who recently returned from Asia. In a paper describing the new strain, the researchers at UKHSA say it is not possible to determine from a single genome how long the recombinant virus has been in circulation, or whether it will have a fitness benefit over currently circulating lineages.

Teleflex Inc. reported plans to sell its Acute Care, Interventional Urology and OEM businesses to two buyers for $2.03 billion. Intersurgical Ltd. will acquire the Acute Care and Interventional Urology units for $530 million. Additionally, private equity firms Montagu and Kohlberg are buying its OEM contract manufacturing business for $1.5 billion.

Levron Medical Ltd. recently exited stealth mode to advance its cardio-respiratory physiology assist technology, designed to treat heart failure by synchronizing the heart and lungs. The approach harnesses the natural ‘respiratory pump’ to assist cardiac function and create what the company claims to be a new category of heart failure treatment.

The first procedure to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia with Boston Scientific Corp.’s next-generation Rezūm EVO Console was successfully completed in the U.K. The device, which recently received CE mark, is intended to be used with the Rezūm Water Vapor Therapy, a minimally invasive treatment that uses water vapor to reduce prostate tissue.

Roche AG received regulatory clearance from the U.S. and European authorities for a new diagnostic test that detects Bordetella infections, including whooping cough, as cases surge globally. The point-of-care test, which delivers PCR-accurate results in just 15 minutes, will help health care providers to quickly identify infections and act to prevent severe complications, onward transmission and deaths.

Shares of Cosmo Pharmaceuticals NV rose sharply on Dec. 3 following top-line pivotal phase III data showing a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in male androgenetic alopecia patients receiving clascoterone 5%, the first topical androgen receptor inhibitor, which uses the same active ingredient as the company’s acne treatment, Winlevi.

Ireland’s life sciences and health tech companies raised a record-breaking €491.3 million ($572.9 million) in venture capital funding across 89 deals in 2024, according to a report from Enterprise Ireland. The investment underscores investor confidence in the country’s ecosystem, which looks set to continue despite global headwinds such as trade tariffs, economic uncertainty and rising operating costs.

Brainomix Ltd. reported the publication of a prospective real-world study demonstrating that its AI imaging platform, Brainomix 360 Stroke, significantly increased rates of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) treatment, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for patients with large vessel occlusion stroke, and reduced delays in patient triage and transfer.