A new assay developed by Metadeq Inc. may be bringing the days of the invasive liver biopsy for non-malignant conditions to a close. The company’s liquid biopsy successfully used the presence of two proteins in blood to identify and stage non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis in a study published in Gut.
Illumina Inc., of San Diego, is struggling to complete the regulatory side of its acquisition of Grail Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., thanks in part to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s (FTCs) ongoing review of the transaction. However, Illumina is also facing stiff winds in Europe where the General Court of the European Union rejected the company’s bid to push the deal through despite the opposition of the European Commission (EC).
Amid the ongoing war Russia is waging in Ukraine, representatives of several Western biopharma and medical device companies met with Russian health officials this week to discuss an uninterrupted drug supply, maintenance of medical equipment in Russia and software updates. Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko told the group his agency’s top priority is an uninterrupted drug supply. He recognized that dialogue between the government and manufacturers is necessary to maintain that supply.
It’s a delicate time in Europe, where the recovery from the pandemic has been stifled by the war on its doorstep in Ukraine. Although the crisis caused by the Russian invasion is dominating the short-term political agenda, there are serious concerns about Europe’s long-term economic prospects and whether its research-led industries are falling by the wayside.
Amid the ongoing war Russia is waging in Ukraine, representatives of several Western biopharma and medical device companies met with Russian health officials this week to discuss an uninterrupted drug supply, maintenance of medical equipment in Russia and software updates.
European regulators have added several safety messages to approved COVID-19 vaccines, including a warning that Novavax Inc.’s Nuvaxovid could produce severe allergic reactions.
Agomab Therapeutics NV raised $40.5 million in a series B extension led by Pfizer Inc., which has also come on board as an adviser on the development of AGMB-129, Agomab’s candidate therapy for fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease. The new cash raises the series B total to $114 million.
Sonio SAS raised just over $5 million in its seed round to develop artificial intelligence (AI) software allowing health care professionals to determine the most appropriate pregnancy care. Its Sonio Diagnostic software delivers decision support for fetal ultrasound used in antenatal diagnostics.
The Royal Academy of Engineering in the U.K. is supporting another batch of health care innovations in developing countries, which range from surgical robots to tissue regeneration material. A number of entrepreneurs supported by the Academy’s Leaders in Innovation Fellowships (LIF) Global 2022 program were recently given the additional opportunity to secure further expert mentoring from engineers from the Academy's network and join a peer network of U.K. founders.
Kranus Health GmbH has raised $6.5 million in series A funding to ramp commercialization of its digital therapy for treating erectile dysfunction (ED). Eleven European investors participated in this fundraising. The round was led by early-stage health care venture capitalists Karista SAS, while Peak Pride Management GmbH also joined the funding round.
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