LONDON – The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 originally identified in India is causing more serious illness and reducing the effectiveness of vaccines compared to the Alpha (Kent) variant, according to a nationwide study covering Scotland’s whole population of 5.4 million.

PARIS – Affluent Medical SAS aims to raise $40 million on the Euronext Paris regulated market to finalize the development of three minimally invasive prostheses in urology and interventional cardiology. The Aix-en-Provence, France-based med-tech will issue 3,387,210 new shares. Affluent has already received subscription pledges exceeding $24 million, including $12 million from funds managed by Paris-based Truffle Capital.

Eyeyon Medical Ltd. has won CE mark approval for its flagship product, Endoart, a synthetic implant that replaces the human endothelium, which the body can’t regenerate. Designed to treat chronic corneal edema, it could help to reduce the long wait times for human donor corneas. Approval was based on a first-in-human trials involving 22 patients who received Endoart implants and were followed for 24 months.

Medtrace Pharma A/S raised $30 million in a series B round to ramp its platform for production, infusion and analysis of ¹⁵O-water in medical imaging. Swiss-based Swisscanto Invest, along with fund managers ATP and Bankinvest group from Denmark, are the lead investors. “We can now ramp our European and U.S. expansions plans in myocardial perfusion imaging and in other indications in need of perfusion data,” Martin Stenfeldt, CEO and co-founder of Medtrace, told BioWorld.

The European Commission (EC) unveiled on Monday its new joint implementation and preparedness plan for the European Union’s In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR). It sets forth priority actions, noting “the implementation of the IVDR has proven to be a very challenging task,” exacerbated in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic “despite the efforts undertaken by all” to transition.

PARIS – Arkhn SAS has finalized a $5 million seed round to help drive health care institutions towards secure and efficient data management. This financing round has been led jointly by the two French venture capital firms, Kurma Partners SA and Newfund SA, though their respective funds Kurma Diagnostics II and Newfund II.

LONDON – The U.K. health technology assessment agency, NICE, has called for a halt to the use of transvaginal laser therapy in the treatment of urinary stress incontinence and vaginal atrophy, saying there is not enough evidence of long-term safety, or proof that the procedures are effective.

Dsruptive Subdermals AB has completed a clinical showing body temperatures tracked by its chip implants are comparable to temperature readings from standard clinical thermometers. The Stockholm-based startup is now offering its injectable implants as an open platform for researchers seeking efficient, low-cost tools to monitor changes in body temperature.

LONDON – A new U.K. study indicates the Pfizer Inc./Biontech SE COVID-19 vaccine is less effective against the India variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that was designated as of global concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 10.