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.

Despite a raft of government policies to turn the ship around, the latest figures show a further decline in setting up and staging commercial clinical trials in the U.K., with a 25% fall in the number of patients recruited over the past two years.

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.

The U.K. government has secured a deal guaranteeing there will be no tariffs on the £6.6 billion (US$8.7 billion) of pharmaceutical products exported annually to the U.S., as part of a package of measures under which the U.K. will pay more for patented drugs.

Vandria SA published phase I data on a potential new mechanism of action in treating Alzheimer’s disease, demonstrating its orally available and brain-penetrant mitochondria-boosting compound, VNA-318, engages its intended target.

Xeltis BV secured €47.5 million in financing to help bring Axess, its vascular access conduit for hemodialysis, to the market. The funds include a venture debt package of up to €37.5 million from the European Investment Bank and €10 million from existing shareholders.

The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence announced an increase in the cost effectiveness thresholds for its health technology assessment program, but this new threshold falls far short of where the figure should be when adjusting for inflation.