Koelis SAS reported the first successful procedures for its platform in 3D fusion imaging-guided focal ablation of prostate cancer at the Clinique Nantes Atlantis in Saint-Herblain, France. These first procedures take place against the background of a multicenter prospective clinical trial starting on the Koelis platform. This includes eight European urology centers, of which six are in France, with data being stored in a dedicated registry.

The FDA granted an investigational device exemption (IDE) to Hancock Jaffe Laboratories Inc. for Venovalve, clearing the way for the company to begin a pivotal trial of the implantable valve in patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) of the deep veins of the leg. The company’s first patent covering the device was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 7.

Better Therapeutics Inc. has commenced a real-world evidence study with Steward Health Care to assess the long-term impact of its BT-001 digital therapeutic in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The investigational prescription solution delivers cognitive behavioral therapy to patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.

LONDON – A large scale prospective study has shown that increased blood plasma viscosity is correlated with disease severity and the likelihood of progression to organ failure, in patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 infections. Researchers at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, U.K. suggest this could be an easy but sensitive way to quickly triage patients admitted to hospital with symptoms of COVID-19.

Bronchoscopic thermal vapor ablation (BTVA) destroyed lung tumors without significant safety issues, according to a study published in Respiration. The minimally invasive ablation procedure took 12 minutes using Uptake Medical Technology Inc.’s Intervapor system in the Vaporize study. Uptake is a subsidiary of San Jose, Calif.-based Broncus Medical Inc.

LONDON – The largest study to date, involving 236,379 confirmed cases, shows that 1 in 3 survivors of COVID-19 was diagnosed with a neurological or psychiatric condition within six months of contracting the infection. For 13% of those patients, it was their first such diagnosis.

Nevro Corp.'s spinal cord stimulation system cut diabetic neuropathy pain in half or more in 85% of patients in a study published on April 5 in JAMA Neurology. Patients receiving the stimulation treatment delivered by the Senza system experienced an average reduction in pain of 76% at six months in the largest clinical largest trial to date to evaluate the use of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN).

BERLIN – Lindis Blood Care GmbH launched a multicenter clinical EU certification study for Catuvab, which is used to eliminate tumor cells from surgical blood. The experiment, dubbed Remove, aims to confirm that Catuvab can reliably remove epithelial cell adhesion molecules (EPCAM)-positive tumor cells from patient blood during cancer surgery.

Vetex Medical Ltd.'s Revene thrombectomy catheter reduced symptoms and improved quality of life in all patients with iliofemoral vein thrombus in a European clinical study. The results were presented at Venous 2021, the annual meeting of the American Venous Forum.

Genetron Holdings Ltd. said its blood-based, early screening test for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) demonstrated 88% sensitivity and 93% specificity in 1,615 subjects in China vs. 71% sensitivity and 95% specificity with the use of ultrasound plus alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The primary outcome, unveiled on March 25, came from a multicenter prospective trial that Beijing-based Genetron initiated together with The National Cancer Center China in 2019.