Keeping you up to date on recent developments in oncology, including: Prolonged androgen-deprivation therapy confirmed as hit on CV health; Nanoparticle fights pancreatic cancer’s chemo resistance; Linking two liver cancer culprits; Reversal of pumping direction is reversal of fortune for tumor cells; Active surveillance backed for Black men with prostate cancer.
Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco have developed a method to diagnose any known pathogen from any body fluid within a day – or, depending on the sequencing method, within a few hours. For an unknown pathogen, the method spits out its nearest known relative.
Boston Scientific Corp. reported that it has initiated the nationwide U.S. launch of Spaceoar Vue Hydrogel, a radiopaque version of Spaceoar Hydrogel that enables the use of computerized tomography scans instead of requiring magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for patients undergoing radiation for prostate cancer.
KARACHI, Pakistan – Pakistan is taking steps to produce coronary stents domestically as a way to improve the delivery of health care at home and, perhaps, tap into a growing global market.
N-ovative Health Technologies Pvt. Ltd., spun out of the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), started mass production of cardiac stents and angioplasty balloon catheters in October. It is the first such manufacturing facility in the country.
Adagio Medical Inc., a company focused on the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT), has scooped up $42.5 million in a series E equity financing. The funds are earmarked for the ongoing IDE trial of its intelligent Continuous Lesion Ablation System (iCLAS). They will also be used to accelerate the European VT CE mark study, advance the commercialization of iCLAS in CE-mark countries and further development and clinical validation of its pulsed field cryoablation technology.
PARIS – Esight Corp. is starting distribution of its newest low-vision assistive technology in France, Germany and the U.K. The latest version of the technology, the Esight 4, was designed to be more versatile and mobile than before, has double the display brightness and has improved the auto-focus function, according to the company.
Most of a pancreatic tumor is not made up of tumor cells – a double-edged sword for the tumor cells. This connective tissue component impedes blood flow, which is part of what makes pancreatic cancer so drug-resistant. But the lack of blood also means a lack of oxygen and nutrients, so pancreatic tumors must find alternate ways to feed themselves. That’s where nerves come in. In the Nov. 2, 2020, online issue of Cell, researchers published new insights into how innervation feeds tumors, and how to stop them from doing so.
The latest global regulatory news, changes and updates affecting medical devices and technologies, including: Vaccine, diagnostic developers targeted by cyberattacks; Groups make case for extending sequester moratorium; More money needed for global vaccine effort; Russia extends COVID-19 drug, device program.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Chembio, Sofwave.
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Aspen Dental Management, B. Braun Melsungen, Baxter, Cape Biologix, Clearchoice, Diabeloop, Grifols, Inno-3B, Intralink-Spine, Masimo, Medicrea, Medtronic, Nuprobe, Plantform, Procept Biorobotics, Qiagen, Start Codon, Sun Capital Partners, Terumo.