Abbott Laboratories has won the U.S. FDA’s nod for an iOS-compatible app that is designed to optimize care for people using the company’s neuromodulation devices to manage their chronic pain and movement disorders. The digital tool, which can be used on several Apple devices, is part of Abbott’s Neurosphere Digital Care connected care management platform, which launched in May.
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in diagnostics, including: Scaling patient stratification in EHRs using deep learning; Improving prognosis of pancreatic cancer; Mitochondria, interneurons, cognition link explored.
Bone fracture repair startup Curvafix Inc. has secured $10.75 million in a series B round led by Sectoral Asset Management with participation from existing investors, including Delta Dental Washington Seed Fund, as well as board members. The company will use the proceeds to complete the RESTORE clinical trial of its U.S. FDA-cleared Curvafix intramedullar rodscrew and to scale up for commercial launch later this year or in 2021.
The U.S. FDA has given the green light to Xact Robotics Ltd. for its Xact Ace robotic system for computer tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous procedures. The company plans to roll out the system later this year with an initial focus on interventional radiologists.
Digital health bucked uncertainties around the COVID-19 pandemic, reeling in $6.3 billion in funding in the first half of 2020, according to a new report from Mercom Capital Group. The record-setting, global haul was 24% higher than last year’s first-half raise of $5.1 billion.
With COVID-19 causing deferments of medical procedures worldwide, Johnson & Johnson beat Wall Street estimates for the second quarter of 2020, with better than expected performance in its medical device segment. Worldwide sales for the unit totaled $4.29 billion, down 32.5% year over year on an adjusted operational basis vs. the Street’s projected 47% decline.
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in diagnostics, including: Predicting likelihood of rare disease; X chromosome is finished; Cotesting improves detection of cervical cancer; Single-cell studies give insights into pulmonary fibrosis.
Medtronic plc said Wednesday it will purchase Medicrea Group, a French manufacturer of patient-specific 3D printed spinal implants, in a step to further strengthen its spine surgery business. The friendly, all-cash offer is priced at €7 (US$7.98) for each Medicrea share, a 22% over its July 14 closing price. The total value of the deal is approximately €200 million (about US$228 million), which includes roughly €50 million in net cash and liabilities plus about €150 million in equity. Medtronic expects to close the deal by the end of the year, pending regulatory nods in France and the U.S.
Novasight Ltd. has scooped up $8 million in a series A financing that’s intended to get the company through a pivotal study of its first U.S. indication, Curesight, as well as to advance other pipeline products. The Israeli startup is tackling a range of pediatric vision disorders using artificial intelligence and eye-tracking technology.
Electrocore Inc. has snagged an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. FDA for use of its Gammacore Sapphire CV noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) to acutely treat asthma exacerbations in known or suspected COVID-19 patients. The hand-held therapy can be used at home and in a health care setting.
