Levron Medical Ltd. recently exited stealth mode to advance its cardio-respiratory physiology assist technology, designed to treat heart failure by synchronizing the heart and lungs. The approach harnesses the natural ‘respiratory pump’ to assist cardiac function and create what the company claims to be a new category of heart failure treatment.
A U.S. FDA advisory panel voted unanimously against approving Johnson & Johnson’s V-Wave Ventura shunt for heart failure patients not helped by medications. The circulatory panel voted emphatically 15-0 against use of the shunt for heart failure patients not helped by medications based on effectiveness and its benefit-risk profile. On the question of safety, the panelists did vote 9-6 in favor of the device.
Researchers at 35pharma Inc. have recently presented data for the activin receptor inhibitor HS-235, which is under development for the treatment of obesity as it exerts body composition and metabolism control.
Vertebral compression fractures are one of the more obvious signs of osteoporosis but can be difficult to diagnose, one of several reasons the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has given the nod to five AI products that can improve rapid detection of these fractures.
At the recent European Respiratory Society meeting, researchers from 35Pharma Inc. presented data on HS-235, an activin receptor inhibitor designed to neutralize activins and growth differentiation factors (GDFs). Disorders such as heart failure (HF) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are associated with dysregulated activin and GDFs without neutralizing bone morphogenetic proteins such as BMP-9 and BMP-10, which play key roles in lymphatic and vascular homeostasis.
Many patients who survive myocardial infarction go on to experience heart failure. Researchers at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University found that bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP1) was upregulated in patients after myocardial infarction, as well as in a mouse model of the same condition.
Novo Nordisk A/S terminated its global licensing deal with Japan’s Heartseed Inc. for its allogeneic induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes.
In heart failure, the heart does not oxygenate body tissues adequately. A standard treatment is SGLT2 inhibitors such as empagliflozin and dapagliflozin, derived from the national product phlorizin. However, long-term use of these inhibitors increases risk of renal damage and euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis.
In a real-world study, Eko Health Inc.’s AI-enabled digital stethoscope dramatically increased detection rates for atrial fibrillation, heart failure and valvular heart disease in primary care settings. Researchers from Imperial College London presented results from the study at the European Society of Cardiology in Madrid.
Edwards Lifesciences Corp. fully acquired Vectorious Medical Technologies Ltd. for $497 million, following a series of investments in the heart failure technology company over the last five years.
