Q Bio scores $40M in series B, eyes opening additional centers, enhancing digital health platform
Redwood City, Calif.-based Q Bio Inc., which is offering a quantitative assessment of personal health, has come out of stealth mode, scooping up $40 million in a series B funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The funds are earmarked to improve its proprietary platform and technology to make its preventive health services faster, better and more affordable for all.

Q Bio scores $40M in series B, eyes opening additional centers, enhancing digital health platform
Redwood City, Calif.-based Q Bio Inc., which is offering a quantitative assessment of personal health, has come out of stealth mode, scooping up $40 million in a series B funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The funds are earmarked to improve its proprietary platform and technology to make its preventive health services faster, better and more affordable for all.
BD, Babson partner to make small-volume blood Dx a reality in wake of Theranos debacle
Making routine diagnostic blood tests less invasive, easier, cheaper and more accessible is a worthy goal. But achieving it has eluded many, including former unicorn startup Theranos that boasted it had achieved precisely that but then was later exposed as a fraud. Established med-tech player Becton, Dickinson and Co. (BD) and Babson Diagnostics Inc. have established a long-term strategic partnership to bring laboratory quality, small-volume blood collection into the retail pharmacy setting.
CMS adds three years to joint replacement demo, but device makers at low risk
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it may tack on another three years to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) program, proposing among other things to drop the 50% cap on gainsharing payments. Analysts with Cowen Washington Research Group, of New York, said post-acute care providers are at greater risk than device makers with the extension, however, due to the fact that hospitals have several choices in terms of discharge destination, including the patient’s home.
Advanced med-tech companies MIXing it up with Canada’s first industry-led incubator
TORONTO – The head of a of Kitchener, Ontario-based surgical robotics firm has overseen the launch of Canada’s first industry-led hub dedicated to helping med-tech startups commercialize and scale up their technologies and businesses. Intellijoint Surgical Inc. CEO Armen Bakirtzian founded the Medical Innovation Exchange (MIX) for advanced startup companies that understand their markets and have completed initial steps for the design and manufacture of their technology.
Today's news in brief
BioWorld MedTech's briefs for Feb. 21.
Aurora Science raises investment finance for early stage projects
DUBLIN – Meda AB’s acquisition in 2014 of the veteran Italian specialty pharma firm Rottapharm generated a €1.975 billion (US$2.2 billion) payday for the latter firm’s owners, the Rovati family. A small fraction of that amount is now being recycled into a new investment initiative, Aurora Science, which is a three-way partnership among Monza-based Rottapharm Biotech Srl (the R&D arm of the company that was not part of the Meda transaction), the Milan-based specialty pharma Italfarmaco SpA and Aurora-TT Srl, a Milan-based commercial technology transfer company.
Med-tech gainers and losers for Feb. 18-21, 2020
The top 10 med-tech stock gainers and losers for the week.
BioWorld MedTech Patent Highlights: Week 7
BioWorld MedTech presents Patent Highlights, an excerpt of the most important med-tech patents from this week's Cortellis Patents Gazette.
BioWorld MedTech’s Neurology Extra for Feb. 21, 2020
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in neurology, including: Therapeutic cooling targets site of newborn brain injury; Boys with inattention-hyperactivity face increased risk for traumatic brain injuries; Nanogold improves MS symptoms; Thanks for the memories, myelin.

Digital health

Nicoya launches world’s first digital benchtop SPR system to accelerate drug discovery
Artificial intelligence
TORONTO – Kitchener, Ontario-based Nicoya Life Sciences Inc. has followed up CA$10 million (US$7.6 million) in series A funding raised in January with its launch of “the world’s first digital benchtop surface plasmon resonance (SPR) system” to boost development of drug therapies.
Nantomics’ deep learning algorithm provides fast identification of cancer marker
Cancer
Nantomics LLC, of Culver City, Calif., reported that research based on the company’s deep learning system has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, highlighting the algorithm’s ability to discern which mutation drives a patient’s breast cancer. The company said their approach is a rapid and...
Sutter Health sees promise with Ferrum's AI quality platform in preventing medical errors
Cancer
Ferrum Health Inc., of San Francisco, is looking to prevent medical errors with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). That caught the eye of Sutter Health, a not-for-profit health care network in Northern California. To that end, the two have unveiled the debut of Ferrum's AI-powered platform...
Medtronic acquisition aims to increase precision, predictability in robotic surgery
Deals and M&A
Dublin-based Medtronic plc acquired privately held Digital Surgery, which is focused on surgical artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and digital education and training. The companies did not release the terms of the deal. Medtronic plans to integrate Digital Surgery’s AI technology into...

Financings

Enclear scoops up $10M in series A funds for novel neurodegenerative disease treatment
Neurology/Psychiatric
Cambridge, Mass., startup Enclear Therapies Inc. has secured $10 million in series A financing led by 20/20 Healthcare Partners. The company is developing a device to aid in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases by removing toxic proteins from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Newco news

Serenno Medical introduces continuous automatic monitoring device for kidney function
Nephrology
HONG KONG – Yokneam, Israel-based Serenno Medical Ltd. has unveiled a device for automatic monitoring and detection of kidney damage in patients. Known as Sentinel, the device is a continuous urine output (UO) monitor that measures urine flow rate and volume in real time.

Surgeons carry out first robotic supermicrosurgery
Robotic surgery
LONDON – Surgeons in the Netherlands have carried out what is claimed as the first human supermicrosurgery, connecting vessels of a diameter as low as 0.3 mm using a purpose-designed robotic system.
Surgeons come together to create Field Orthopaedics to address market shortcomings
Orthopedics
PERTH, Australia – Brisbane, Australia-based Field Orthopaedics was formed when a group of orthopedic surgeons were exasperated by ongoing shortcomings in surgical practice and decided to do something about it.

Deals and M&A

Inex inks deal for IVD kit in Taiwan
Diagnostics
HONG KONG – Singapore molecular diagnostics group Inex Innovate Pte. Ltd. has inked a deal to have its in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) kit for the detection of ovarian cancer distributed in Taiwan. The value of the deal with the New Taipei City, Taiwan-based electronics and med-tech distributor Inalways Corp. is subject to annual minimum order quantities and milestones in relation to regulatory approvals.
M&As and deals up overall in 2019 for med tech, an investor haven in 2020
Analysis and data insight
Last year’s robust deal-making environment, high-value M&As, increasing financings and a supportive public market has set the stage for continued med-tech enthusiasm among investors and partners in 2020.
3D Systems and Collplant Biotechnologies construct new partnership
Collaboration
3D Systems Inc., of Rock Hill, S.C., and Rehovot, Israel-based Collplant Biotechnologies Ltd. have established a blueprint for their collaboration to develop tissue and scaffold bioprinting processes.
Masimo to buy Nanthealth’s connected care business, provides estimates for 2020 guidance
Digital health
Irvine, Calif.-based Masimo Corp. has agreed to buy the connected care assets of Nanthealth Inc., of Culver City, Calif., for a $47.25 million up-front cash payment. In addition, Masimo provided estimates for its full-year 2020 financial guidance, saying product revenue will increase to $1.035 billion, which reflects reported growth of 10.6% to 10.9%. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of the year, subject to customary closing conditions. In addition, Masimo expects to fund the acquisition with existing cash on hand.
Sebacia names CEO, picks up Sienna assets
Aesthetics
Duluth, Ga.-based Sebacia Inc., which is focused on dermatology and aesthetics, has introduced its new CEO and reported the acquisition of all assets related to Sienna Biopharmaceuticals Inc.'s silver photoparticle technology, which is being reviewed by the FDA for light hair removal.

Europe

AAAS 2020: Progress in Human Cell Atlas unveiling underlying mechanisms of disease
Science
SEATTLE – As it enters its third year, the Human Cell Atlas project has mapped 100 million of 100 billion cells, and by comparing gene expression profiles of normal and aberrant cells and building networks of cellular interactions, is leading to breakthroughs in understanding of disease at a molecular level.

Asia-Pacific

Researchers develop diagnostic system that detects up to 40 infectious respiratory pathogens in one test
Diagnostics
BEIJING – Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have developed a diagnostic system that they claim is the world’s most comprehensive as it can identify 30 to 40 pathogens in one single test within an hour.

Argentina ramps up production of face masks as Chinese demand surges
China
BOGOTA, Colombia – Medical supply manufacturers in Argentina have seen a surge in demand for their products from China, which is reaching out globally for the goods it needs to deal with the outbreak of COVID-19.
Coronavirus-related panic purchases trigger supply chain disruptions
Infection
HONG KONG – The recent coronavirus (2019-nCov) scare has led to a rush of demand for masks that could soon strain pharmaceuticals and med-tech companies alike. In Hong Kong, queues for surgical masks now snake around the block.

Clinical

Trisalus initiates study for delivery tech to help patients with pancreatic tumors
Cancer
Trisalus Life Sciences Inc., of Westminster, Colo., reported the start of a clinical trial assessing a treatment that combines its intravascular, tumor-directed proprietary Pressure-Enabled Drug Delivery (PEDD) approach with standard-of-care systemic chemotherapy.
Bionano Genomics sees encouraging results from study of Saphyr
Cancer
The results from a study comparing San Diego-based Bionano Genomics Inc.’s Saphyr to traditional cytogenetic methods for the clinical analysis of leukemia genomes revealed that the system was 100% concordant with the standard of care for the detection of somatic chromosomal abnormalities.
Alydia Health wraps up enrollment in pivotal study of device postpartum hemorrhage
Obstetrics
Alydia Health Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., has completed enrollment in the pivotal PEARLE investigational device exemption (IDE) study, which is assessing the safety and effectiveness of the Jada system to rapidly control and treat abnormal postpartum uterine bleeding and postpartum hemorrhage.
Pan-Cancer Project looks closer, sees more
Science
LONDON – The genomes of 38 different tumor types and the 47 million mutations that fostered their growth are revealed in unprecedented detail in 23 studies published in Nature and other journals on Feb. 6, 2020.
Soliton sees positive data from study of fibrotic scars
Aesthetics
Soliton Inc., of Houston, unveiled positive proof-of-concept (POC) study results out to 12 weeks using its Rapid Acoustic Pulse (RAP) device for the treatment of fibrotic scars. Overall, the treatment of fibrotic scars using the device proved safe and tolerable during this POC study.
Biotime streamlined as Lineage came, thaw, conquered in dry AMD cell therapy
Ocular
Lineage Cell Therapeutics Inc. CEO Brian Culley told BioWorld that concerns about the pace of the company’s dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) phase I/IIa trial have been alleviated after an independent data safety monitoring board (DSMB) decreed that the study’s protocol-mandated treatment stagger can be removed.

BioWorld MedTech Perspectives

The demise of the device tax and other fun med-tech stories
It’s mighty tempting to run a little play on words with regard to eyesight in this new year, but I need reading glasses, so far be it from me to pepper a...
Missed Opportunity: The epidemic of poor sleep
BioWorld MedTech
There are a lot of ways to save money without going bankrupt in the process, but health care in the U.S. certainly has not lent itself to that sort of...
Next up for TAVR; bicuspid valve
BioWorld MedTech
Now that the existing inventory of FDA-approved transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) devices has received a green light for patients at low...
Cabanas and commissioners; med tech in the news
BioWorld MedTech
We who write about medical devices rarely suffer for content, but the month of May was unusually cooperative even by our standards. Following are two...
FDA’s new man of regulatory mystery
BioWorld MedTech
Life has a lot of unknowns, and one of the big unknowns for 2019 is what the FDA will look like now that Scott Gottlieb has returned to the American...
Scott Gottlieb and the FDA’s revolving door problem
BioWorld MedTech
Now that the dust is still swirling over the news that Scott Gottlieb will leave the FDA, it’s time to conduct a hasty post-mortem on his tenure at the...
Four “Spooky” ways to fix the 510(k) dilemma
BioWorld MedTech
A now-little known band called the Classics IV made a big splash in 1968 when their Hallowe’en love song “Spooky” charted at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot...

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