Israel Active

The award-winning SALI video medical system from Israel’s Inovytec (see previously) enables the public to perform non-invasive airway management, automated oxygen therapy, vitals monitoring, and defibrillation. SALI has been implemented in Germany, Romania and Israel.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) used their missile factory to produce ventilators (see ). Now IAI subsidiary Elta and Soroka hospital are setting up an innovation center where doctors and defense engineers can jointly develop medical tech solutions.

Social worker Tali used to support staff at Hadassah’s Jerusalem Medical Center. Now her colleagues administer Hadassah’s CAR-T therapy (in Phase 1 trials see ) to hopefully cure Tali’s multiple myeloma. Hadassah hopes to develop cellular therapy for any type of cancer – affordable to everyone.

A couple of weeks ago I publicized Technion UK’s online event featuring the Israeli-invented PillCam colon imaging capsule. 11,000 UK National Health Service patients are to be studied using the capsules.  Here is a recording of that event for those interested but who missed the live presentation.

Having just received European CE mark certification for its Galen AI cancer diagnostic software (see ), Israel’s Ibex Medical has now been awarded “Breakthrough” designation by the US FDA. This will help fast-track clinical review and regulatory approval of its technology.

The ForeseeHome ophthalmic home diagnostic service from Israel’s Notal Vision (see previously) detects when dry AMD turns to wet AMD and can be treated. It is Medicare accredited and Notal Vision has just raised $60 million to monitor other retinal diseases.

For 6 years Tel Aviv University scientists have studied how certain viruses (bacteriophages) take control of dangerous antibiotic resistant bacteria (see ). They found that a virus protein uses a DNA-repair protein in the bacteria to "cunningly" cut the bacteria's DNA during repairs.

Doctors at Israel’s Beilinson Hospital monitored 102 cancer patients after inoculation with two shots of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. Only 10 failed to generate an antibody response. It should calm the fears of patients who have been self-isolating even after vaccination.

Israel has honored its health system personnel and partner agencies for their work in defeating Covid-19 in Israel.  Speakers at the Jerusalem Theater event included Israel’s Prime Minister, Health Minister, Austria’s Prime Minister and the CEO of Pfizer.

Israel’s Bonus BioGroup (see previously) tested its MesenCure MSC treatment on 10 severely ill, high risk Covid-19 patients at Haifa’s Rambam hospital. All ten improved sufficiently to be discharged just one day after treatment. MesenCure now advances to Phase 2 trials.