Israel Active

This article describes the latest progress of Israel’s Immunai (see previously) which is mapping the immune system to help develop new life-saving treatments. It acquired US-based Dropprint Genomics and has launched into development of cancer and autoimmune disease therapies.

Israel’s Betalin Therapeutics (see previously) is to receive capital from the European Innovation Council (EIC) fund. The funding will advance human trials of its biological pancreas that can produce insulin in the body independently, thus making injections unnecessary.

Alabama Regional Medical Services (ARMS) has selected the Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) system from Israel’s DarioHealth (see previously) to improve the management of ARMS’s hypertension patients, including large numbers of underserved and uninsured patients.

The latest tool to be adopted by Israel against the coronavirus pandemic, rapid home virus-testing kits, is being made available to purchase in Israeli pharmacies as part of a pilot program.

Israeli-born bioethicist and public health advisor Vardit Ravitsky is Chair of the COVID-19 Impact Committee of the Montreal-based Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. A key influencer was her uncle and Israel Prize laureate philosopher Aviezer Ravitzky.

Israel’s SaNOtize (see previously) has now begun sales of its Enovid Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) at pharmacies in Israel and Bahrain. It is effective against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and variants Alpha, Beta and Gamma. Final tests for the Delta variant look good.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have lab-tested 3 existing therapies successfully against SARS-CoV-2.  Darapladib, Flumatinib and an HIV medicine target the virus’ other proteins, which mutate far less than the spike protein. The study is now to be peer-reviewed.

Israel’s IIBR-developed BriLife vaccine (see previously - now in Phase 2 testing) has advantages over vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna. It recognizes the whole of the spike protein and can be easily adjusted to protect against mutations.

Tel Aviv University researchers have developed the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) sensor that can be implanted in the body, e.g., under the tip of a severed finger. It connects to another nerve that functions properly and restores tactile sensation to the injured nerve.

Israeli neuroscientists have trained a 50-year-old man, blind from birth, to recognize objects using Israel’s EyeMusic (see previously). The system uses sensory substitution that EyeMusic’s Professor Amir Amedi researched at the Hebrew University (see previously).