US approval for groundbreaking inhaler
The US FDA has approved the ProAir Digihaler made by Israel’s Teva. It is the first and only digital inhaler with built-in sensors that connects to a companion mobile app and provides relevant information to people with asthma and COPD.
Cleaning out the brain
Israel’s Microbot demonstrated a prototype of its self-cleaning shunt (SCS) at the International Society for Hydrocephalus and Cerebrospinal Fluid Disorders (ISHCFD) meeting in Italy. The SCS prevents obstruction in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) catheters of hydrocephalus patients.
Drama at Tel Aviv railway station
One of the new defibrillators delivered to all Israeli railway stations has just saved the life of a woman who suffered a heart attack. Station staff at Tel Aviv Hashalom successfully jumpstarted the woman's heart, after passengers, including a doctor and a paramedic, had administered CPR.
Prescription charges fall
Israel’s Health Ministry has reduced the prices of prescription treatments with controlled patents by an average of 6.9%. The discount is due to a change in the pricing model to reduce costs plus favorable exchange rates.
Medical tourism
Around 30,000 foreign patients travel to Israel each year, eagerly seeking Israel’s top class, innovative medical treatments. This has major benefits for Israel’s economy, medical R&D and international esteem. The government has also stepped in to ensure that it does not delay treatments for Israeli citizens.
Lung cancer test for China
I’ve reported several times on Israeli life sciences company BioView and its innovative cancer detection technology. BioView has just signed an agreement with Shenzhen China’s Livzon to distribute BioView’s imaging systems in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
Gluten-free food in Tel Aviv
Here is a helpful guide to being gluten-free in Tel Aviv perfect for any person with celiac disease or following a gluten-free diet.
Medical staff dance to cheer up patients
Jewish and Arab doctors and nurses at Ziv Hospital in Northern Israel are a further example of co-existence as they dance together to cheer up patients in the dialysis ward.
Removing damaged cells slows aging
Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered that senescent (damaged) cells promote inflammation, common in age-related diseases. Absence of the LMNA gene (that kills senescent cells) causes premature aging. Treatment to destroy these cells (e.g. boosting immunity), slows aging.
Raising CPR survival rates
In a UK survey of 8,000 heart-attack resuscitations, only 2.8% of patients were still alive 30 days later due to low blood flow to the arteries and brain. The HemaShock device from Israel’s Oneg Hakarmel takes blood from the limbs to maintain essential organs.