Israel Active

I reported previously on Israeli startup Nobio (previously named Nanolock) and its revolutionary nano-polymer that causes bacteria to die immediately on contact. Nobio has just raised $3.6 million of funds to help it obtain FDA approval. See also new video.

I reported previously on Israeli biotech NewStem which is developing a stem cell platform to test cancer treatments in the lab before potentially wasting them on patients. NewStem has just received $4 million of funds from an unlikely source – Hollywood Media Corp.

British philanthropist David Dangoor writes that Israel is at the forefront of development of personalized medical innovations that can solve prohibitive and largely ineffective medical treatments being used in the UK and elsewhere.

Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have used a combination of 3 cancer treatments to prevent lung cancer tumors from re-occurring. In laboratory tests, when Tagrisso, Erbitux and Herceptin were used together they prevented the cancer from developing resistance to single treatments.

Israel’s Save Child’s Heart team is checking the hearts of 70 children at Kigali Teaching Hospital, Rwanda.  The 20 most severe cases will be immediately transferred to Israel with all costs covered.

Israeli biotech Redhill announced positive results of the Phase 3 trial for RB-104 in treating Crohn’s disease which affects 1.5 million people worldwide.

I reported previously on Israel’s Nucleix and its innovative blood and urine tests for early-stage cancer diagnostics. Nucleix has just received a grant of 2.5 million Euros from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program – its second grant in two years.

Three life-science multinationals will grow their Israeli R&D centers over the next six years. GE Healthcare’s ultrasound, Change Healthcare’s cardiology and Medtronic’s imaging systems will receive a boost via a $33 million grant from the Israel Innovation Authority.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University and the University of California have identified the reason for some dyslexics having low decoding skills but high reading comprehension. Dyslexics with a high neuron density in the left DLPFC of their frontal brain were still able to read well.

Uganda’s Health minister, Dr Jane Aceng, hailed the Israeli government for supporting health services delivery in the country. Dr Aceng spoke while commissioning a diabetes clinic at Kiboga Hospital, which was established with support from Israel.