Israel Active

Researchers at Israel’s Technion have uncovered the mechanism by which the body transports the essential protein ferritin around the body.  Ferritin maintains iron levels in the red blood cells that bring oxygen to the brain. Iron deficiency is a major cause of many brain diseases.

I reported previously on Israel’s MedyMatch, whose software gives more accurate assessments about strokes and intracranial bleeds. MedyMatch has now been granted Expedited Access Pathway and Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA for intracranial hemorrhage detection.

I reported previously about the new 20-story medical research tower being built at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. Now the Helmsley Trust is donating $18 million to the project and the building is to be named the “Helmsley Medical Discovery Tower”.

Israeli startup Bobo has developed a smart board that records, analyses and gives feedback to physiotherapists on a patient’s ability to maintain balance during rehabilitation following surgery or treatment. Trials in Hadassah Medical Center have proved Bobo’s usefulness and it is now heading to the USA.

I reported previously () on the minimally-invasive inter-uterine device from Israel’s POP Medical that repairs Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) affecting 50% of women. The FDA-approved NeuGuide is soon to undergo new trials in the US and Israel to build confidence and data.

Tel Aviv University is establishing an innovation center for translational medicine. The aim is to reduce the time for bringing a new treatment to market by combining academic research with clinical trials.  Only afterwards will the treatment be licensed to a commercial company.

In December, Israel’s Technion hosted the first international conference on biomedical informatics – where data collected by universities, hospitals and health funds is analyzed and the results used to adapt treatments to individual patients.

Israel’s BioLineRx has announced encouraging initial results from its Phase 2a trials of its BL-8040 treatment on patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. After only five days of treatment the treatment substantially increased the numbers of T-cells fighting the tumors.

In Davos, Israeli PM Netanyahu met with William McDermott, the CEO of SAP who agreed to partner with Israel on a new five-year NIS 1 billion digital healthcare project. The project aims to develop personalized and preventative medicine – regarded as a revolution in the health sector.

Israel-based startup Montfort Brain Monitor won Israel’s Henry Ford Health System's artificial intelligence challenge. Montfort’s "master app" uses a smartphone's sensors to track a patient's motor, cognitive, and affective activity. It can be tailored for the specific neurological disorder.