Israel Active

Readers will remember when the BBC finally recognized Israel’s Weizmann Institute Tookad prostate cancer treatment. Israel’s Steba Biotech has now been given approval to market Tookad in Europe.  The treatment is already approved for use in Israel and Mexico.

The BBC World Service’s “The Thought Show” featured the study by Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists of declining male fertility.  The BBC praised the study method and allowed lead study author Dr. Hagai Levine to advise listeners on how to improve their lifestyles.

After colon surgery, there is a 22% risk of intestinal leakage. Israel’s Colospan has developed the CG-100 - a clinical sleeve to protect the inside of the colon. Colospan has received CE approval and has just raised $7.7 million to launch in Europe and fund trials to obtain US FDA approval.

Israel’s ElastiMed develops a leg compression device for daily wear that mimics natural muscle contraction and stimulates blood flow using electrical pulses. The device treats swelling, blood clots, chronic wounds and sports injuries. ElastiMed has just raised $1 million to help fund clinical studies and regulatory filings.

I reported previously on Israel’s Vensica and its innovative method of using ultrasound to increase the porosity of skin tissue and allow treatments to be given without the use of needles. Vensica has just raised $2 million of funds to enable it to begin human trials by end 2018.

Israel’s Magenta Medical has developed a catheter for patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure (ADHF), where the heart is too weak to pump enough blood throughout the body. Magenta has just raised $15 million of funds.

Israel’s CathWorks has developed innovative non-invasive systems and algorithms to construct 3D images of the coronary tree to help surgeons perform heart catheterizations. The systems use standard angiograms and no additional wires. CathWorks has just raised $15.8 million of funding.

Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered why chemotherapy sometimes doesn’t work. Bacteria inside pancreatic tumors metabolize gemcitabine - a common chemo treatment - to make the tumor resistant. After applying antibiotics, the chemo begins to work again.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has finally rewarded Israel for its vital contributions to the WHO and global medicine.  For the first time in 21 years it has appointed to its Executive an Israeli - Professor Itamar Grotto, the Israeli Health Ministry’s Associate Director-General.

Russia’s Yulia Lipnitskaya was only 15-years-old when won a team gold medal at the 2014 Olympic games, skating to the theme “Schindler’s List”. She developed chronic anorexia shortly afterwards and retired from skating. In January, she came to Israel for treatment.