Israel Active

The European Investment Bank has granted a 20 million Euro loan to Israeli biotech BiondVax to fund the Phase III trials of its Universal Flu Vaccine.

Israeli startup CardiacSense has developed a smartwatch heart monitor which is almost as accurate as an ECG machine. Its revolutionary heart arrhythmia detection measures blood pressure using a PPG (photoplethysmogram). Then touch the wristband to get an ECG.

Meir Pulver spends his days protecting Israel’s population. He is Chief Superintendent of Israel’s Police Force. Thanks to Israeli charity Ezer Mizion he donated bone marrow to save the life of Chana, and give her the chance to see her seven grandchildren grow up.

I’ve reported previously on the deutetrabenazine treatment for Huntington’s disease from Israel’s Teva. But the reason it is so effective is because Teva replaced some of the hydrogen atoms with the heavier isotope deuterium, so that more of it can resist stomach acids and reach the intestines.

I reported previously on the Mazor X guidance systems for spinal surgery from Israel’s Mazor  Its latest module X Align has just received US FDA approval, allowing surgeons to create a 3D alignment plan that simulates the impact of proposed surgery on the patient’s posture.

Israelis Dror Ben-Asher and Ori Shilo founded the biotech RedHill BioPharma – named after the earth-red hill that the kibbutz overlooked. Now their company is successfully trialing treatments to cure Crohn’s disease, Helicobacter pylori, stomach cancer and more.

I reported previously about Israeli startup MobileODT   that uses smartphones to detect cervical cancer. Now Intel is offering a $50,000 prize to the best algorithm and Artificial Intelligence that can diagnose cancer from MobileODT’s smartphone images.

30% of adults over 75 suffer retinal degeneration with 6-8% going blind. Researchers at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital transplanted retinal pigment cells from embryonic stem cells into five such sufferers and the new cells were absorbed into the retina, preventing loss of vision.

Scientists at Ben Gurion University have slowed the progress of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s). They used part of the FDA-approved cancer / autoimmune disease treatment MabThera (Rituximab) to combat glial cells, which kill the body’s motor neuron cells.  It may also treat other brain diseases.

Israel’s Teva has reported positive results from Phase III trials of its chronic migraine treatment fremanezumab.  Patients experienced statistically significant reduction in the number of moderate severity headache days vs the placebo. FDA approval is expected by end 2017.