Israel Active

Israel’s Check-cap, developer of the world’s first ingestible colon X-ray capsule, has announced three key news items.  It is partnering with GE Healthcare to develop high-volume manufacturing. It also received $1.2 million from the Israeli government and $5.9 million from private sources.

Israel’s Teva has launched in the US the generic equivalent to Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) for the treatment of leukemia and other cancer-related diseases. Also, Europe has approved Teva’s CINQAERO (reslizumab) – the first intravenous anti-IL-5 biologic therapy for severe eosinophilic asthma.

Israel’s InSeal Medical has received CE Mark approval for its InClosure VCD (Vascular Closure Device), designed to close large bore arterial punctures. These could be emergencies such as abdominal aortic aneurysms or in procedures such as heart valve replacements.

The US FDA has approved the Hyper-CL contact lens for the treatment of corneal edema developed by Israel’s EyeYon Medical. The product is already approved for marketing in Europe. About two million people develop corneal edema annually.  

Tel Aviv University researchers have proved that exercise using Virtual Reality (VR) systems can halve the number of incidents of falls in the elderly.  Falls in adults aged 65 and over account for about 2% of all healthcare expenditures in high-income countries,

Yad Sarah, the voluntary organization that lends out medical equipment and offers many other services to the ill, lonely and elderly, has bought hundreds of TENS machines. These provide pain relief for women in labor and will be lent to expectant mothers from Yad Sarah branches.

Researchers at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University and the IDC in Herzliya have used brainwaves of humans under strain, to control the release of medicine by tiny robots made from shells made of DNA.  The technique could be used (for example) to treat schizophrenia or depression.

The amazing story of how Moti’s family realized that, despite the paralysis from his stroke, Moti was still there.  Now he uses the Israeli device Click2Speak to take part in conversations.  And he says that he’s happy!

Israel’s DreaMed Diabetes is developing a decision support technology platform called the Advisor to determine optimal patient-specific insulin treatment plans leading to balanced glucose levels in people with diabetes.  DreaMed has just raised $3.3 million for development.

I reported previously that Israel’s AV Medical had completed trials of its unique balloon catheter that allows simultaneous angioplasty and fluid injection.  AV Medical has just commenced using Chameleon on patients in the US.