Israel Active

In August, Israeli charity Ezer Mizion’s Bone Marrow Donor Registry facilitated 25 lifesaving transplants. They included stem cell donations by five IDF soldiers that saved the lives of five desperately ill patients.  

Professor Idan Segev of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is a member of the Blue Brain Project - an international team of scientists that is creating a digital reconstruction of the brain. It has just completed a first draft computer reconstruction of a piece of the neocortex and simulated its electrical behavior.  

Israel’s Weizmann Institute is supporting the Revlon “LOVE IS ON” Million Dollar Challenge with early prevention, improved diagnosis, and better treatments of medical problems for women everywhere.

I mentioned the new Philips-Teva medical incubator in my June newsletter. Here (TY Michelle) Philips’ CEO states that Israel will become one of its main centers for developing digital medical innovations to improve the health of patients and keep them out of hospital.

The Biomedical Advanced Research & Development Authority (BARDA) – part of the US Department of Health – has awarded a $112 million contract to Israel’s Mediwound. BARDA will use Mediwound’s NexoBrid product in major incidents, to remove dead tissues from medium to severe burns. It will also help Mediwound finance its FDA approval for NexoBrid.

A successful clinical study confirms previously demonstrated benefits of Neuravena on acute improvement of cognitive function, showing efficacy for an 800 mg dose. Neuravena is a bioactivity tested, patented wild green oat extract, produced and marketed by Israel’s Frutarom.

Israel’s NeuroRx has demonstrated a 50% reduction in symptoms of depression and a 75% reduction in suicidal feelings in a small trial of its Cyclurad treatment in combination with ketamine on treatment-resistant patients with bipolar disorder.

Israel’s Valtech Cardio has received European approval for its Cardioband implantable mitral reconstruction device. Trials showed that that Cardioband is a highly effective first-line treatment option for reducing mitral regurgitation (MR) and improving quality of life.

A team from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev won the Best Heath and Medicine Project category in the 12th annual Giant Jamboree iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) competition in Boston with their cutting-edge biological cancer therapy called “Boomerang.”

IBM, Medtronic, Pitango and Rambam Medical Center have together won a grant from Israel’s Chief Scientist to open a digital medicine incubator at the Life Sciences Park being built in Haifa. The incubator will select companies working in big data, predictive analytics, telemedicine, wearable and implantable diagnostic sensors, advanced diagnostics, personalized medicine and more.