Israel Active

One of Israel’s NASDAQ listed bio-techs BiolineRX Ltd. reported positive results for its Phase Ia clinical trial of its drug, BL-1021, for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain due to damaged nerves. It is associated with conditions including shingles, diabetes and cancer, affecting 1-3% of the world’s population.

Israeli bio-tech Proteologics Ltd. announced successful results in its pre-clinical trial of the PRT0467 drug candidate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Injections of the drug in mice found a statistically significant reduction in the inflammation response.

The two universities signed an agreement at the Israel Business Conference in Tel Aviv that will allow the two medical schools to continue their collaboration on a wide variety of projects. The proposed new cancer centre will facilitate scientific, educational and clinical collaboration, and develop a state-of-the-art graduate program in cancer biology.

OX1, a key drug compound that was developed by Dr. Daniel Chain while heading the Israeli company Mindset BioPharmaceuticals, protects nerve cells from highly oxidizing neurotoxins. OX1 is treating Friedreich’s Ataxia and may be used for other neuro-degenerative diseases.

Ayala Mandria, 20, was unable to stand on her two feet all her life, until she arrived at the Beit Levinstein Rehabilitation Center. Mandria suffered from poliomyelitis and ALS since childhood. Only three months after starting treatment she can already run around on the grass.

Prof. Haim Sompolinsky, a leading brain sciences researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was awarded the US Society for Neuroscience’s $25,000 Swartz Prize. Sompolinsky’s “ring” model is the paradigm for modelling neural circuits and the basis of countless studies of short-term memory, decision-making, selectivity and receptive fields.

Men are over confident. Research at Ben Gurion University has found that female students who were more optimistic achieved significantly higher grades than their less optimistic compatriots, but in men, it had a harmful effect and led to disappointing grades.

Keshet organized a tour of Israeli universities, medical schools and startups for a group of Canadian physicians. Please read this summary of some of Israel’s amazing medical breakthroughs.

The Optimizer III implantable device, invented in Israel, electrically ‘teaches' diseased heart muscle to contract more strongly and get the blood flowing. The Israeli company Impulse Dynamics has already been selling the product for eight years in Europe and the Far East and is now running trials in the United States. More than 1,000 patients have received an Optimizer implant.

Israel’s Glycominds (through its US subsidiary) is to market its multiple sclerosis tests through Multiplan to 20 million subscribers and 900,000 health providers, including hospitals, clinics, laboratories, doctors, and health providers who work with 1,400 insurance companies.