Israel Active

The US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has awarded $10 million to Israel’s MediWound (see previously). Part of the funding will be used to extend its NexoBrid license to pediatric burns - 30% of the total burn population.

AstraZeneca and the Bellvitge University Hospital in Spain are launching the first pilot program of the HearO™ app developed by Israel’s  Cordio Medical (see previously) which can detect heart disease when the patient speaks on a smartphone.

Hebrew University researchers have discovered in lab tests that autism indicators increase as Nitric Oxide increases in the brain. Conversely, inhibiting production of NO increased “social” behavior, and interest in new objects while reducing repetitiveness and anxiety.

Israel’s Clearmind Medicine has been granted permission to begin trials at Sheba Medical Center of MEAI (5-methoxy-2-aminoindane) - a synthetic compound developed in Canada to treat alcoholics. Clearmind spent years making the MEAI-based oral capsules conform to medical standards.

Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have analyzed the build-up of ammonia that impairs immune cells in 50% of cancer patients. It blocks the protein regulator HNF4-alpha, causing weight loss and tumor growth. In lab tests, restoring HNF4-alpha production stops weight loss and shrinks the tumors.

A small trial of Alpha DaRT from Israel’s Alpha Tau (see previously) was 100% successful in treating 10 patients with skin cancer. All were 100% clear at 12 weeks with no recurrence or toxicities in 24 weeks.

Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has partnered with Israel’s Mpcheck and Israel’s Teva to allow Teva’s employees to perform medical tests at their workplace or at home. Sheba Virtual Hospital’s "Beyond" tests include blood, urine, cervical cancer, hearing and more.

Israel’s Wolfson Medical Center in Holon is using artificial intelligence to monitor female cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in partnership with Israel’s XOLTAR ai. Patients receive personal, round-the-clock support tailored to their individual needs based on AI analyzed data.

One of the sessions at Biomed 2023 is personal nutrition. It is a field of technology based on multidisciplinary research that utilizes AI and machine learning to tailor unique nutrition recommendations.

Israel is to unify the emergency medical hotline number. Currently, each medical emergency service has its own number – 101 for Magen David Adom, 1221 for United Hatzalah etc. Subject to Knesset approval, the public will just call 101, which all services can respond to.