Israel Active

This sounds like science fiction. 12-year-old Suleiman internally decapitated his head in a bicycle accident that detached the base of his skull from the top of his spine. Hadassah surgeons performed an extremely rare and complex operation to save Suleiman’s life.

Israel’s Escala Medical (see previously) has received €5.5 million from the European Innovation Council for its non-surgical, incision-free 20-minute solution for patients suffering pelvic prolapse. It also recently received US FDA clearance.

The 3D Optical Navigation System from Israel’s PathKeeper Surgical performed its debut commercial spine surgery on US patients. It was used in two successful lumbar spinal fusion surgeries for degenerative disc disease at VHC Health in Arlington, VA.

Israel’s VVT Medical has received US FDA approval for its Sclerosafe medical device for the treatment of varicose veins. Its unique, dual syringe injects a sclerosing substance into the vein through one syringe while simultaneously removing blood and residuals through the second syringe.

Israel’s NovaSight (see previously) has received FDA approval for its CureSight digital therapy device for amblyopia (lazy eye). Clearance was given following a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of 103 participants under 9 years of age. 79% of children improved in the trial.

Israel’s P-Cure (see previously) has opened its Proton Irradiation Center (PIC) in Modi’in. Dozens of Israeli cancer patients will now be able to receive treatment with proton irradiation. Permission has been given for the PIC to treat hand-and-neck cancers and recurring brain cancers.

Scientists in Israel, China and Singapore have discovered a molecule 3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM – also known as bisindole) reduces the biofilms that produce dental plaque and cavities by 90%. The molecule is also found to have anti-carcinogenic properties and could be added to toothpastes.

The xvision Augmented Reality Spine System from Israel’s Augmedics (see previously) has now been used to treat over 4,000 patients and implant more than 20,000 pedicle screws across 21 U.S. states. It consistently demonstrates 97-100% accuracy across multiple patient studies.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University and elsewhere have developed therapy in the laboratory to treat Dravet syndrome – a life-threatening form of epilepsy in children caused by a mutation in the SCN1A gene. The scientists used a harmless virus containing normal SCNIA genes to “infect” the brain.

The Israel Science Foundation has launched Israel’s MAVRI initiative (Hebrew for “one who heals”). The ISF will award grants totaling $100 million over five years, to create a select team of Medical PhDs who will conduct clinical research that will ultimately benefit patients.