Israel Active

Israel’s Belong.Life (see previously) has launched “Dave” – the world's first AI chatbot for cancer patients. Its purpose is to improve access to quality cancer care for patients around the world. It is available free of charge on Belong. Life’s Beating Cancer Together app. “Be well, Belong”.

From 1st Sep, Israeli patients will be able to pick the hospital of their choice to undergo free or subsidized treatments in neurosurgery, mental health services, gynecological surgery, and in-vitro fertilization. They can already choose hospitals for oncology and obstetrics.

Israel’s BioNanoSim (see previously) is joining forces with Greek-based manufacturer RAFARM, to market BioNanoSim’s eye disease treatments globally. Its product, BNSO-1, is a topical medication that will shortly begin trials on patients suffering from Chronic Anterior Uveitis.

Ben-Gurion University researchers have partnered Israel’s OncoHost to develop a biosensor that safely predicts if anti-PD1 therapy may cure a specific cancer patient. The leading immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is invasive and other treatments may be better. (see also ).

Following the 100% success of Israel’s Alpha TAU’s last clinical trial of Alpha DaRT on recurring skin cancer (see previously) medical institutes around the world are clamoring to participate in the upcoming pivotal trials. Alpha TAU has also begun clinical trials for pancreatic cancer.

Israel’s Hairstetics has developed an injector to implant multiple strands of hair to the scalp, under local anesthetic, to instantly restore hair to women struggling with baldness. Women suffering from androgenic alopecia receive non-allergenic synthetic hair to match their own hair color.

Volunteers from emergency NGO United Hatzalah in Ukraine brought a sick, elderly Jewish woman from Mykolaiv to Israel for life-saving treatment. She was taken in a UH ambulance by ferry across the Black Sea to Bucharest and then flown by El Al in a medical cabin to Israel.

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.