News and Resources from the WTWH Media Life Science Network - Page 217 of 968

Companion Spine closes $60.1M Series A to advance spine treatment tech

Companion Spine announced today that it added $5 million to close its Series A financing round at $60.1 million.

The initial $55 million came in through fundraising announced in February 2022.

The French-American spine pain-management surgery company aims to address two large indications in the market. It seeks to treat lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and degenerative disc disease (DDD) without requiring spine fusion surgery.

Based in Bordeaux, France, and New York, Companion Spine focuses on interventional spine pain treatment. It develops revisable, minimally invasive implants centered around motion preservation. The company also offers precision diagnostics for comprehensive spine health throughout the care continuum.

Companion Spine said in a news release that its funding allows the introduction of its DIAM and LISA products. DIAM, the company’s flagship product, treats DDD. The company obtained LISA through its acquisition of French compan…

Johnson & Johnson will appeal ‘Texas two-step’ decision to Supreme Court

The front of U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. [Adobe stock photo]A federal appeals court will not reconsider its rejection of J&J’s complex legal maneuver to shield itself from talc-related liability.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit’s decision on J&J’s “Texas two-step” could set the stage for a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a case that’s drawn a great deal of attention in corporate legal circles. The case affects other companies, such as 3M, that are trying their own complex legal maneuvers in bankruptcy courts in order to limit liability.

In a company statement after the Third Circuit decision yesterday, Johnson & Johnson said it would immediately move for a stay on the opinion while it seeks Supreme Court review.

A New Yorker expose last year detailed how the Texas two-step worked for J&J. Johnson & Johnson created a new LLC called LTL Management and then moved the talc liability…

Endogenex taps former Medtronic executive as CEO

Endogenex CEO Stacy Pugh [Image from Pugh’s LinkedIn page]Endogenex, developer of a procedure for treating type 2 diabetes, announced today that it appointed Stacey Pugh as its new CEO.

Pugh’s responsibilities at Minneapolis-based Endogenex include expanding the company’s clinical initiatives evaluating its novel ReCET procedure. ReCET a novel, endoscopic, outpatient procedure, targets the underlying cellular abnormalities in the duodenum. These abnormalities contribute to the development and progression of type 2 diabetes.

According to Pugh’s LinkedIn page, the former Medtronic executive took over the corner office at Endogenex in December 2022.

Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Delivery Business News.

How surgical robotics safety systems prevent patient harm

The Medical Microinstruments Symani surgical robotics system [Photo courtesy of MMI]

Surgical robotics safety systems are likely on the mind of anyone going under the knife of these complex machines.

Reliability, biocompatibility and other standard medical device safety concerns still apply. But a few areas stand out in robotic-assisted surgery, said Mark Toland, CEO at surgical robotics developer Medical Microinstruments (MMI).

“Most of the safety elements that have been incorporated into robotics have really been driven off of the robot connecting to something in the hospital. … The FDA’s more focused in on cybersecurity and then, secondarily, user error,” he said

Before joining Italy-based MMI, Toland was president and CEO of Corindus Vascular Robotics, which he helped sell to Siemens for $1.1 billion in 2019. He recently explained how some robotic surgery safety systems…

Synaptive launches next-gen robotic exoscope

Synaptive Medical announced that it launched the next generation of its robotic exoscope — the fourth-generation Modus X.

Toronto-based Synaptive Medical designed Modus X with 4K 3D optics, 27-times magnification, automated image focus, voice guidance and more. The platform enables fluorescence-guided surgery to improve oncological tissue differentiation in real time.

Additionally, Modus X’s flexible design allows for field upgrades of Modus V, the previous-generation exoscope. Synaptive said in a news release that 80 hospitals worldwide have the Modus V system installed.

Modus X joins the Synaptive integrated suite of products connecting clinicians in operating rooms. It spans mid-field MRI, surgical planning and navigation, plus surgical visualization. The company says it designed its services to automate critical patient data through every step of surgical intervention. This improves clinical decision-making.

“We anticipate these enhanced…

Medical Taiwan 2023: Digital health, innovation, and sustainability

Population aging has become a global demographic “mega-trend,” and the demand for the treatment and management of chronic illnesses and acute diseases and health care is also increasing. Governments and companies around the world are going out of their way to develop healthcare technologies, hoping to assemble healthcare models and services that are efficient and precise.

Taiwan leads the world in multiple medical technologies and plays a key strategic role in chip-making and ICT (information and communication technology), giving it an exclusive advantage to develop a cross-field value chain. Medical Taiwan, hosted by TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development Council) annually in June, gathers Taiwan’s top-notch medical device suppliers and smart healthcare companies. It is undoubtedly the best platform for professionals from the global healthcare industry to find supply chain partners and digital healthcare solutions.

Minerva Surgical names Kaile Zagger chief commercial officer

Kaile Zagger, new CCO at Minerva Surgical

Women’s health company Minerva Surgical (Nasdaq:UTRS) announced that it appointed Kaile Zagger as its new chief commercial officer.

Zagger’s role includes helping to guide the strategic growth of the company as it advances in the women’s healthcare space.

“We are excited to have Kaile as our new Chief Commercial Officer for her proven track record of driving exponential growth and productivity while delivering bottom-line results,” said Todd Usen, president and CEO of Minerva Surgical.

Usen, the former Activ Surgical CEO, took over the corner office at Minerva at the beginning of the year. The company develops abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) treatments. It closed a private placement worth $30 million last month.

“Beyond her professional acumen, Ms. Zagger’s passion for channeling her leadership experience into companies that improve the quality of healthcare for women and children a…

FDA clears Woven Orthopedic Technologies surgical screw enhancer

[Image from Woven Orthopedic Technologies’ website]Woven Orthopedic Technologies announced recently that the FDA granted 510(k) clearance for its Ogmend implant enhancement system.

Manchester, Connecticut-based Woven Orthopedics designed Ogmend for spine surgery. The implantable sleeve aids screw fixation in challenging scenarios.

“We are thrilled to deliver surgeons a simple, reliable solution to help overcome one of the most prevalent yet least discussed challenges in orthopedic and spine surgery: the ability to more confidently use surgical screws when operating in compromised fixation scenarios,” said Woven Orthopedics co-founder and President Brandon Bendes.

Ogmend provides a simple, fast, off-the-shelf option to hold screws in place. Deployment takes less than two minutes with a wide range of screw systems from a variety of suppliers. Woven Orthopedics said it’s similar to anchors used in construction to secure screws in fragile plas…

Access in parts of Canada expands for Dexcom G6 CGM

The Dexcom G6. [Image courtesy of Dexcom]Dexcom (Nasdaq:DXCM) announced that all people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Manitoba, Canada, meet eligibility criteria for its G6 CGM.

As of the company’s announcement, Manitoba is the only province in Canada that does not require an application for coverage preapproval. That means improved access for patients and a reduced workload for prescribers.

Expanded coverage establishes Manitoba as the leader in coverage for real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) among Canadian provinces.

Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Delivery Business News.

Interim study supports Vectorious LAP-guided patient self-management

Vectorious’ V-LAP, a left atrial pressure sensor (Image courtesy of Vectorious)

Vectorious Medical Technologies today announced interim results from a pilot study of its V-LAP sensor for heart failure management.

Tel Aviv, Israel-based Vectorious presented results from the left atrial pressure (LAP) guided patient self-management study at during an abstract session at THT 2023 in Boston.

The study has 13 enrolled patients to date. It includes New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II and III heart failure (HF) patients. These patients enrolled irrespective of left ventricular ejection fraction and received the V-LAP sensor in the left atrium.

Patients can see direct LAP readings captured by the sensor using a dedicated app and novel treatment paradigm. It allows self-management of diuretics and early intervention in cases of high LAP.

V-LAP allows patients to take a more active role in managing their disease. Using the system, patients can …

Non-hallucinogenic LSD derivative reduces depression symptoms in preclinical studies

Vancouver-based biotech firm BetterLife Pharma (OTCM:BETRF) is working on a non-hallucinogenic LSD derivative for treating neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders.

Known as BETR-001 (2-bromo-LSD), the compound is also not controlled. Conversely, LSD, like other serotonergic hallucinogens, is a Schedule I compound. That status makes it difficult and expensive to research for potential medical uses.

BetterLife announced recent positive results from preclinical studies for the LSD derivative in reducing depressive symptoms in rats.

The research has been published in Cell Reports.

In vitro studies found that 2-bromo-LSD promoted dendritogenesis and spinogenesis in rat cortical neurons. Additionally, in vivo studies found that it produced active coping behavior and reversed chronic stress deficits. Those effects are likely dependent on activation of the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor. The study concluded that 2-bromo-LSD appears to have potential as a t…

Data backs splanchnic ablation procedure from Axon Therapies

The Satera ablation cathether. [Image courtesy of Axon Therapies]Axon Therapies today announced positive six-month results from a trial for its proprietary splanchnic ablation for volume management (SAVM) therapy.

Dr. Marat Fudim, advanced heart failure specialist at Duke University Medical Center, presented results at the Technology and Heart Failure Therapeutics (THT) Conference in Boston. The data came from a roll-in cohort for the REBALANCE-HF investigational device exemption feasibility trial.

Santa Clara, California-based Axon Therapies said its data remains consistent with prior results for the SAVM therapy. The novel, frontline therapy uses an outpatient ablation procedure. It aims to rebalance volume distribution for heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

In addition to the positive results, Axon Therapies said it expects its trial to reach full enrollment by the end of the month. The approximately 120-patient study should…