Pulse Medical Technology Inc. obtained breakthrough device designation from the FDA for its fourth generation μFR system, which would accelerate the commercialization of the device. “The fourth generation μFR system is currently not available on the market, but Pulse Medical is preparing for the marketing approval of the product in the U.S.,” Jingfeng Han, director of science division at Pulse Medical, told BioWorld.
The U.S. FDA has given the greenlight to Sparrow Acoustics Inc. (dba Sparrow Bioacoustics) for its Stethophone, a software-based technology that allows doctors and nurses to check a patient’s heart and lung sounds using a smartphone. Providers simply hold the smartphone against the patient’s chest to listen for possible abnormalities.
Conformal Medical Inc. plugged the gap in funding needed to complete enrollment in the pivotal CONFORM trial for its left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) technology with completion of an oversubscribed $35 million series D fundraising round. The Conformal left atrial appendage seal (CLAAS) system is designed to close off the left atrial appendage in individuals with non-valvular atrial fibrillation to cut the risk of stroke and avoid the use of anticoagulants.
Thryv Therapeutics Inc. has announced the closing of a $5 million convertible note investment, the proceeds of which will be used to accelerate development of its pipeline, including preclinical programs in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and atrial fibrillation.
The U.S. FDA reported a class I recall for a subset of the Impella 5.5 with Smartassist due to leakage of purge fluid from a pump sidearm that could ultimately lead to a loss of pump function. Abiomed Inc., the maker of the device, had previously introduced corrective measures intended to suppress the problem with leakage, but those corrections have not completely resolved the problem, leading to the withdrawal of 466 units that were distributed in the U.S. between Sept. 8, 2021, and March 6, 2023.
Startup Brightheart SAS raised €2 million (US$2.14 million) in seed financing, from Sofinnova Partners, that will allow the company to accelerate the development of its artificial intelligence software, which helps physicians detect congenital heart defects in fetuses. Brightheart hopes that the technology will improve the detection of complex congenital heart defects during prenatal ultrasound screening as intervening early could address fetal malformations or abnormalities and improve a baby’s chance of survival.
Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital have demonstrated that a machine learning-based model enables medical institutions to predict mortality risk for individual cardiac surgery patients.
With rising rates of disease and established guidelines for treatment, officials at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. have “the wind at our backs” as they go about commercializing Inpefa (sotagliflozin) for heart failure (HF), after the drug was cleared late May 26 by the U.S. FDA, said CEO Lonnel Coats. Shares of The Woodlands, Texas-based Lexicon (NASDAQ:LXRX), which had risen significantly after hours on word of the Inpefa go-ahead, closed May 30 at $2.90, down 28 cents. Regulators gave their nod to the inhibitor of renal sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) and intestinal SGLT1 with a broad label across the full range of left ventricular ejection fraction, including HFpEF and HFrEF, and for patients with or without diabetes.
Heartseed Inc. raised ¥2 billion (US$14.3 million) in a series D round to continue the phase I/II Lapis trial of its allogeneic induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes for heart failure. The lead asset, HS-001, is an investigational cell therapy consisting of clusters of purified heart muscle cells (cardiomyocyte spheroids) derived from iPSCs that are designed to restore heart muscle and function in patients with advanced heart failure.
Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) activation plays a crucial role in the development of several vascular diseases, including intimal hyperplasia indicative of restenosis. Fragile X-related protein 1 (FXR1) is a muscle-enhanced RNA binding protein that has been proposed to regulate inflammation negatively and is overexpressed in injured arteries. However, the role of FXR1 in vascular disease remains unclear.
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