Japanese researchers have transplanted human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a primate model of myocardial infarction and were able to restore heart muscle and function in monkeys. Developed by Tokyo-based Heartseed Inc., the grafted iPSCs consist of clusters of purified heart muscle cells (cardiomyocyte spheroids) that are injected into the myocardial layer of the heart. Published in Circulation on April 26, 2024, the study showed that the cardiomyocyte spheroids survived long term and showed improved contractile function with low occurrence of post-transplant arrhythmias.
South Korea’s HK Inno.N Corp. said on May 2 that it gained exclusive development and commercial rights to Hangzhou, China-based Sciwind Biosciences Co. Ltd.’s once-weekly, injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, XW-003 (ecnoglutide), in South Korea to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Abbott Laboratories received U.S. FDA approval for its Esprit below-the-knee (BTK) everolimus-eluting resorbable scaffold system for use in chronic limb-threatening ischemia well ahead of the expected second half 2024 time frame. Esprit showed clear superiority to angioplasty in the LIFE-BTK trial presented at last year’s Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference and published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
In its first quarter earnings call, Boston Scientific Corp. reported 72% global sales growth in its electrophysiology division, for $300 million, bolstered by surging sales of its recently debuted Farapulse pulse field ablation system, which the company received U.S. FDA approval for in Janua.
South Korean med-tech companies Nunaps Co. Ltd. and Share & Service are the latest to clear domestic approvals for digital therapeutics as the government ramps up R&D funding for artificial intelligence-based medical technologies.
Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have linked the risk of heart failure during pregnancy and senescence proteins produced by placental aging, which could clarify how peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is triggered and opens the door to the development of cardiac function therapies in late pregnancy.
New York University has disclosed RAGE receptor antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19), diabetic complications, ischemia reperfusion injury, neurodegeneration, obesity, and cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders, among others.
Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has disclosed compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of arterial aneurysm.
Despite the bullish outlook in its quarterly earnings call, which included raising the midpoint of its full-year guidance range, Abbott Laboratories stock slipped on its light second-quarter outlook.
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-9 (PCSK9) is highly expressed in adult hepatocytes. PCSK9 binds to and promotes the degradation of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, thereby increasing LDL cholesterol levels. PCSK9 inhibition has emerged as a promising strategy for cardiovascular diseases. However, it is still unclear whether PCSK9 can trigger blood vessel inflammation directly modulating monocytes or endothelial cells independently of LDL receptor.
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