Cornerstone Robotics Ltd. raised more than $70 million in a series C round to expand its international footprint and accelerate R&D efforts for its robotic surgery solutions. The funds will allow the Hong Kong-headquartered company to accelerate commercialization of new surgical robotic products, conduct clinical trials, obtain regulatory approvals and promote global adoption of advanced robotic surgical solutions.

A gene therapy based on an enhanced lipid nanoparticle (LNP) loaded with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA could be developed for the treatment of preeclampsia, according to a study in mice in which it alleviated maternal hypertension until the end of gestation and improved fetal health. Preeclampsia is a disease that affects 3% to 5% of pregnant women, who suffer from hypertension and proteinuria, elevated levels of protein in the urine, during pregnancy.

Nua Surgical Ltd. secured €6.5 million ($6.9 million) in series A financing to support regulatory clearance in the U.S. and early commercialization of its Stericision C-section retractor. The device is a self-retaining surgical retractor designed to improve outcomes for mothers undergoing a caesarean section.

In breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy reduces the tumor before surgery. However, the response to this treatment does not depend solely on the subtype of malignancies. Other factors could play a key role in its effectiveness, as shown in a study that described how the estrous cycle phases contribute to this variation.

An international consortium of thousands of scientists is creating the Human Cell Atlas, a three-dimensional map of all the cells in the body. The goal is to understand all the cells that make up human tissues, organs and systems, which will enable multiple medical applications. This collection of cell maps is openly available for navigation at single-cell resolution, identified through omics analyses that reveal the tridimensional distribution of each cell.

Hologic Inc. signed an agreement to acquire Gynesonics Inc. for $350 million. The acquisition will significantly boost Hologic’s revenues from surgical gynecology and provide an option not met by the company’s current portfolio of products.

Tokyo-based Olympus Corp. launched a new video imaging platform called Visera S (OTV-S500) in Europe and select Asian countries September 2024 while advancing more rollouts for the product worldwide.

Femasys Inc. checked off a box on the way to launch of its Fembloc non-surgical birth control method with U.S. FDA clearance of Femchec. An enhanced version of the Femvue product used to diagnose fallopian tube abnormalities, Femchec enables confirmation of successful blockage of the fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy without use of radiation.

Germitec SA received U.S. FDA de novo clearance for Chronos, its chemical-free, ultraviolet-C-based disinfection device for endocavitary and external ultrasound probes. The technology will help to protect patients and aid health care professionals in tackling cross-contaminations in U.S. hospitals, Vincent Gardès, CEO of Germitec, told BioWorld.

In what represents the first patenting from Munich, Germany-based Meliodys Medical UG, its co-founder and chief executive officer Simone Sabbione describes their development of a hormone-free, local pain management approach for treating dysmenorrhea, which aims to address the condition while minimizing the occurrence of side effects.