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.

In Ciconia Medical Inc.’s first patenting, the company’s founder and CEO, Roni Cantor-Balan, describes the development of a cervical measurement device for childbirth progress monitoring that replaces the manual vaginal examinations undertaken during labor.

After decades of being woefully under-diagnosed and all but ignored by the biotech and pharma industry, recent advances in understanding its complex etiology could be opening the way to new treatments for endometriosis. Impetus is coming from (modest) increases in funding for basic research, such as the Biden administration’s $200 million for women’s health research and NIH grants under an ‘Advancing cures and therapies and ending endometriosis diagnostic delays’ call announced in March of this year.

Swiss scientists developed hydrogel implants that could help prevent and treat endometriosis by blocking the fallopian tubes and stopping the passage of endometrial cells. The implants, though in their early stage of development, bode well for the millions of women suffering from the chronic condition.

Novocuff Inc. closed an oversubscribed $26 million series A funding round to support further development of the Novocuff cervical control system, which is designed to reduce preterm births by closing the cervix in high-risk pregnancies. The funds will enable the company to undertake a U.S. multi-center pivotal clinical trial, pursue marketing authorization, expand its team and begin early-stage commercialization of the device.