Andera Partners and Novo Holdings A/S led a financing round which raised $25 million for Fire1 Ltd. and will accelerate the development of the company’s remote monitoring technology that improves outcomes for heart failure patients. Andera and Novo are new investors in Fire1 and were joined in the fundraising round by existing investors Gilde Healthcare, Gimv, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, Lightstone Ventures, Medtronic plc, New Enterprise Associates and Seventure Partners.
The U.S. FDA granted Sooma Oy breakthrough device designation for its patient-administered neuromodulation device to treat depression. Sooma Depression Therapy uses a mild electrical current to stimulate targeted brain areas, resulting in a significant improvement in depressive symptoms.
Methinks Software SL (dba Methinks.AI), a digital health company, is working on the U.S. FDA submission for its artificial intelligence (AI)-based stroke triage software, which will aid in the detection of acute stroke, after recently receiving CE mark certification.
Drones are now being used for medical consultations and facilitating remote diagnosis, potentially leveraging telemedicine technology to improve health care outcomes in remote locations that cannot be easily accessed. Telemedicine consultations using aerial drones are about to become commonplace in Pakistan, and possibly around the world, according to Shariq Khoja, CEO of Tech4Life Enterprises.
The France Biotech business association released its latest annual survey covering the health-tech sector in France. According to the 2022 edition of the Panorama, 1,440 med-tech, 880 bio-tech and 4,000 health and artificial intelligence software companies have been surveyed, responsible between them for $1.4 billion in sales revenues and 14,000 direct jobs, not counting the 2,200 new jobs planned for 2023 mainly in R&D, production and support services.
Cardio Diagnostics Holding Inc. launched Precisionchd, a blood test for the early detection of coronary heart disease. The test will initially be available for existing customers, with nationwide rollout to follow shortly thereafter, the company said.
Visionhealth GmbH will use the €3 million (US$3.2 million) it recently raised in a pre-series A financing to conduct a clinical trial on its digital health app designed to provide more accurate dosing of treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.
Alivecor Inc. has nudged the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) into issuing a limited exclusion order for products by Apple Inc. that are said to violate patents held by Alivecor, but there is one more stage gate to go for Alivecor. The ITC order notes that the exclusion won’t go into force until resolution of an inter partes review (IPR) involving the two firms, a process that could devour as much as a year and a half before a resolution is available.
Following on from wireless weighing scales, blood pressure monitors and smartwatches designed to track health indicators, Withings SA is now developing home urine analysis products.
Woebot Labs Inc. posted uplifting news for women who have suffered from baby blues and their big brother, post-partum depression. The company recently enrolled the first patient in its pivotal trial of WB001, a digital therapeutic for post-partum depression (PPD). WB001 received U.S. FDA breakthrough device designation in 2021, indicating the acute need for accessible treatment for the common condition.