Carag AG received investigational device exemption (IDE) approval from the U.S. FDA for its Carag Bioresorbable Septal Occluder (CBSO). The device is the first transcatheter septal occluder with a nonmetal, bioresorbable framework. The Baar, Switzerland-based company plans a "swift start" for a staged study trial in the U.S. with 250 patients, Carag's CEO Jérôme Bernhard told BioWorld.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is working with Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. to develop a companion diagnostic (CDx) to identify non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) mutations who could be eligible for the Tokyo-based company's cancer drug, Enhertu.

Adarza Biosystems Inc.’s Ziva platform can simultaneously detect hundreds of proteins, antibodies, or substrates from a single drop of blood, plasma or serum, providing insight into an individual’s immune response. That could be critical for both surveillance and diagnostic purposes as the nation prepares for a likely second wave of the novel coronavirus in the fall when multiple respiratory pathogens will be circulating.

Beverly, Mass.-based Lexagene Holdings Inc. has developed a genetic analyzer with multiplex testing capability that would enable it to determine whether a patient has COVID-19, influenza or another respiratory infection with one sample. The Lx Analyzer uses a proprietary quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method to automatically test for up to 27 pathogens simultaneously, all in about one hour.

Lausanne, Switzerland-based Debiotech SA and Neokidney BV, of Amsterdam, have created Nextkidney SA to lead the development and commercialization of Neokidney, a lightweight, plug-and-play, home hemodialysis device.

The U.S. FDA finally granted Abbott Laboratories' Freestyle Libre 2 clearance as an integrated continuous glucose monitor (iCGM) for adults and children age 4 and older with diabetes. Abbott received CE mark for the device more than 18 months ago and discussed its submission to the FDA in an earnings call over a year ago. Abbott expects the device to be available at pharmacies and durable medical equipment suppliers within weeks.

The U.S. FDA granted San Diego-based Illumina Inc. an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first COVID-19 diagnostic test that uses next-generation sequencing (NGS). In addition to diagnosing infection with SARS-CoV-2, the COVIDSeq test can help researchers track mutations in the coronavirus.

The U.S. FDA granted Gtx Medical BV a breakthrough device designation for its implantable Go-2 Targeted Epidural Spinal Stimulation (TESS) system. The device enabled patients who had sustained traumatic spinal cord injuries to regain voluntary control over previously paralyzed muscles and walk again four or more years after paralysis, according to a study previously published in Nature.

Researchers at New York-based Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the research arm of Northwell Health, showed that anodal block can be used for directional vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in a new paper in Scientific Reports.