With the rollout of its Avagen test, Avellino Lab USA Inc. hopes to see a significant change in the diagnosis and management of keratoconus, a common cause of blindness. The test quantifies the risk of keratoconus and definitively diagnoses other corneal dystrophies, which are frequently misdiagnosed or undiagnosed until late in their development, when treatment is less effective and vision already impaired.
Hematologists juggle two competing needs, and often multiple lenses, to really see what’s happening in a blood sample. Essentially, they need to see both the veins on an individual leaf and the forest, but lack a digitized system that can provide images of both. Scopio Labs Ltd.’s recently FDA-approved X100 with Full Field Morphology Peripheral Blood Smear (FFM-PBS) application addresses this need by combining computational photography imaging with artificial intelligence tools.
Woebot Labs Inc. got a bit of a pick-me-up with the FDA's decision to grant breakthrough device designation to the company's digital therapeutic for postpartum depression. The WB001 app combines cognitive behavioral therapy with interpersonal psychotherapy and an understanding of how postpartum depression affects interactions and daily life. The investigational treatment is designed as an eight-week, prescription-only intervention for women under a physician’s care.
With the support of the NIH’s National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Mental Health, researchers at Duke University’s Center for Autism and Brain Development have developed a mobile app that can quickly screen toddlers for autism spectrum disorder without the need for specialized skills.
A check up by Khosla Ventures determined that Docbot Inc. was healthy enough for the prominent biotech investor to take the lead in a $4 million series A round. The new funds bring the artificial intelligence company to a total of $8.5 million in capital raised to date. Other participants included Bold Capital Partners, Collaborative Fund and Boutique Venture Partners.
Dariohealth Corp. agreed to acquire Psyinnovations Inc. (dba Wayforward), a behavioral health digital platform, for $30 million. The deal represents Dario's second of 2021, following the acquisition of the digital musculoskeletal company Upright Technologies Ltd. in January. The Wayforward transaction calls for $25 million at closing, with $6 million of that in cash and $19 million in shares of Dario common stock valued at $21.09 per share. In addition, Wayforward will receive another $5 million, if behavioral health revenues exceed a certain threshold in 2022.
Motus GI Holdings Inc. received FDA 510(k) clearance to use its Pure-Vu system in upper gastrointestinal endoscopies, expanding the system’s indications from use only in colonoscopies. Pure-Vu removes blood, blood clots and debris from the GI tract, allowing endoscopists to see sources of bleeding and other issues while leaving the endoscope's working channel available for other uses.
While the founder of Woebot Health says that the app is not intended to replace human therapists, for the majority of the world who cannot locate an available psychologist or afford one once found, Woebot aims to offer a “radically accessible” option for mental health care.
Restor3d Inc. added a new dimension to its offerings with its merger with Kinos Medical Inc. The combination will increase Restor3d’s presence in the foot and ankle repair and replacement market by adding the Kinos Axiom total ankle system to its portfolio of 3D-printed implants using biomedical materials in a variety of applications.
While saying "white rabbit, white rabbit" on the first of the month may be a luck-bringing superstition, Whiterabbit.ai aims to take luck out of the equation in identifying early breast malignancies. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company emerged from stealth mode with FDA clearance for its Wrdensity tool, two other products, and more than $49 million in funding to date.
