A team of researchers have developed a blood test which uses artificial intelligence to predict Parkinson’s disease in patients up to seven years before symptoms appear. The test, based on the identification of eight biomarkers in the blood, will be able to identify patients who can be treated earlier with therapies to slow down the progression of the disease or even prevent it from occurring.

Sava Technologies Ltd. emerged from five years of stealth with $8 million in seed funding for its microneedle-based sensor. The financing round was led by Balderton Capital and Exor Ventures and will be used to expand the company’s team, design the next-generation product and conduct clinical studies.

The recent licensing agreement that Alzpath Inc. signed with Roche AG for use of its pTau217 antibody to develop and commercialize an Alzheimer's disease diagnostic blood test will not only transform the company but also allow patients access to a more cost-effective test, Venkat Shastri, CEO of Alzpath told BioWorld.

As new treatment options are being continually investigated and trialed against Parkinson’s disease, the possibilities offered by deep brain stimulation (DBS) risk being overlooked. Though not a cure, the therapy could vastly improve the quality of life for patients with the disease.

Advanced Oxygen Therapy Inc. raised £35.1 million (US$44.5 million) in its initial public offering on London’s AIM market. The move by the U.S.-based company is a bid to broaden adoption of its chronic wound care technologies.

Siemens Healthineers AG has received CE mark for a neurofilament light chain assay to help with the early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and aid in predicting the risk of relapse in patients suffering from the disease. The test developed in collaboration with Novartis Pharma AG will be launched in Europe later this year.

Aktiia SA recently received a CE mark for Calfree, its optical blood pressure monitoring technology that does not require calibration with a traditional cuff. The Calfree system can be integrated into a wide range of third-party devices, significantly improving hypertension management and as a result the quality of patients’ lives.

The U.S. FDA granted Avicenna.AI SAS 510(k) clearance for Cina-VCF, its artificial intelligence-based solution that detects unsuspected vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) in patients undergoing chest or abdomen CT scans. The company hopes that early detection of VCFs will allow patients to be checked for osteoporosis and start treatments early to reduce the risk of their fracture deteriorating.

The granting of emergency use authorization by the U.S. FDA to Roche AG for its four-in-one molecular test for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A/B viruses and respiratory syncytial virus will allow the company to quickly bring the test to near-patient care environments ahead of the flu season, to address a real need in the marketplace, Ian Parfrement, head of the point of care customer area, at Roche Diagnostics, told BioWorld.

Amber Implants BV reported promising results from the first-in-human trial of patients fitted with its Vcfix spinal system which treats vertebral compression fractures. Data showed that patients experienced significant pain relief and regained the ability to walk without discomfort.