US approves Israeli migraine treatment; Technion develops Artificial Intelligence system for faster, cheaper healthcare; Weizmmann Institute scientists find breakthrough melanoma therapy; and much more!

By: Michael Ordman

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

US approval for migraine treatment

I reported previously (see here) on the AJOVY fremanezumab migraine treatment from Israel’s Teva. The US FDA has just given approval for AJOVY – the only anti-CGRP treatment for the prevention of migraine.  About 40% of migraine sufferers may be candidates for this treatment.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/teva-shares-rally-as-fda-approves-troubled-drugmakers-migraine-treatment

Israeli diagnostics for cervical cancer. I’ve now reported (see here) on five Israeli bio-techs that have developed devices for diagnosing cervical cancer. Biop Medical (see here) has just raised $22 million in funds.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3746222,00.htmlY

Fast route to new treatments

Technion scientists have developed an Artificial Intelligence system for faster and cheaper new medical treatments. An algorithm identifies molecules with potentially beneficial therapeutic properties. It amazed delegates at London’s KDD conference.

https://www.technion.ac.il/en/2018/08/drug-development-on-fast-track-with-a-i-and-deep-learning/

Breakthrough melanoma treatment

Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann and Technion Institutes have found that each melanoma patient has a different profile of neo-antigens (mutated peptides) on their tumors. Doctors can then extract and grow the T-cells best suited to target the neo-antigens on both primary and secondary cancers.

https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/toward-%E2%80%9Cultra-personalized%E2%80%9D-therapy-melanoma

Canadian partner for research program

A new clinical research program has been launched in Israel that will trial cannabinoid-based IBD treatment and other products from Israel’s SciCann. The program partners SciCann with Canada’s FSD and Mor – the technology transfer arm of Israel’s Clalit HealthCare.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fsd-pharma-and-scicann-therapeutics-launch-clinical-research-program-in-israel-300698081.html  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fsd-pharma-reports-positive-pre-clinical-results-for-proprietary-cbd-combination-product-300701239.html

Alternative to steroids

Israel’s Stero Biotechs has received a US patent for its Cannabidiol based treatment for over 100 autoimmune & chronic inflammatory diseases. Stero’s first product ST-101 for AutoImmune Hepatitis – a liver disease which requires long-term steroid treatment – is shortly to begin Phase 2 trials. (TY Atid-EDI)

http://sterobiotechs.com/

Afghan girl has heart treatment in Israel

5-year-old Noorina was brought by her father to Israel where she will receive life-saving surgery by doctors from Israeli charity Save A Child’s Heart. Noorina is the fifth child from Afghanistan to be brought to SACH thanks to the efforts of “Jangzapali” – an anonymous Afghan man.

https://www.israel21c.org/afghani-man-sends-gravely-ill-kids-to-heart-center-in-israel/

New treatment for day blindness

Israeli scientists (Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Volcani Institute) used a virus to restore the sight of a herd of Awassi sheep suffering hereditary day blindness (achromatopsia). The virus replaced a missing gene. The US FDA has now approved human trials.

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/promising-gene-therapy-for-visually-impaired-sheep-now-safe-for-human-trials/2018/09/18/  http://cowry.agri.huji.ac.il/Gootwine2016.mp4

Kidney donations triple

The number of live kidney transplants performed per year in Israel has nearly tripled since 2010 mainly due to increased donations from healthy orthodox Jewish Israelis. Key to the increase is Israeli NGO Matnat Chaim (“Gift of Life”) which both publicizes the need and facilitates donation.

https://www.israel21c.org/faith-based-nonprofit-triples-altruistic-kidney-donations/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5992728/   https://kilya.org.il/en/

Bringing closure

I reported previously (see here) on TopClosure from Israel’s IVT Medical. The innovative wound closure technique is now saving lives in China and Africa.  IVT has also developed Vcare Alpha – a suction device to remove infectious materials from wounds and accelerate wound recovery.

http://nocamels.com/2018/09/israeli-wound-topclosure-surgery/

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