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Great Britain leads Europe in life sciences investment

Venture capital investment in life sciences and biotechnology in the United Kingdom continues to outpace the rest of Europe, according to the latest report from the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA). In 2023, the UK accounted for 41% of total investment in the region, receiving a total of £1.8 billion in equity investment. However, the latter figure has fallen by 9% compared to 2022 statistics, according to the BIA. Nevertheless, according to Steve Bates, CEO of the association, the overall performance in recent years has been encouraging. "Although 2023 was a tough year for companies across all sectors, including the global biotech industry, the UK sector has shown remarkable resilience and investment, and stock market performance continues to outperform pre-pandemic levels," Bates commented.

Siemens Healthineers and City Cancer Challenge cooperate

Siemens Healthineers and City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) are expanding the geographical and technological scope of their partnership long-term. They are building on their existing collaboration to enable faster cancer diagnosis and treatment and increase the chances of survival for patients in low- and middle-income countries. The globally active medical technology company Siemens Healthineers is providing a sum of five million Swiss francs over the next five years to close gaps within the patient pathway from the first cancer symptoms through diagnosis to treatment, improve access to high-quality cancer care, and enhance gender health equity. C/Can works with urban stakeholders from the public and private sectors to improve access to cancer care from the ground up in low- and middle-income countries. The organization currently supports projects in 14 cities in North and...

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New AI device to speed up chemical discovery

  • AI

A team of chemists from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) developed a robot with AI-driven machine learning to speed up the synthesis of new chemical products, according to a study published by the journal Science. Named ‚RoboChem,‘ the device can outperform a human chemist in speed and accuracy while maintaining high ingenuity. This is the […] New AI device to speed up chemical discovery

A Tooth with a Warning

According to the patient, this tooth 25 was last treated approximately 20 years ago. It has been pain-free since then. After a change of dentist, the apical change of the tooth was discovered incidentally. Our imaging and clinical diagnostics revealed a lateral canal structure in the buccal root. That's a warning sign. After the initial treatment with preparation […] A Tooth with a Warning

Surgical Diagnostics

in tabular form for students and physicians. Cemach, A. J. A 6th ed. very good- hardcover (cloth-bound), minor signs of wear on cov. as in image, text/block tight clean. Sixth, unchanged reprint of the fifth improved and enlarged edition With 105 tables and 589 illustrations on 131 black and color plates publisher: Lehmanns’s Verlag, Munich date: 1965 edition: […] Surgical Diagnostics

European Commission Proposes Delays for IVDR to Avoid Supply Disruptions

The European Union originally intended to implement the IVDR starting in May 2022. However, concerns that some tests would not have IVDR certificates by that date prompted authorities to establish a new, staggered timeline in October 2021. The revised timeline gave manufacturers of high-risk Class D in vitro diagnostics until May 2025 to meet the requirements. As the certification of Class D products typically takes between 13 and 24 months, manufacturers who have not yet applied to a notified body may not be able to meet the deadline of May 2025. MedTech Europe is among the organizations that have expressed concerns about the Class D timeline and made suggestions on how to reduce the risk of IVDR disrupting the test supply. The Commission has recognized the danger and stated that… 

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BD Partners with Techcyte to Offer AI-Powered Cervical Cancer Screening

  • AI

According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer was responsible for an estimated 342,000 deaths worldwide in 2020. Limited access to screening is one reason why people still die from cervical cancer. BD supports screening with its human papillomavirus (HPV) test and the Surepath liquid-based Pap test. Although HPV tests are more sensitive, according to the company, it expects Pap tests to "continue to play an important diagnostic role as programs transition to the new standard of care. Techcyte's system is compatible with several liquid-based cytology preparations, including Surepath. Traditionally, cytotechnologists and pathologists viewed glass slides under a microscope. To use the Techcyte system, technologists prepare slides with systems like Surepath and scan them to create digital files. The AI algorithm then identifies cells with features that suggest they may be diagnostically relevant."

Untire app now prescribable for breast cancer

The health app Untire has been provisionally included in the directory of Digital Health Applications (DiGA) of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). It is the first DiGA specifically for tumor-associated fatigue. Effective immediately, doctors and psychotherapists can prescribe this digital therapy to their breast cancer patients on prescription. Breast cancer (mammary carcinoma) is the most common cancer in women in Germany. More than 70,000 people fall ill with it each year, and the 10-year prevalence is 570,900.[1] The most common accompanying condition of the disease and its treatment is so-called tumor-associated fatigue (CRF), also known as cancer-related fatigue, which significantly impairs the general well-being of those affected. There is currently no drug treatment available. Untire is the first DiGA to help breast cancer patients reduce their exhaustion. In the Netherlands and Great Britain, 40,000 cancer patients are already using the app. With its inclusion in the BfArM's DiGA directory, Untire can...

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Animal testing-free method for safety assessment of cancer therapies is launched

Scientists at the University Hospital Freiburg have received funding of one million pounds, equivalent to around 1.17 million euros, as part of the British "Crack it" challenge. The team, led by Prof. Dr. Toni Cathomen, Director of the Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy at the University Hospital Freiburg, is researching an innovative approach to assessing the safety of modern cancer therapies. The new method is intended to help replace animal testing and improve the safety of CAR T-cell therapy. The "Crack it" challenge funding program is awarded annually by the British research organization NC3Rs with a maximum of one million pounds and aims to reduce animal testing. CAR T-cell therapies are already used in numerous cancer diseases and offer great potential for treating patients with previously incurable cancers. This involves taking the patient's own immune cells (T-cells) and modifying them in the laboratory so that they can specifically recognize and fight cancer cells. To reduce the likelihood of side effects and complications...

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