MedTech Marvels & A New HIV Cure
But first a story...
The Birds and the Beasts declared war against each other. No compromise was possible, and so they went at it tooth and claw. It is said the quarrel grew out of the persecution the race of Geese suffered at the teeth of the Fox family. The Beasts, too, had cause for fight. The Eagle was constantly pouncing on the Hare, and the Owl dined daily on Mice.
It was a terrible battle. Many a Hare and many a Mouse died. Chickens and Geese fell by the score—and the victor always stopped for a feast.
Now the Bat family had not openly joined either side. They were a very politic race. So when they saw the Birds getting the better of it, they were Birds for all there was in it. But when the tide of battle turned, they immediately sided with the Beasts.
When the battle was over, the conduct of the Bats was discussed at the peace conference. Such deceit was unpardonable, and Birds and Beasts made common cause to drive out the Bats. And since then the Bat family hides in dark towers and deserted ruins, flying out only in the night.
- Unknown author
Ми молимося за вас.
***
Now...
CB Insights released their State of Mental Health Tech 2021 Report.
Record-breaking year for mental health tech startups— $5.5B raised
On the topic of going big, Teledoc Q4 sales climbed 45% year on year with virtual visits up 41%.
Net loss was at $11M, but that’s down from $394M same time last year which has made Cathie Wood, the CEO of ARK Invest, both hero and villain in the same year.
Equal Opportunity HIV Cure
Another monumental breakthrough in science…
A woman is the third person believed to be cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant from a donor naturally resistant to the virus.
The woman of a mixed-race background, whose identity has not been revealed, received umbilical cord blood to treat her acute myeloid leukemia and has been virus-free for over a year.
Not only is the fact that she’s cured a big deal— the fact that she comes from a mixed-race background is blowing the doors wide open for the treatment of individuals of all races.
Recipients of umbilical cord blood don’t need to be matched as closely to donors as adult stem cells recipients, which is important since the mutation that prevents HIV infection is found most commonly in people of Northern European descent.
Also, unlike the two other HIV cures, this patient didn’t have any complications with graft vs. host disease.
It’s important to note that this doesn’t immediately change the lives of the 38 million people living with AIDS globally— the three cured patients all had cancer and needed a stem cell transplant to survive— however, considering almost half a million individuals living with HIV in the US are African-American, this breakthrough is a step forward for healthcare equity.
Upcoming Events - Galen Data Webinar
Galen Data Webinar: Regulatory and Clinical Considerations for SaMD - Free Virtual Panel
March 1st, 2022 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST Free Virtual Panel
Galen Data Webinar Panel on Regulatory and Clinical Considerations for SaMD with Isabella Schmitt, Proxima's Director of Regulatory Affairs.
It's a free, virtual panel. Register HERE to secure your spot from the comfort of your home or office!
Spinal Implant Starts On The Right Foot
In injuries where the spinal cord is severed, the communication of signals from the brain to anywhere below the injury location is also severed, resulting in paralysis.
However, according to a paper published in Nature Medicine, this isn’t the end of the road for patients with severed spinal cords— thanks to a new surgically-attached spinal implant.
The implant works by mimicking the signals the brain and upper spinal cord transmit to the lower body since the collection of motor neurons below the injured location is still intact.
The patient can then use a device to control the motion of their legs. However, at this early stage, the device isn’t meant to be used for consistent walking, just a means of practice.
Even still, there is a lot of promise in this advancement and the opportunities it presents.
The neuroscientists working on this device are also developing a brain implant that would send brain signals to the spinal cord, potentially restoring functions like bladder control and sexual functions.
Check out this video of the implant in action:
Seeing Cleerly Now The Invasive’s Gone
Cleerly is showing up big after a recent study shows that its software allows for the detection of heart disease without the typical invasive methods. Using AI, Cleerly’s CT scans can detect the amount of buildup in the coronary arteries without the need for a catheter and dye.
Based on the results, this method might be even better than the old way. Depending on the severity, the AI was able to identify blockages with a 94% sensitivity and anywhere between 68% and 82% in specificity.
In cases where the AI and angiogram results were drastically different, FFR was used and in more than 66% of the time, the FFR aligned with the AI rather than the angiogram.
Since interpreting results is subjective, the use of AI will improve the efficacy and efficiency of heart disease detection that might otherwise be missed or misinterpreted.
Top 10 MedTech & Biotech IPOs
Fiercebiotech released their top 10 IPOs in MedTech and biotech.
We know 2021 left biotech in the dumps. The momentum waned and overzealous companies missed the mark in projections. In 2022, companies will be a little more thoughtful in their approach to going public.
Anyway, these are the biotech companies that bucked the trend and made out like bandits in 2021:
MedTech was a different story.
Diagnostics companies thrived as Covid-19 testing hit households everywhere. As vaccines became more widely available, companies lost profit due to the efficacy of the vaccines— good thing for us, bad for them.
Here are the top 3 MedTech IPOs:
- Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
Deal size: $1.292 billion
Share price: $17
Shares sold: 76 million
- SD Biosensor
Deal size: 776.4 billion South Korean won ($679 million)
Share price: 52,000 won ($43.31)
Shares sold: 14.9 million
- Signify Health
Deal size: $649 million
Share price: $24.00
Shares sold: 27 million
Good chance that mental health tech companies and digital therapeutics will remain top dogs this year. Let’s keep our eyes open for the dark horse.
***
To donate for refugee children displaced by the war in Ukraine.
Yours truly,
Kevin
Upcoming Events
Come see us at:
SXSW - March 11 - 15
Kevin Coker, our CEO, will be on a panel:
Accelerating Breakthrough Medical Technologies
Sunday, March 13th from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Line Hotel in Austin, TX
Life Science Investor Conference (LSI) - March 15 - 18
MedTech Innovator (MTI) Eastern Regional Pitch Competition - March 21 - 23
MedTech Strategist Dublin, IRE - April 23 - 25
Big News: Proxima is Finalist for First-Ever Houston Inno Fire Awards
Hey, did you hear? Proxima Clinical Research is en fuego. We landed on the finalist list for Houston Inno's inaugural top-25 Fire Award.
From Houston Inno:
Selections are based largely on major milestones, including overall growth, innovative ways of doing things, funding rounds, product launches and social impact.
BTW - if anyone wants to attend the Inno Fire Awards virtually, here is the LINK.
Check Out The Latest Episode of Inventing Tomorrow
Host Isabella Schmitt, RAC sits down with Ron Solar, CEO of ThermopeutiX, and Blythe Karow, Co-Founder and former CEO of Evren, to discuss the the importance of protecting your ideas.
Listen HERE.
