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Sanofi has backed Altesa BioSciences in a US$75m series B round for the rhinovirus-focused biotech led by former acting FDA commissioner Brett Giroir. The funding will mainly support a phase 2b study, a mid-stage clinical trial, of vapendavir, an oral antiviral pill for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a long-term lung condition that [...]
A new £4.2m research institute in North East England will use routine eye scans to improve eye health and spot early signs of serious illness. The Northern Ophthalmic Research and Innovation Institute (NORI) brings together university experts, the NHS, local authorities and industry to use routine eye scans to spot early signs of serious illness. [...]
Sleep trackers may spot depression relapse weeks before symptoms return, a study of 93 adults with remitted major depressive disorder suggests. Researchers followed people whose symptoms had eased but who remained at risk of recurrence. Participants wore research-grade wrist actigraphy devices, which track movement to estimate sleep and activity, for up to two years, generating [...]
GE HealthCare has secured a US$35m BARDA contract expansion for AI ultrasound tools intended to help non-expert users assess trauma patients. The deal with the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) builds on a US$44m agreement struck in 2023 to fund tools for diagnosing patients in mass casualty incidents. Under the original deal, [...]
Preclinical eye-disease biotech EIR Biopharma aims to raise up to US$17.1m via a NYSE listing. San Francisco-based EIR plans to offer 3.75m shares priced between US$4 and US$5, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. At the midpoint, it expects US$14.9m in net proceeds. If underwriters take up their option for an extra 562,500 [...]
The UK is offering £20m in addiction tech grants to cut harm and deaths linked to drug and alcohol addiction. Delivered through Innovate UK, the funding sits within the government’s Addiction Healthcare Goals programme and will support new medicines, medical devices, wearables, virtual reality therapies, treatment apps and AI-enabled tools. Around 15,000 people die each [...]
Matresa has raised £315,000 in pre-seed funding for a preventative maternal health platform offering continuous support from pregnancy through early parenthood. Founded by former paediatric intensive care nurse Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, the London-based startup is building a clinical-grade screening and diagnostics platform intended to shift maternal care from reactive to preventative. It will offer personalised support [...]
AI tools could rewrite radiology reports in plainer language, with patients rating them almost twice as easy to understand, a new review suggests. Researchers analysed 38 studies published between 2022 and 2025, covering more than 12,000 radiology reports simplified using AI systems such as ChatGPT. Patients, the public and clinicians assessed the rewritten reports. [...]
A gathering of some of the most respected and forward-thinking minds in surgery will take place at The Surgeon Show 2026 on Friday, 20 February, at The Minster Building, Central London. Positioned as one of the UK’s most influential surgical gatherings, this invitation-only, one-day summit will convene consultant surgeons, clinical directors, policymakers, healthcare innovators and [...]
The European Commission has closed an antitrust probe into Edwards Lifesciences after the company withdrew a policy aimed at so-called "copycat devices". The probe dates back to September 2023, when the Commission carried out a surprise inspection at the facility of a maker of cardiac devices. Edwards later confirmed it was the company subject to [...]
