Mass. General gets $30M DoD grant to build brain implant for mental illness
May 28, 2014 by Arezu Sarvestani
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital were recipients of a $30 million grant to build brain implants for treating mental illness, targeting combat veterans coming home with brain injuries, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The technology builds on existing treatments for conditions such as Parkinson’s and epilepsy, where implanted electrodes deliver mild electrical shocks to targeted regions of the brain. The MGH project aims to outdo those technologies with a more sophisticated brain monitoring system and the ability to stimulate more than one area of the brain, the Boston Globe reported. Read more
Consano raises $3.9M to connect researchers with funders
May 27, 2014 by Arezu Sarvestani
Consano raised $3.9 million in 10 days in support of its mission to connect individual donors with vetted medical research projects.
The company, founded by a breast cancer survivor, helps to guide funders toward research that “resonates” with them. The 1-year-old startup raised the new funds with the help of 9 unnamed investors, SEC filings show. Read more
M&A: Spectranetics prepares $200M offering to fund $230M AngioScore bid
May 28, 2014 by Arezu Sarvestani
Spectranetics announced this week that it plans to launch a senior note funding round in order to support its $230 bid to acquire AngioScore and its portfolio of angioplasty catheters.
Spectranetics plans to offer $200 million in convertible senior notes due 2034, and expects to grant underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to $30 million more. Read more
EDAP outlines road to FDA approval for prostate cancer ultrasound therapy
May 29, 2014 by Arezu Sarvestani
France-based EDAP has a lot on its plate the next few weeks, preparing for an inspection ahead of an FDA panel review for its therapeutic ultrasound technology for treatment of prostate cancer.
The company added this week that it’s about to raise $9.3 million through a registered direct offering of 3 million ordinary shares at $3.11 apiece, having already entered into definitive agreements with unnamed “institutional investors.” The financing round is scheduled to close on or about June 3, EDAP reported. Read more
Samsung dives into digital health with open platforms, $50M fund
May 29, 2014 by Arezu Sarvestani
Consumer electronics giant Samsung dove deeper into digital health with a new initiative and $50 million fund to support wearable healthcare technologies.
The company announced the launch of its Simband open wearable hardware platform and SAMI open software platform, inviting developers to come up with new ways to help consumers monitor their own bodies. Samsung has also teamed up with the University of California, San Francisco, to form the UCSF-Samsung Digital Health Innovation Lab, where “researchers and technologists will be able to develop and run trials to validate exciting new mobile health technologies,” according to a press release. Read more