Innovation

France’s medtech sector is strong, growing and innovative. Medtech Insight spoke to several French medtech leaders about the unique features and pitfalls their industry may face.

Novel targets for managing inflammation hold the promise of greater efficacy and safety for diseases not widely viewed as inflammatory in nature.

A session at the recent KoNECT conference in Seoul looked at Korea’s strengths in clinical trials but also at what's needed to further improve its global competitiveness as a location for studies.

In this week’s Digital Health Roundup, Medtech Insight’s Marion Webb talks about her interview with GE HealthCare’s chief AI officer Parminder Bhatia about his vision for AI in health care and other highlights from HLTH. Natasha Barrow discusses her interview with Owkin on the EU AI Act and highlights Click Therapeutics’ latest clinical results.

High patient needs, a large healthcare market and innovation potential in the biotech sector in China still appear to be maintaining and attracting investments by overseas biopharma companies, including by Bayer and Lilly in biotech start-ups and Lilly in manufacturing.

Private Company Edition: Despite a third quarter dip, venture capital investment in biopharma in 2024 is on track to beat 2023, new data confirm. VC mega-rounds of $100m or more helped boost the total, including recent financings totaling $175m for Alpha-9 and $112m for AvenCell.

A new large language model by Google Research and DeepMind is the most comprehensive tool yet to potentially expedite drug development and reduce the risk of failure.

Roche’s 2022-launched Vabysmo took no time at all to reach the coveted $1bn in sales, and the originator is continuing to feel optimistic about the newer-generation VEGF brand’s prospects, even as Amgen readies the launch of the first US biosimilar to Eylea.

FDA tobacco programs chief emphasizes moving smokers to lower risk alternatives and NIDA executive encourages proposals for e-cigarettes as nicotine replacement treatments. FDA also seizes $76m in unauthorized e-cigarettes.

Medtech Insight spoke with Vicky Demas, CEO of Identifeye, about plans for bringing the company’s AI-powered retinal screening system for early detection of diabetic retinopathy to primary care facilities. More than 50% of the roughly 38 million Americans who have diabetes skip retinal screenings at present, increasing risk of developing the leading cause of blindness in adults.