https://verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com/
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
One million vaccinations. Over a million Israelis have now had their first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. More than 150,000 vaccinations are being administered each day – the highest per capita in the world. The number of vaccinated Israelis is now double the total number that have ever been infected with Covid-19.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/294096
https://www.jns.org/netanyahu-health-minister-meet-500000th-israeli-to-receive-covid-19-vaccine/
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israel-smashes-goal-of-150000-daily-covid-19-vaccinations/
Positive results for Covid-19 treatment. Preliminary data from Phase 2 trials of opaganib from Israel’s Redhill (reported here previously) on 40 hospitalized Covid-19 patients showed positive results. Patients receiving opaganib had significantly reduced dependence on ventilators and faster time to discharge.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/redhill-s-phase-2-3-covid-19-candidate-opaganib-reduces-ards-related-blood-clotting-in-preclinical-model-813822864.html
Treatment may cure genetic deafness. One in 400 children are born with a genetic mutation that causes hearing loss. Tel Aviv University scientists have developed a harmless synthetic virus that replaces defective genes with healthy genes. It may prevent deafness when injected into the inner ear hair cells soon after birth.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israelis-develop-gene-therapy-to-restore-hearing-in-children/
https://english.m.tau.ac.il/news/gene-therapy-for-deafness
https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/emmm.202013259
Futuristic surgery today. Doctors at Israel’s Galilee Medical Center successfully completed the first-ever repair of a fracture in the floor of an eye socket using augmented reality (AR) and 3D technology. A CT-scan of the patient’s eye was used to 3D print the new socket and the surgeon used HoloLens AR glasses to insert it.
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/israel-performs-first-ever-augmented-reality-3d-eye-socket-surgery-653901
15-minute Covid-19 test. Several years ago, Bar-Ilan University’s Dr. Amos Danielli founded the biotech MagBiosense (reported here previously) to commercialize his innovative device to detect an imminent heart attack and also to diagnose the Zika virus. He has now adapted it to diagnose Covid-19 in just 15 minutes.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3884554,00.html https://magbiosense.com/
https://www.israel21c.org/israel-races-to-find-solutions-for-coronavirus/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8mwBY4UjEc
Race for the vaccine. An opportunity on 5th Jan to attend a Technion UK webinar featuring Professor Yotam Bar-On of Israel’s Technion Institute. Professor Bar-On is a virologist, specializing in COVID- 19 who will speak about immunity, about the virus itself along with its variants and how different vaccines work.
https://technionuk.org/event/race-for-the-vaccine/
Genesis winner donates prize to medical startups. Israel’s 2019 Genesis Prize winner, Natan Sharansky, donated his $1 million prize to 10 Israeli startups developing innovations to combat Covid-19. The 10 are Kamada, Pluristem, Sight Diagnostics, Sonovia, Biobeat, EyeControl, K Health, Picodya, IAI and MyZeppi.
https://nocamels.com/2020/12/sharansky-genesis-prize-10-companies-covid/
https://www.genesisprize.org/press-center/2020-12-24-genesis-prize-and-start-up-nation-central-announce-winners-of-the-competition-in-honor-of-natan-sharansky