www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com
You know the expression “one day at a time”? In Israel it applies to the unceasing and amazing daily advances in Medicine: treatments for cancer, essential tremors, burns, and dental implants, and fertility; Technology: quantum computers and new facilities to convert waste into hydrogen and bio-plastics, soil management, crop production and water purification.
All the aforementioned are shared with the rest of the world to ease the burdens of illness and want, and are brought to our attention one week at a time by Michael Ordman in this essential newsletter.
Happy New Year Israel! rsk
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Israelis live longer. Israelis have the world’s 10th highest life expectancy, according to the Worldometer’s Life Expectancy of the World Population – a project by NiceR that helps Americans access affordable prescription medications. The average Israeli life expectancy is 83.5 (82 for men and 85 for women). In 2020 it was 82.6
https://www.israel21c.org/israel-has-10th-highest-life-expectancy-in-world/
https://www.nicerx.com/best-healthcare-countries/ https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/israel-life-expectancy
Reprogramming the immune system of cancer patients. Scientists at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital and Bar-Ilan University have developed HBI0101- a CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma and amyloidosis, benefiting over 90% of patients in trials. Los Angeles-based Immix BioPharma will commercialize HBI0101.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-demonstrating-57-remission-rate-israeli-immunotherapy-licensed-by-us-firm/ https://haematologica.org/article/view/haematol.2022.281628
Implants heal 3 times faster. Israel’s Magdent (see here previously) has received CE approval for its Miniaturized Electromagnetic Device (MED) that has been clinically proven to shorten the healing process after dental implants by up to 3 times. The device is being sold in Israel and the EU. FDA approval is being sought.
https://www.ourcrowd.com/companies/magdent
Relieving migraines in the US. (TY OurCrowd) 2,500+ US physicians have prescribed the Nerivio migraine relief device from Israel’s Theranica, benefiting some 35,000 Americans with its neuromodulation technology.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/spotlight/us-doctors-offer-drug-free-migraine-relief-from-israeli-startup/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tbRRWVi1q4
From both sides now. Essential tremor usually affects hands and arms on both sides of the body – one side more than the other. Israel’s Insightec (see here previously) has now received FDA approval to treat the second side of the brains of patients in the US a minimum of nine months after treatment of the first side.
https://insightec.com/insightec-receives-fda-approval-to-treat-essential-tremor-patients-second-side-expanding-total-available-market-in-united-states/
New way to cure pulmonary embolisms. Doctors at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital removed a blood clot in an Israeli’s lung (pulmonary embolism) using, for the first time in Israel, a US-developed FlowTriever. It sucked out some of the patient’s blood, cleaned it of the clot and replaced it. No blood thinners, no invasive surgery.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/no-knife-procedure-to-avoid-some-open-heart-surgeries-is-now-in-israel/
4th child for ex-cancer patient. (TY UWI) Thanks to the Fertility Preservation Center at Sheba Medical Center, Ayelet, 35, gave birth to her fourth child, following years of aggressive cancer treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. She is the first woman in the world to give birth to 4 children through cryopreservation of her eggs.
https://www.jns.org/four-little-miracles/
US approval for burns treatment. Israel’s Mediwound has received FDA approval for its NexoBrid pineapple plant-based burn treatment (see here previously) to be sold in the US to treat thermal burns. The US already has emergency stockpiles. NexoBrid is now approved for use in 44 countries, including the EU, Japan, and India.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-fda-approves-mediwound-burn-treatment-1001434234
More approvals on the way. This article identifies three more Israeli companies that are expected to receive FDA approval for treatments in 2023. They are Gamida Cell (Omidubicel / NiCord – bone marrow transplants); Protalix (PRX-102 – Fabry disease); and BioLineRX (BL-8040 / Motixafortide – multiple myeloma).
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-four-israeli-cos-expect-fda-approvals-in-2023-1001434199
Lower cost of prescription medicines. The maximum prices for dispensed medicines in Israel are to fall by an average of nearly 7.5%. Israel’s prescription prices are based on the lowest that the medicines cost in Europe on Jan 1st. Israelis then only pay 15% of that price – the remainder being paid by Israel’s health companies.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-725994
Training medics in Ethiopia. A team from Magen David (MDA) and three Israeli hospitals are currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia training doctors and nurses in the treatment of trauma. In a separate mission, Professor Hanoch Kashtan and his Assuta Ashdod team have been training surgeons and nurses, in northern Ethiopia.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/365142 https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-726005
1.3 million calls to MDA. During 2022 Magen David Adom EMTs and paramedics attended over 1.3 million emergencies from nearly 200 stations. The call centers received on average one call every 10.8 seconds. MDA’s 31,600 staff include nearly 14,600 youth volunteers. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/365150
