Category: Medical and Healthcare IT

The idea of treating chronic medical conditions with prescribed cannabis isn’t a new one. Over the years, the effects of medical cannabis (in tablet form, oils, as edibles etcetera) upon pain relief, nausea, anxiety and depression, seizures and sleep disorders, have been tested widely – to varying degrees of success.

From a legislative perspective, medical cannabis can create complexities – largely due to the nuanced and inconsistent side effects that the drug may have, combined with the inconsistent genetic composition of cannabis. Indeed, the level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – that is, the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, varies from plant to plant, making it extremely difficult to deliver controlled amounts of the drug.

Israel’s start-up ecosystem has fostered development across a magnitude of sectors, and medical cannabis is no exception. Hundreds of thousands of shekels have been poured into R and D, from top universities to private companies, and governmental institutions. For example, in 2019, OurCrowd launched a $30 million fund exclusively designated for medical cannabis. Studies are being conducted across the spectrum of medical conditions, including cancer, PTSD, autism, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease and schizophrenia.

CannaLean Bio: CannaLean Bio’s patented technology aims to provide relief to patients living with dyslipidemia (an illness leading to elevated cholesterol or fats in the blood). Using a synthetic form of cannabidiol (CBD) combined with chitosan, CannaLean’s CBD-based solutions help fight the signs and symptoms of metabolic syndrome. The company has completed various in-vivo and pre-clinical studies that have shown a significant decrease in cholesterol – demonstrating the potential clinical effect of CannaLean’s patented technology.

Elixie:  Elixie invents, develops and commercialises innovative drug delivery systems. Their Pro-Nano Liposphere (PNL) technology is proven to be more effectively absorbed by the body, compared to traditional oral delivery of cannabinoids. Elixie’s Soluboil Capsules provide fast-acting relief for patients suffering chronic pain, using their PNL technology to achieve more immediate and amplified therapeutic effect. Elixie’s patented technology is global-ready, meeting regulatory requirements in Germany, Israel and Australia, and additional patents pending across the US and Canada.

Syqe Air: Syqe is a pharmaceutical technology company, developing technologies that enable precise delivery of a wide range of therapeutic molecules by inhalation. Syqe’s drug-delivery technology allows hundreds of existing and preclinical drug molecules to be considered for inhalation – potentially game-changing technology for the wider market. Syqe’s Inhaler – their flagship product – is the first medical grade, metered-dose, hand-held device, that aerosolizes and guarantees absorption of medical cannabis –  effectively delivering relief to sufferers of chronic pain and PTSD. In February this year, Syqe announced the signing of an agreement with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, to supply its inhaler and cartridges to all Israeli veterans prescribed medical cannabis by inhalation. This agreement means that veterans can access Syqe’s treatment options in the same way they access pharmaceutical drugs – positioning Syqe’s treatment as the standard of care in the field of medical cannabis.

This focus on R and D has led to a wide range of products developed by and being exported from Israel, from cannabis flowers and seeds, to oils and tinctures, and new technologies for delivering controlled levels of THC.

For further information on Israeli medical cannabis tech or the wider ecosystem, reach out to Luke Bulbrook at the Israel Trade Commission in Sydney (luke.bulbrook@israeltrade.gov.il).

Painless Procedure: Tiny Ice Ball Kills Tumors In Minutes

A medical breakthrough now allows doctors to freeze early-stage breast tumors – with no surgery, no scarring, no general anesthetic and no tissue removal.

The entire procedure can take as little as 40 minutes. Patients can go straight home after its done, and are spared the painful recovery process.

The idea of using an extremely cold liquid to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue – or cryoablation – isn’t new. Doctors have been doing it in hospitals for the last 30 years.

But IceCure Medical, an Israeli startup, has developed technology that allows physicians to perform the procedure at their own office, with no need for hospitalization.

The breakthrough is the use of liquid nitrogen instead of a mixture of argon and helium gasses. Liquid nitrogen is cheaper, it can be frozen faster, and is easier to maintain at sub-zero temperatures, shortening the treatment time.

“We are offering a minimally-invasive solution for patients who cannot go through surgery or do not want to,” says Tlalit Bussi Tel-Tzure, VP of Business Development and Global Marketing at the company, based in Caesarea, central Israel.

Doctors insert a small probe, or needle, into the tumor, freezing it at sub-zero temperatures (-170°C) without harming the surrounding healthy tissue. When the tissue thaws, the cells die and are absorbed by the body.

The whole procedure is guided with ultrasound or CT imaging, so the doctor can monitor what is going on inside the body as they create an ice ball around the targeted tissue. The patient is either fully awake or lightly sedated through the entire treatment. The ice ball has an analgesic effect, providing additional numbing and pain relief to the treated area.

Not every cancer patient can undergo surgery to remove a tumor, says Bussi Tel-Tzure, because they are at a high risk due to other illnesses and medical conditions, or because they cannot receive a general anesthetic.

And surgery, particularly breast cancer removal, usually needs to be followed up by reconstructive plastic surgery, which can be expensive, and requires additional recovery time. 

Many breast cancer survivors go on to experience negative body image – feeling unhappy with their appearance, feeling less feminine and attractive, and feeling self-conscious with the surgical scars.

“Sometimes patients after breast cryoablation treatment complain to us that after a procedure they go home and still have to prepare dinner for their kids because they get no time off,” jokes Bussi Tel Tzure. “You resume full activity almost immediately.”

The old technology for cryoablation uses gasses in huge, highly-pressurized gas canisters that can be dangerous if handled improperly.

As such, the procedure cannot be done in a clinic or doctor’s office, and must be performed in a hospital. Some European countries don’t allow the patients to be in the same room as the gas canisters because of the safety risk. 

“You need to build a special pipeline to deliver that to the separate room where the patient is,” says Bussi Tel-Tzure, which makes it much more complicated and costly to use. 

Because IceCure uses liquid nitrogen, it doesn’t need to be stored in big cylinders. It can be frozen faster than the gasses, which cuts down the treatment time.

It is also easier to reduce and maintain the temperature with liquid nitrogen. She explains that for a 3cm kidney tumor, IceCure only needs a single needle to create an ice ball that will encase the tumor. For the standard gasses, you need three needles to create an ice ball of the same size. 

“If you use multiple needles, it takes more time to plan the procedure, to navigate the probes, and to manipulate the ice ball that will cover the tumor. So using liquid nitrogen is faster, easier, and saves time and money.”

The treatment can be used for breast, lung, renal (kidney), and liver cancers, metastatic tumors, and musculoskeletal tumors. 

It can also be used for additional applications like neurology and gynecology. “But we focus on the use cases that we think will be of the most value,” she says. 

IceCure’s ProSense system is distributed across Europe, Asia, and Australia. And in the US, it sells directly to sites like private clinics, hospitals, and ambulatory centers. 

IceCure is currently creating a next-generation device to freeze multiple tumors at the same time.

A medical research revolution is taking place in Israel, leading to the development of previously unimaginable scientific breakthroughs. Many of these innovations are centered around bioconvergence, a recent trend in medical research that combines biology, engineering, AI, machine learning, 3D printing, and nanotechnology, alongside other related fields. Although the interdisciplinary study of medicine is nothing new, recent advancements in computing, genomics, data technology, and artificial intelligence have opened the door to numerous creative solutions for persistent medical hurdles. 

Despite its small size, Israel is a global leader in bioconvergence research and development. With over 600 active medical device companies exporting a total of $1.6 billion, Israel is ranked 4th in the World Quotations Index for its groundbreaking multidisciplinary research.

Israeli bioconvergence companies are currently developing a wide array of medical technologies to revolutionize medical care. Precise-Bio, for example, is the first company in the world to bioprint a fully functional cornea in a para-clinical trial. Haifa-based NanoGhost applies bioconvergence in a different direction, programming nanorobotic drug delivery systems that can specifically target cancerous cells. Six out of the world’s top ten pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies use CytoReason, a Tel Aviv-based company that uses computational models to simulate human disease on a cellular level.

Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology, combining advanced engineering and medical advancements, is emerging as a particularly notable field in Israeli biotech. OOC technology grows human tissue with the function of a specific organ outside of the body, providing opportunities to test experimental medication without risk to a patient. In addition to substantially lowering the cost of pharmaceutical research and development costs, OOC has the potential to significantly decrease the reliance of animal testing in medical research.

Another exciting field of Israeli bioconvergence innovation is personalized medicine. The recent decline in operating costs for DNA sequencing and data storage has widened the scope of individualized genetic testing to a broader market. Israeli start-ups like Caligenix, C2i Genomics, Sequentify, and others apply new technologies and previously unaffordable DNA testing for individual patient use. 

The following are a few Israeli bioconvergence companies at the forefront of cutting-edge technological, chemical, and biomedical advancements:

Precise Bio is a regenerative medicine company advancing the use of bio-printed tissues and organs in ophthalmology patients. This platform comprises cell expansion, biomaterials, processes, printing technology, and other technologies.

NanoGhost is a drug-delivery technology that uses adult stem cells to transport medicine directly to the tumor site. The technology has already proven successful in treating pancreatic, lung, breast, prostate, and brain cancer in mice. The platform is based on nano-vesicles, termed Nano-Ghosts (NGs), which are technologically reconstructed from the cell membranes of naturally targeted allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), after removing their cytoplasm and nuclei. 

CytoReason is a technology company developing a computational model of the human body that simulates human disease on a cellular level, minimizes the need for animal trials, and makes human trials more focused and accurate. To date, six of the world’s top ten pharmaceutical companies use CytoReason’s technology to bring the right drug to the right patient at the right price.

Tissue Dynamics is a groundbreaking Jerusalem-based biotechnology company that is committed to fundamentally transforming drug and cosmetic development by advancing next-generation organ on chip (OOC) tools for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. The company’s cutting-edge bionic OOC platform provides critical tools for faster, safer, and more effective drug development while substantially cutting research and development costs. 

Caligenix is a biotechnology company developing personalized genomic diagnostic kits. The company’s mission is to increase understanding of the link between genetic variation and individual dietary response as well as the overall role of nutrients in gene expression.

C2i Genomics offers post-surgery monitoring of cancer recurrence and progression by analyzing subtle changes in the pattern of the tumor’s DNA. Based on bioinformatics and artificial intelligence, it compares thousands of data points obtained from patients’ periodic liquid biopsy blood tests to their own baseline of sequenced tumor tissue and whole-genome analysis.

Sequentify aims to make targeted DNA sequencing as common, fast, and affordable as a blood test, enabling significant growth in personalized medicine.

Sources: Innovation Israel, Start-Up Nation Central