Surgical robot for hip replacements | COVID-19 drugs already in use | More on antibodies

"Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose." — Zora Neale Hurston, American author and anthropologist

Today’s itinerary:

• Surgical robot for hip replacements
• Research on psychedelic drugs
• A "kill switch" for engineered organisms
• SignalPath acquired
• COVID-19 drugs already in use
• Drug candidate for fighting CRS
  
• Treatment for children's inflammatory syndrome 
• Antibody against COVID variants

September 1, 2021

PUDDLE HOPS: HEALTH TECH

Image courtesy of Zimmer Biotech

• WARSAW, IN—Zimmer Biomet has received FDA clearance for its total hip replacement system (ROSA surgical robot). ROSA Hip is designed to adapt to a surgeon's existing workflow by directing preparation, positioning and intra-operatively quantifying cup orientation, leg length and offset.

• MADISON, WI—The University of Wisconsin-Madison has started a new research center that will focus its research on psychedelic drugs. The Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances will expand the scope and reach of psychedelic research that started on campus in 2014.

• ST. LOUIS, MO—The EPA awarded a $744,262 grant to Tae Seok Moon, associate professor at the McKelvey School of Engineering, for biotechnology research. Moon’s lab has been working on a “kill switch” for engineered organisms that will self-destruct after completing a specified task, such as cleaning up a pollutant or rooting out and destroying a pathogen in livestock.
  
  
• RALEIGH, NC—San Francisco-based Verily will be acquiring SignalPath, a privately held company based in Raleigh that has developed a clinical trial management system (CTMS) that improves the quality and efficiency of conducting clinical research at study sites.

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PANDEMIC INNOVATION

COVID-19 drugs already in use

ANN ARBOR, MI—Could the next therapy for COVID-19 already be at your local pharmacy? A study from the University of Michigan reveals several drug contenders already in use for other purposes—including one dietary supplement—have been shown to block or reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection in cells.

Antibody against COVID variants

ST. LOUIS, MO—At the Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Laura VanBlargan, Ph.D., co-led a study that identified an antibody that is highly protective against a broad range of COVID variants.

Drug candidate for fighting CRS

PITTSBURGH, PA—Biotech company CytoAgents has a lead drug candidate for treating life-threatening symptoms associated with Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS). CRS is an over-reaction by the immune system that causes systematic inflammation, a common reaction to COVID-19.

Treatment for children's inflammatory syndrome

RALEIGH, NC—Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare and serious complication of COVID-19. 9 Meters BioPharma will collaborate with the European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno, Italy to study larazotide for treatment of MIS-C.

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