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☆ Brain implant startup backed by Bezos and Gates is testing mind-controlled computing on humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Philip O'Keefe, one of Synchron's patients in the SWITCH clinical trial, using his BCI. Philip O'Keefe, one of Synchron's patients in the SWITCH clinical trial, was the first person in the world to tweet using a BCI device. About 20 months earlier, O'Keefe was implanted with Synchron's BCI. Synchron's technology has caught the attention of its competitors. Source: SynchronIn January, the medical journal JAMA Neurology published the peer-reviewed, long-term safety results from a trial of Synchron's BCI system in Australia.

☆ U.S. FDA classifies recall of Philips' respiratory devices as most serious
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday classified the recall of Dutch medical devices maker Philips' (PHG.AS) respiratory machines as most serious, saying their use could lead to injuries or death. The company's ventilators provide breathing assistance to both pediatric and adult patients. The recall follows Philips' move to call back millions of breathing devices and ventilators in June 2021 due to the potential of a foam part degrading and becoming toxic, possibly causing cancer. Its subsidiary, Philips Respironics, had in December also recalled about 13,811 ventilators which were distributed between March 1, 2022 and Sept. 6, 2022. Philips did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the impact from the recall.

The quake killed at least 36,187 in southern Turkey, while authorities in neighbouring Syria have reported 5,800 deaths - a figure that has changed little in days. While several people were found alive in Turkey on Wednesday, the number of rescues has dwindled significantly. Neither Turkey nor Syria have said how many people are still missing. More than 4,000 fatalities have been reported in the rebel-held northwest, but rescuers say nobody has been found alive there since Feb. 9. Deliveries from Turkey were severed completely in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, when a route used by the United Nations was temporarily blocked.

☆ Medical-Device Makers Face Push to Protect Their Wares From Hacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( James Rundle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Mounting cyberattacks against hospitals and clinics and a regulatory push are increasing the pressure on medical-device manufacturers to improve the security of their products. Cyber protections have often been an afterthought for medical devices, which can be in operation for decades. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors. While Mr. Suarez acknowledged that greater transparency about vulnerabilities is needed from makers of medical devices, he also wants to see customers stop using old, unsupported equipment. “It’s a complex challenge,” Mr. Suarez said.

☆ Fabuloso recalls about 5 million bottles because of bacterial contamination
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Nearly 5 million bottles of Fabuloso multi-purpose cleaner have been voluntary recalled because there’s a “risk of bacterial growth,” the company said. Around 3.9 million bottles were never released for sale, the company said. The first eight digits of the lot code of the recalled products are 2348US78 through 2365US78 and 3001US78 through 3023US78, the CPSC said. If a customer has one of the products listed below, the company can get a refund through a special website or by calling the company at 1-855-703-0166. Fabuloso is telling affected customers to “immediately stop using the recalled product” and to dispose of it in its container.

☆ Fabuloso Parent Recalls Nearly 5 Million Bottles of Cleaning Product Over Infection Risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Colin Kellaher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Colgate-Palmolive Co. is recalling nearly 5 million bottles of Fabuloso multipurpose cleaning products due to the risk of exposure to bacteria, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the company said Wednesday. The agency said the recalled products may contain Pseudomonas species bacteria, which pose a risk of serious infection for people with weakened immune systems, external medical devices or underlying lung conditions. The same bacteria was linked to another recent recall of 8 million laundry and cleaning products from The Laundress.

☆ A biotech millionaire claimed his wild routine cut his biological age by 5 years. Scientists aren't sure most of it really works.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Bryan Johnson, a 45-year-old biotech CEO, has spent millions in his quest to reverse aging. He claims his biological age has been cut by 5 years with a strict regimen controlled by doctors. The Green Giant smoothie, which Bryan Johnson drinks every morning at around 5am. Intrusive measurements, including regular colonoscopiesA nurse performs a blood test for Bryan Johnson. But does that mean they've cracked the code on how to measure the "biological age" of a person accurately?

☆ EU considers ban on 'forever chemicals', urges search for alternatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"A ban on PFAS would reduce quantities of PFAS in the environment over the long term. Once the ban is in force, companies will be given between 18 months and 12 years to introduce alternatives to the more than 10,000 PFAS affected, depending on the availability of alternatives, according to the draft proposal. The FPP4EU group of 14 companies that make and use PFAS has said that finding alternatives is a long and difficult process. Within the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), two scientific committees for Risk Assessment and for Socio-Economic Analysis will now review whether the proposal to ban PFAS conforms with wider EU regulation of chemicals known as REACH, followed by a scientific evaluation and consultation with the industry. In August, the United States government said it will propose designating certain forever chemicals as hazardous substances under the U.S. Superfund programme.

☆ B-52 crews are getting special brain training to help them fly the US Air Force's oldest bomber
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Hope Seck | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US Air Force B-52 crews are going through a special brain- and body-conditioning program. The program is part of an effort to find the best way to enhance the performance of Air Force crews. Other airmen could get access to similar programs in the future, an Air Force official said. Officers on the lower deck of a B-52 at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota in August 2006. A B-52 bomber drops cluster bombs over Afghanistan on October 7, 2001.

☆ The 15 billion-dollar healthcare startups facing a make-or-break year in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Billion-dollar healthcare startups could take a hit to their valuations if they fundraise this year. These are the 15 highest-valued healthcare startups that could be hit by the market contraction. Throughout the year, 85 healthcare companies hit valuations of $1 billion or higher worldwide, according to CB Insights. Of the 15 startups with the highest valuations in healthcare, 11 companies haven't announced funding rounds since 2021. Here are the 15 highest-valued healthcare startups to watch.

☆ The end of the Covid health emergency won't slow FDA clearance of shots and treatments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said its emergency authorizations of Covid vaccines, tests and treatments will not be impacted by the end of the public health emergency this spring. President Joe Biden is planning to terminate in May the public health and national emergencies declared in response to the Covid pandemic three years ago, the White House said Monday. The public health emergency gave U.S. health regulators expanded powers to respond faster to the pandemic. The FDA's emergency powers, however, aren't directly tied to public health declaration, according to the agency. This allows the agency to respond more swiftly to public health crises.

☆ Amid high levels of contamination, Puerto Rico town's residents plead for action
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

SALINAS, Puerto Rico — Shuttered windows are a permanent fixture in Salinas, an industrial town on Puerto Rico’s southeast coast that is considered one of the U.S. territory’s most contaminated regions. Salinas also has one of the highest incidence rates of cancer in Puerto Rico, with 140 cases reported in 2019, the newest figures available from the island’s Central Registry of Cancer. Those measures have a limited effect, however, and residents continue frustrated that their complaints about contamination have been ignored for years. That has been hailed by many in Puerto Rico, which has one of the highest asthma rates in a U.S. jurisdiction and whose power generation system is 97% based on fossil fuels. Although she has been the target of protests organized by frustrated residents, she said she is pushing for corrective measures.

☆ SVB Private's Saccocia bets on this medical device stock with an attractive valuation and dividend yield
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Investors looking to play the medical device trade, and find a solid dividend, should consider putting their money in Medtronic, said Shannon Saccocia, chief investment officer at SVB Private. "This valuation is undemanding and looks quite attractive at this point along with the dividend yield," she told CNBC's " Halftime Report " on Monday. So far this year, Medtronic shares have gained 6.4% after tumbling about 25% in 2022. Shares also offer a dividend yield of roughly 3.3%, according to FactSet. As Saccocia bought Medtronic, she sold shares of Merck , citing concerns about the pipeline for the company's cancer drug Keytruda.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 8 things to watch in the market Friday: Intel sinks, Salesforce board shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Intel (INTC) catches multiple price target cuts on Wall Street after missing estimates with fourth-quarter earnings and revenue. Piper Sandler raises On Semiconductor (ON) price target to $85 per share from $75; keeps overweight (buy) rating. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

☆ How AI is detecting heart attack risk and aiming to outsmart America’s No. 1 killer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Kerima Greene | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Cleerly founder and CEO James Min, a cardiologist, started the company to find a better way to assess heart health, by applying AI to the problem. Heart disease is the nation's No. CNBC: What are indirect markers of heart disease? Min: Many emergency department visits for heart attacks are preventable if risk factors for heart disease are identified in advance. Using millions of annotated CCTA images, Cleerly algorithms quantify and characterize atherosclerosis and its features.

☆ Abbott's medical device sales hit by China curbs, supply-chain issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Leroy Leo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) on Wednesday reported lower-than-expected medical device sales in the fourth quarter as COVID-19 curbs in China and supply-chain issues hit its international operations, dragging shares 2.5% lower in premarket trading. The multinational healthcare giant recorded an overall medical device sales of $3.75 billion, missing analysts' average estimate of $3.84 billion. The company, however, posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit, underpinned by strong demand for its diagnostics business and glucose monitoring device FreeStyle Libre. Freestyle Libre has been driving the sales of Abbott's medical devices, offsetting a decline in COVID-19 diagnostic test sales as infections wane. The company recorded $1.1 billion each in sales of FreeStyle Libre and COVID-testing related sales.

Industrial conglomerate 3M Co (MMM.N) fell 5.9%, leading the decliners among Dow components after reporting a fall in quarterly profit. General Electric Co (GE.N) fell 1.1% on a disappointing profit forecast for the year, despite topping quarterly earnings estimates. Big Tech earnings could also determine whether renewed enthusiasm for growth stocks will be sustained. "In the near-term, the answer seemingly lies with tech earnings ... longer-term, if we do experience a Fed pivot this year, then would anticipate a strong, positive buying impulse for tech," JPMorgan analysts wrote in a client note. Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) is scheduled to report quarterly earnings after the bell.

But COVID-19 vaccine sales exceeded diminished expectations and demand for cancer drug Darzalex helped drive the fourth-quarter profit beat. The company reported $689 million in quarterly COVID-19 vaccine sales from outside the United States. J&J said it expects U.S. sales of Stelara to be flat to lower in 2023 due to competition from less expensive biosimilars in certain regions. It forecast adjusted 2023 earnings of $10.45 to $10.65 per share, above analysts' estimates of $10.35. Excluding items, J&J earned $2.35 per share for the quarter, topping analysts' estimates by 12 cents, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

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☆ J&J forecasts 2023 profit above expectations on pharma strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of the drugmaker, however, fell 1% to $166.12 in premarket trading as fourth-quarter sales missed analysts' estimates due to lower demand for its medical devices. J&J expects to earn between $10.45 and $10.65 per share on an adjusted basis for 2023, above analysts' estimates of $10.35 per share profit at the midpoint. The higher 2023 profit forecast also reflects better-than-expected cost controls by J&J, Edward Jones analyst John Boylan said. Darzalex sales were $2.08 billion, while analysts were expecting $2.02 billion, according to Refinitiv. Excluding items, J&J earned $2.35 per share, above analysts' average estimates of $2.23 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

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Industrial conglomerate 3M Co (MMM.N) fell 4.7%, leading the decliners among Dow components in premarket trading, after reporting a fall in quarterly profit. General Electric Co (GE.N) rose 2.2% as it topped quarterly profit estimates, boosted by strong demand for its engines and after-market services. Wall Street's main indexes started the earnings-heavy week on solid ground amid renewed appetite for growth stocks following a battering last year. Shares of Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), which is scheduled to report quarterly earnings after the bell, were flat. Big Tech earnings could also determine whether renewed enthusiasm for growth stocks will be sustained.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the market Tuesday: Club earnings, AMD downgrade, Disney hope
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Three quarterly reports before the bell and Club holding Microsoft (MSFT) after the close. Club holding Nvidia (NVDA): Citi sees generative artificial intelligence ChatGPT as a $5 billion to $11 billion opportunity. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

☆ J&J forecasts strong 2023 profit on strength in pharma unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) on Tuesday forecast annual profit above Wall Street estimates as it bets on stronger demand for its pharmaceuticals products and a recovery in its medical devices business. J&J said it was expecting to earn between $10.45 and $10.65 per share on an adjusted basis for 2023, above analysts' estimates of $10.35 per share profit at midpoint. The healthcare conglomerate also beat estimates for fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday as increased sales of pharmaceutical products helped it weather a hit from a stronger dollarExcluding items, J&J earned $2.35 per share, above analysts' average estimates of $2.23 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Reporting by Manas Mishra and Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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☆ Medical device stocks tend to beat the market, and analysts expect these names to see big gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Bertha Coombs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Medical device makers, like many manufacturers, have faced challenges over the last year from inflationary supply chain costs, staffing shortages and the strong dollar impacting sales overseas. However, since 2007 the device sector ETF has averaged a gain of 14% per year, 6 percentage points better than the broader market index over the same period. More than 60% of analysts rate the shares a buy, with a mean price target implying 34% upside. Nearly 90% of analysts rate the stock a buy, with mean price target of $53, implying more than 30% upside. BTIG analysts Marie Thibault and Ryan Zimmerman think that M & A could be another catalyst for the medical device sector in 2023, with robotic surgery players likely to be of particular interest.

☆ What diabetes is revealing about the benefits and risks of personal medicine connected to the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ellen Sheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Devices such as insulin pumps, which go back decades, and continuous glucose monitors, which monitor blood sugar levels 24/7, are increasingly connected to smartphones via Bluetooth. Sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes and remote health careIt's not just diabetes where the medical device market is offering patients new benefits from remote monitoring. The number of internet-connected medical devices grew during the pandemic, as lockdowns created a big push to treat people at home. Multiple forms of medical cybersecurity riskIndustry security experts categorize cybersecurity risks of medical devices into three buckets. Many medical devices such as insulin pumps require patients to create online accounts to download data to a computer or smartphone.

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