PainChek granted patent in Europe
PainChek (ASX:PCK) has been granted a patent in 20 European nations by the European Patent Office (EPO).
The patent was given for the PainChek app, an AI platform designed to analyse facial expressions, vocalisations, movements, and body language to assess the presence and intensity of pain.
The patent, called “A Pain Assessment Method and System”, gives PainChek legal protection for the tech in European countries like Austria, Belgium, Germany, and the UK – and it’s good until 2035.
This patent also adds more muscle to PainChek’s worldwide collection of intellectual property. This portfolio is already pretty impressive, with patents in major markets like the USA, Japan, and China.
Philip Dafas, CEO of PainChek, commented:
“The granting of this European patent is a pivotal achievement for PainChek as it solidifies our position in one of the world’s largest healthcare markets, including the UK which is a particularly important growth region for the company.”
Opthea set to commence Phase 3 trial
Opthea says it has just finished enrolling patients in both the COAST and ShORe trials, which are part of its pivotal Phase 3 clinical program.
This program is testing a treatment called sozinibercept alongside the usual anti-VEGF-A therapies for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).
The aim is to see if this combo treatment is safer and more effective than the standard treatment alone.
The two trials, COAST and ShORe, will involve nearly 2,000 patients who are new to treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), making this one of the largest Phase 3 programs for this condition.
The primary endpoint for both trials is the mean change in Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) from baseline to week 52. Both trials are also evaluating the safety and tolerability over a two-year period.
Opthea’s CEO, Frederic Guerard, commented:
“Sozinibercept is the only late-stage asset in development in over 15 years that is targeting better visual outcomes for wet AMD patients in combination with standard-of- care anti-VEGF-A therapies.”
Pro Medicus nabs US deals worth at least $45m
Meanwhile, heavyweight health imaging company, Pro Medicus (ASX:PME), said its subsidiary, Visage Imaging, has secured five new contracts in the US totalling a minimum of $45m.
These contracts are all for Cloud deployment, and are expected to be completed within the next six months.
Some of the deals include: a $9.5m contract with Consulting Radiology, a private radiology group in Minnesota, spanning five years; and a $11.5m contract for seven years with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a renowned paediatric hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
These new contracts significantly boost Pro Medicus’ total contract value for new sales this financial year to $245 million.
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