Latest news with #UniversityHealthNetwork
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Neuralink secures $650m in Series E to advance brain implant technology
Neuralink has secured $650m in a Series E financing round, marking a milestone in the advancement of its brain implant technology. This latest financial boost is aimed at expanding the reach of the company's devices, which are said to restore independence for individuals with severe medical conditions. The round saw contributions from a host of investors, including DFJ Growth, ARK Invest, Founders Fund, Human Capital, G42, Lightspeed, QIA, Thrive Capital, Sequoia Capital, Valor Equity Partners, and Vy Capital. Since its Series D round in August 2023, Elon Musk's Neuralink has been advancing the development of brain interfaces. According to the company, currently, five people with severe paralysis utilise Neuralink's technology to control various digital and physical devices using their thoughts alone. The company's trials are underway at neurosurgical care institutions across three countries on two continents. These comprise the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami, US, the Barrow Neurological Institute, US, the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and the University Health Network (Toronto Western Hospital), Canada. Neuralink invested in enhancing the device's interaction with a greater number of neurons and brain areas to unveil new potential dimensions. The fresh funding is set to expedite the company's drive to broaden access to patients and develop future solutions that bridge the gap between biological intelligence and AI. Musk has shifted focus back to his ventures, including Neuralink, Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, after stepping down as a special adviser to US President Donald Trump. Last November, Neuralink secured approval for the CONVOY trial to study the brain implant with an assistive robotic arm, alongside the PRIME study in the US. Additionally, Health Canada approved Neuralink's first global trial, CAN-PRIME, to assess its implantable device, with the aforementioned University Health Network hospital selected as the trial site. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration granted the company's brain-computer interface breakthrough device designation for treating individuals with severe speech impairment. "Neuralink secures $650m in Series E to advance brain implant technology" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Neuralink secures $650m in Series E to advance brain implant technology
Neuralink has secured $650m in a Series E financing round, marking a milestone in the advancement of its brain implant technology. This latest financial boost is aimed at expanding the reach of the company's devices, which are said to restore independence for individuals with severe medical conditions. The round saw contributions from a host of investors, including DFJ Growth, ARK Invest, Founders Fund, Human Capital, G42, Lightspeed, QIA, Thrive Capital, Sequoia Capital, Valor Equity Partners, and Vy Capital. Since its Series D round in August 2023, Elon Musk's Neuralink has been advancing the development of brain interfaces. According to the company, currently, five people with severe paralysis utilise Neuralink's technology to control various digital and physical devices using their thoughts alone. The company's trials are underway at neurosurgical care institutions across three countries on two continents. These comprise the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami, US, the Barrow Neurological Institute, US, the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and the University Health Network (Toronto Western Hospital), Canada. Neuralink invested in enhancing the device's interaction with a greater number of neurons and brain areas to unveil new potential dimensions. The fresh funding is set to expedite the company's drive to broaden access to patients and develop future solutions that bridge the gap between biological intelligence and AI. Musk has shifted focus back to his ventures, including Neuralink, Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, after stepping down as a special adviser to US President Donald Trump. Last November, Neuralink secured approval for the CONVOY trial to study the brain implant with an assistive robotic arm, alongside the PRIME study in the US. Additionally, Health Canada approved Neuralink's first global trial, CAN-PRIME, to assess its implantable device, with the aforementioned University Health Network hospital selected as the trial site. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration granted the company's brain-computer interface breakthrough device designation for treating individuals with severe speech impairment. "Neuralink secures $650m in Series E to advance brain implant technology" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- Health
- Cision Canada
/R E P E A T -- MEDIA ALERT - The Beaches, Rick Mercer, Mayor Olivia Chow to attend UHN's We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers/
, May 30, 2025 /CNW/ - WHAT: We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers is UHN's first ever large-scale public event. The walk will be followed by a live concert by Tom Cochrane, and celebration supporting University Health Network. We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers will bring together over 3,000 participants, special guests, and high-profile supporters in a one-of-a-kind celebration of Canada's #1 hospital. The Beaches, participating in the walk Rick Mercer, speaking during closing ceremonies Tom Cochrane, performing live Madison Tevlin and Sangita Patel, lead ambassadors Julie Quenneville, CEO of UHN Foundation Dr. Kevin Smith, CEO of University Health Network Mayor Olivia Chow, speaking during opening ceremonies Mayko Nguyen, Canadian actress participating in the walk Sam Schachter, 2x Olympic Beach Volleyball athlete participating in the walk Aphrose, performing live Shilpa Raju, double lung transplant recipient from UHN participating in the walk WHEN: WHERE: Toronto General Hospital outdoor parking lot 201 Elizabeth St. (Gerrard St. W and Elizabeth Street) MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: Celebrities, Mayor Olivia Chow, hospital dignitaries, patient ambassadors and participants all available for interview, as listed above Compelling visuals: stage moments, performances, crowd shots, live music, attendees and more Behind-the-scenes access to interview celebrity participants and performers SOURCE UHN Foundation
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- Health
- Cision Canada
MEDIA ALERT - The Beaches, Rick Mercer, Mayor Olivia Chow to attend UHN's We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers
, May 30, 2025 /CNW/ - WHAT: We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers is UHN's first ever large-scale public event. The walk will be followed by a live concert by Tom Cochrane, and celebration supporting University Health Network. We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers will bring together over 3,000 participants, special guests, and high-profile supporters in a one-of-a-kind celebration of Canada's #1 hospital. The Beaches, participating in the walk Rick Mercer, speaking during closing ceremonies Tom Cochrane, performing live Madison Tevlin and Sangita Patel, lead ambassadors Julie Quenneville, CEO of UHN Foundation Dr. Kevin Smith, CEO of University Health Network Mayor Olivia Chow, speaking during opening ceremonies Mayko Nguyen, Canadian actress participating in the walk Sam Schachter, 2x Olympic Beach Volleyball athlete participating in the walk Aphrose, performing live Shilpa Raju, double lung transplant recipient from UHN participating in the walk WHEN: Saturday, May 31, 2025 8:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. Media check in: 7:30 A.M. WHERE: Toronto General Hospital outdoor parking lot 201 Elizabeth St. (Gerrard St. W and Elizabeth Street) MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: Celebrities, Mayor Olivia Chow, hospital dignitaries, patient ambassadors and participants all available for interview, as listed above Compelling visuals: stage moments, performances, crowd shots, live music, attendees and more Behind-the-scenes access to interview celebrity participants and performers SOURCE UHN Foundation
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Adela to Present Data Highlighting Ability of its Tissue-Agnostic Test for MRD Detection and Response Monitoring to Predict Progression and Identify Non-Responders to Immunotherapy in Solid Tumors at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting
FOSTER CITY, Calif., May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Adela, Inc., an innovator in blood testing for molecular residual disease (MRD) monitoring and early cancer detection through a proprietary genome-wide methylome enrichment technology, is presenting results of two studies demonstrating the ability of its MRD test to predict progression and identify non-responders to immunotherapy at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting from May 30 – June 3, 2025. "In patients with advanced cancer receiving immunotherapy, it can be challenging to differentiate true progression from pseudoprogression during early treatment cycles based on imaging," said Lillian Siu, MD, FRCPC, Medical Oncologist and Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network. "To better identify non-responders and guide timely treatment adjustments, more reliable response assessment tools are needed. Methylation-based circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) technology shows promise in these regards." The ability of Adela's test to identify progression in patients treated with immunotherapy was demonstrated in two studies. The first study included banked samples from 64 patients with advanced head & neck, breast, ovarian, melanoma, or other solid tumors who received pembrolizumab. Blood samples were collected pre-treatment and prior to initiation of cycle 3 of treatment. A decrease in ctDNA from the pre-treatment blood draw to the pre-cycle 3 blood draw was associated with a significantly better PFS [hazard ratio (HR) of 0.28 (0.15, 0.49); p<0.0001] and OS [HR 0.42 (0.24, 0.76); p=0.003]. "These results show promise in assessing response to immunotherapy early in a patient's course of treatment," said Enrique Sanz-Garcia, MD, Medical Oncologist and Clinician-Investigator at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network. "Identifying non-response earlier can support timely treatment decisions and help avoid unnecessary toxicity." The second study included banked samples from 63 patients with stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer treated with definitive chemoradiation followed by consolidative durvalumab (stage III) or with PD-1 inhibitors +/- chemotherapy (stage IV). Blood samples were collected pre-treatment, 2-4 weeks after treatment initiation and approximately 6-8 weeks thereafter until progression. Patients with a positive MRD test showed significantly worse PFS than those who tested negative (HR 4.8; 95% CI, 2.1-10.8; P < 0.0001). "Together, these two studies demonstrate the potential of Adela's tissue-agnostic test to predict outcomes and support clinical decision-making for patients receiving immunotherapy across a range of cancer types," said Dr. Anne-Renee Hartman, Chief Medical Officer at Adela. "Because tumor tissue is often unavailable in patients with advanced cancer, Adela's blood-only, tissue-free approach offers a universally accessible solution for this population." Adela's MRD test based on its genome-wide methylome enrichment platform is currently available to biopharmaceutical companies and other investigators for Research Use Only (RUO), including for biomarker discovery and drug development. Adela plans to commercialize the test in 2025 for use in patients who have received curative intent treatment for head & neck cancer, regardless of HPV status, to detect recurrence earlier and help guide treatment decision-making. Presentation Details Abstract #8550: Identification of immunotherapy early treatment failure in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using a novel cell-free DNA (cfDNA) tissue-agnostic genome-wide methylome enrichment assay Dr. Tuan Hoang1 Hall A, Poster Board: 30 Saturday May 31, 2025 1:30 PM-4:30 PM CDT Abstract # 2545: Validation of an optimized tissue-agnostic genome-wide methylome enrichment assay to predict clinical outcomes in patients treated with pembrolizumab DR. Enrique Sanz-Garcia1 Hall A, Poster Board: 192 Monday June 2, 2025 1:30 PM-4:30 PM CDT About Adela Adela is developing best-in-class technology to accelerate the diagnosis and improve the management of cancer through blood tests for minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring and multi-cancer early detection (MCED). Adela's blood-based, tissue-free product ensures universal accessibility to MRD testing for patients with cancer, eliminating any dependency on tumor tissue availability. Adela's approach efficiently captures extensive, biologically-relevant genomic information from the methylome, providing greater opportunity to detect cancer signals in the blood compared to platforms that target a smaller set of genomic regions. Adela's first product utilizing this genome-wide methylome enrichment platform was recently clinically validated for predicting and surveilling for recurrence in patients with head & neck cancer and published in Annals of Oncology. Adela's investors are F-Prime Capital, OrbiMed, Deerfield Management, Decheng Capital, RA Capital Management and Labcorp. Find more information at 1 Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Adela Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
