August 25, 2011 – ­ The Munich biotech company apceth started its first Phase I/II clinical study on somatic cell therapy for advanced peripheral arterial occlusive disease (pAOD) after angioplasty. The aim is to investigate the tolerability and efficacy of somatic cell therapeutics developed by apceth for the treatment of pAOD. The study is designed as an open, randomized, monocenter study with two parallel patient groups and is being conducted in cooperation with the Isar-Medizinzentrum in Munich. The first patients have already been treated. A total of 30 patients are to be recruited into the study by March 2012. The initial results of the study are expected by mid-2012.

August 24, 2011 — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new initiative to improve care for patients while in the hospital and after discharge. Doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers can now apply for a new program known as the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative (Bundled Payments initiative).

August 24, 2011 — CardioFocus Inc., developer of the HeartLight endoscopic ablation system (EAS) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), announced the system is now available in the United Kingdom. The first AF patients were treated at The Heart Hospital in London on Wednesday, August 17, with additional cases to take place throughout the month.

August 23, 2011 — PLC Systems Inc. said the final results from the REMEDIAL II investigator-sponsored clinical trial have been published online in Circulation, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. It will appear in the September 2011 issue of the publication. REMEDIAL II is an Italian trial of the company’s RenalGuard device.

August 23, 2011— UltraSPECT of Haifa, Israel, announced the sale of more than 10 of its wide beam reconstruction (WBR) software solutions to nuclear pharmaceutical supplier PCI for placement at customer medical facilities throughout Arizona. PCI is a member of United Pharmacy Partners Inc. (UPPI), a nuclear pharmacy network consortium that recently signed a multi-year distribution agreement for the leasing and/or non-exclusive sales of UltraSPECT’s cardiac and bone imaging applications in the United States.

August 19, 2011 - Neovasc Inc. accomplished $4.7 million in financing to complete the COSIRA clinical trial for the Neovasc Reducer to treat refractory angina. The company will also advance the Tiara project to develop a transcatheter device to treat the mitral valve regurgitation.