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Revolutionizing modern medicine (Illustration)
Photo: Liqud Library

Just what the doctor ordered

Monitoring heart arrhythmia, helping to halt Alzheimer's or broadcasting live feeds of the small intestine, here is a look at some Israeli inventions that revolutionized modern medicine

Groundbreaking medical developments with a local twist: Israeli inventions and innovations have helped revolutionize modern medicine as we know it in many ways. Ynetnews and Yedioth Ahronoth's Laisha take a look at some of the more famous success stories:

 

Given Imaging – camera capsule used to inspect the small intestine

A 26-mm. capsule which weighs four grams was designed by electro-optics engineer Dr. Gabi Idan of Rafael Medical Technologies. The capsule holds a tiny video camera, lighting, a battery, and a transmitter, all of which is swallowed with a little water. Remaining in the body for eight hours, it films the small intestine, transmitting two frames a second to a receiver on the waist, using antennae worn on the chest.

 

Given Imaging was established in 1998 in order to produce and market the capsule. To date over 700,000 have been sold, with the annual revenue of $13 million. Another product, which will scan the large intestine, is currently being designed.

 

Azilect – used to treat Parkinson's

Azilect (rasagiline) is a medication used to treat Parkinson's patients suffering from the uncontrollable shaking caused by the disease. The drug reduces the breakdown of dopamine resulting in increased levels of dopamine in the brain. Increased dopamine levels alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, which include shaking, slow movement, muscle stiffening and difficulty standing straight.

 

The drug was approved by the FDA, and is currently being produced by Teva Pharmaceuticals. It was designed by Teva based on the findings made by Prof. Musa Yodim, of the Israel Institute of Technology, between 1979 and 1986.

 

Teva's annual sales of Azilect have reportedly reached $100 million. The company is currently sponsoring clinical trials based on the drug, which according to Yodim, could lead to the first medication able to slow the deterioration caused by Parkinson's Disease. 


Inventive, innovative, fighting diseases (Illustration: Liquid Library)

 

Exelon – used to treat Alzheimer's

"Exelon slows the deterioration of cognitive and behavioral functioning cause by Alzheimer's, which is considered one of the more serious medical problems of the current century," claimed Prof. Martha Weinstock-Rosin, psycho-pharmacology expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She added that the disease affects 30-35% of the population over age 85.

 

Exelon is a cholinesterase inhibitor that prevents the breakdown of chemicals in the brain called acetylcholine and butyrylcholine, by blocking the activity of two different enzymes. Acetylcholine and butyrylcholine play a key role in memory and learning; higher levels in the brain help nerve cells communicate more efficiently.

 

The Hebrew University patented the drug, and sold it to the Swiss company Sandoze in 1986. Sandoze demanded that the fact that Exelon is produced in Israel be kept confidential, and so it was until the company merged with another to become Novartis in 1997, when the demand was rescinded.

 

Exelon is currently being sold worldwide, and Novartis reaps an annual profit of $500 million from the drug. It is currently available in patch or pill form.

 

CARTO XP by Biosense – for treating arrhythmia

"CARTO is a navigational and catheter system inserted into the heart through the groin," said Shlomo Ben-Haim, one of the founders of the Israeli Biosense Webster. "The catheter reaches the heart through the veins and, using a technology that is somewhat similar to science-fiction, provides a three dimensional picture of the heart.

 

"Using a half-millimeter long mechanism located at the end of the catheter, the doctor can view color-coded cardiac maps of the electrical activity of the heart. The maps can be used to identify the source of the irregularity."

 

In 1997 Biosense and its products were sold to the American Johnson and Johnson Company, which is currently marketing the mechanism worldwide. In fact, according to Ben-Haim, the Israeli-produced machine has become the most common form of treatment for arrhythmia, and in order to receive a cardiology license in the US, it is necessary to be able to read the CARTO maps.

 

The Feldenkrais Method

The Feldenkrais Method was developed during the 1930s by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. It aims to expand and refine the use of movement to achieve self-awareness. Feldenkrais presented a view that good health means functioning well, and asserted that his method of body-mind exploration leads to improved functioning using a system called Awareness Through Movement (ATM).

 

In an ATM lesson, the teacher verbally directs students through movement sequences and various foci of attention. Usually this occurs in a group setting, although lessons can also be given to individuals, or recorded.

 

Feldenkrais developed the method after he sustained a knee injury. He died in 1984 after training only 13 other teachers of the method. During the '70s and '80s the method began to take root in the US, and numerous lessons are currently being taught to thousands of people worldwide. Unfortunately however, it is impossible to judge the revenues of the now popular method.

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.08.08, 21:05
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