Novartis eyes ‘productivity revolution’, an app that tracks opioid overdose in real time, a fungus is threatening the world's chocolate and other interesting reads from this week.

General

Pfizer spins out shelved experimental drugs. Link

Digital Health

Apple, Samsung, Fitbit join FDA digital health fast-track program. Link

Research

Researchers have developed drones that can remotely measure heart and breathing rates. Link

Perspective and Opinions

What does venture capital look for when investing in biopharma? Link

We live in an epidemic of health misinformation. Can mobile apps help? Link

Interesting

Patient in a vegetative state partially revived by nerve stimulation. Link

Startups of the Week

Magenta Medical

Israel-based developer of novel heart failure therapies, secured $15m in Series B financing. Magenta Medical is developing novel therapeutic approaches to the management and treatment of Acute Heart Failure.

Venneos

Germany-based biotech startup raised a series A financing of undisclosed amount. Venneos is developing and marketing the CAN-Q, a silicon chip-based imaging system for analyzing biological cells.

Eligo Bioscience

France-based microbiome company developing drugs to prevent and treat bacteria-associated diseases secured $20m in Series A round of financing. Eligo is developing a programmable biotherapeutics platform, specifically designed to treat bacteria-related diseases at their source and improve overall microbiome health.

ADC Biotechnology

UK-based biotech company raised a funding round of undisclosed amount. ADC Bio has developed a patented Lock-Release technology for the development and manufacture of Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC) group of cancer therapies which are designed to specifically target and kill tumor cells.

Viseon Spine

California-based medical device company closed a $5.0m Series A financing. Viseon has developed devices to improve the procedural and clinical outcomes of many minimally invasive spine surgery procedures.