Diagnosing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)—the excessive buildup of fats in the liver that can lead to liver cancer, failure and the need for a transplant—has always been a difficult prospect. Tissue biopsies may hit the wrong spot and miss the diffuse signs entirely, while imaging methods can be limited in effectiveness and may be subjective.

One of the most sought-after targets in immuno-oncology over the past few years is “don’t eat me” signaling, a process by which tumors escape destruction by preventing immune cells from detecting, engulfing and destroying them. OSE Immunotherapeutics is among the companies pursuing this signaling pathway, and it has unveiled preclinical data supporting a novel strategy for disrupting it.

To capture a clearer picture of patients’ progress in its clinical trials for heart failure and chronic kidney disease, AstraZeneca has tapped the Australian developer ImpediMed and its devices that can measure the fluid status of a person’s tissues in 30 seconds.

Genetic code has served as the basis of the human story for millenia. Now, a group of tech and medtech companies aim to spin digital data into DNA itself, to archive information in the arrangement of its molecules.

Amgen and Cytokinetics did not impress when they unveiled topline data for their heart failure drug last month. Now, the duo are sharing a deeper look at a treatment that met its goal in a phase 3 study but did not help patients with heart failure live longer.

Earlier this year, Caption Health received the FDA’s approval for artificial intelligence programs that guide untrained clinicians through the steps of a cardiac ultrasound exam—coaching them on how to acquire a clear image capable of diagnosing heart disease, through a process that typically requires a specialist.

Oncolytic viruses hold promise as cancer treatments due to their cancer-killing prowess and ability to be combined with other therapies. But few drugs derived from oncolytic viruses have made it to the market.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and GOSSELIES, Belgium, — iTeos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITOS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery and development of a new generation of highly differentiated immuno-oncology therapeutics for patients, today announced the appointment of Matthew Roden, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors. Dr. Roden joins the Board as a Partner of MPM Capital and will replace Ansbert Gadicke, M.D.

UCB has struck a deal to buy gene therapy startup Handl Therapeutics. The takeover, which was disclosed alongside a separate gene therapy collaboration, positions UCB to accelerate its push into genetic medicines.

Medtronic aims to quickly reap what it’s sown with a number of tuck-in deals this year, by rolling out the smart insulin pen picked up in its strategic acquisition of Companion Medical this summer.