This Week in Health News: 12 Stories You Need to See

A roundup of the most newsworthy healthcare press releases from PR Newswire this week, including a gene-edited pig kidney transplant, the world's first portable fentanyl detection device, and new research on social media and youth mental health.

NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help healthcare journalists and consumers stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. Gene-Edited Pig Kidney Gives Living Donor New Lease on Life
   An Alabama woman is free from dialysis and in better health after surgeons at NYU Langone Health performed a gene-edited pig kidney transplant last month. The procedure marks the latest promising breakthrough in an emerging surgical practice posited as the solution to the organ supply crisis.
2. Defense Diagnostics Launches DEFENT ONE All-In-One Fentanyl Detection Device
   With a rise in fentanyl poisonings in groups like high school students, college students, young professionals and everyday working-class citizens, DEFENT ONE intends to reduce overdoses by normalizing substance testing in all environments.
3. Abbott Announces First-in-World Leadless Pacing Procedures in the Left Bundle Branch Area of the Heart
   These procedures mark the first time a leadless pacemaker has been implanted into the left bundle branch area, a key part of the heart's electrical conduction system, designed to mimic the heart's natural beat, offering people with slower-than-normal heart rhythms a new potential treatment option.
4. Aetna Adds Spanish Language Capabilities for Health App to Better Serve Diverse Populations
   "As a proud Latino whose first language is Spanish, I'm thrilled to announce the new language capabilities on the Aetna Health app. Better health begins with better engagement with members, and these capabilities demonstrate our commitment to connecting every member to their care in the way that is most accessible for them," said Gus Giraldo, SVP, Individual & Family Plans, Aetna.
5. Holiday Gifts That Help Build Speech and Language Skills in Young Children
   The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) shared some last-minute gift ideas for young children that can help encourage speech and language skills. Many of these gifts are low- to no-cost but offer rich learning opportunities.
6. BD and Babson Diagnostics Launch Innovative Fingertip Blood Testing to Health Care Organizations
   With 70% of clinical decisions informed by diagnostic results, blood tests are a routine part of care to help clinicians diagnose, monitor and treat patients. This novel capillary solution enables care providers to improve access to blood testing in underserved locations that do not have phlebotomy capabilities, while lowering common barriers to testing such as fear of needles and logistical challenges.
7. MHA Issues New Report on Social Media and Youth Mental Health
   "One thing has been notably absent from the public debate over social media's impact on youth mental health: feedback from young people themselves," said report co-author Tinuola Adebukola, MPH, CPH. "Any policy or technological solution must factor in the experiences of young social media users who have deep, unique insight into both the potential harms and benefits of these digital platforms."
8. Scripta Insights Secures Series B Funding, Raises $42M Total, Revolutionizing the Way Americans Shop for Prescription Drugs "In the last year alone we've generated 78,000 prescription switches that have resulted in $29M in prescription savings. We're creating an America where access, affordability and adherence to necessary medicines are no longer barriers to positive health outcomes," said Eric Levin, CEO, Scripta Insights.
9. The HER Foundation's Dr. Marlena Fejzo Spoke at the Inaugural White House Conference on Women's Health Research
   For over two decades, Fejzo has worked to advance hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) research, often without institutional funding. In 2017, she discovered GDF15 is the main cause of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP). Dr. Fejzo shared her personal journey at the White House, recounting the loss of her pregnancy in 1999 due to HG.
10. Tackling the ACL Tear Epidemic in Youth Athletes: A Promising Solution from Arthrex
    Arthrex announced new research showing its cutting-edge ACL reconstruction (ACLR) using the InternalBrace™ technique offers an effective solution to combat reinjuries for young athletes. According to the National ACL Injury Coalition, ACL injuries among high school athletes have surged by nearly 26% over the past 15 years.
11. American Cancer Fund Launches 12 Days of Giving Campaign to Support Cancer Patients and Recently Diagnosed Patients This Holiday Season
    The campaign invites supporters to contribute to the American Cancer Fund, enabling the fund to provide crucial assistance to cancer patients and their families. Each donation helps fund programs that offer sources for financial support, educational resources, and emotional encouragement to those affected by cancer.
12. Samsung invests in Generate: Biomedicines to advance AI-driven protein therapeutics discovery
    Generate applies AI-based optimization and de novo generation to discover and design novel protein therapeutics, and has a robust pipeline of approximately 20 programs from preclinical to clinical development across oncology, immunology, and infectious diseases.

For more news like this, check out all of the latest health-related releases from PR Newswire.

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