Health Check: Compumedics claims world first ‘kids eat for free’ brain scanning breakthrough

• Compumedics’ MEG unit can scan adult and kid’s heads at the same time – a technically tricky task
• Microba’s comprehensive gut testing reveals all is not well in the tummy region
• Trump’s drug pricing blitz should be “immaterial”, says Telix

Brain-scanning specialist Compumedics (ASX:CMP) reports a world’s first: decent concurrent readings from both adult and children patients imaged by the same MEG device at China’s Tianjin Normal University.

It’s like the old Smorgy’s: kids eat for free.

MEG stands for magnetoencephalography, a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that maps brain activity by recording magnetic fields produced by electrical currents in the grey matter.

The problem to date is that the head scanners on MEGs haven’t been compatible with young and adult noggins, which require two separate units.

Many MEG measurements are done on kids, especially for epilepsy diagnostics.

Compumedics’ Orion Lifespan MEGs rectify this this with a two-scanner configuration (the scanner look like old-fashioned hair dryers at a salon).

“A key principle of MEG is that because magnetic fields drop off very rapidly with distance, the sensors should be as close as possible to the sources of the brain signals,” the company says.

“Since the sensors must be within a rigid helmet shape, a child’s small head in an adult size helmet results in sensors far from the brain.”

Orion Lifespan MEGs also enable better cooling – resulting in more sensitive measurements – and full recycling of the expensive coolant, liquid helium.

This enables around-the-clock use of the units.

Tianjin Normal University was the first of four Chinese institutions to buy an Orion MEG.

In March this year Compumedics sold its fourth unit, to Hangzhou Normal University in a $5.7 million deal.

The orders to date account for about $20 million of revenue.

Compumedics founder and executive chair Dr David Burton says the company has spent “many millions” over the last decade to perfect the units.

Currently, about 200 MEGs are used globally.

Burton reckons eventually there should be just as many MEGs as magnetic resonance imaging units – and there are 34,000 of the latter in use.

 Microba says we’ve all had a gutful

An expansive study carried out by microbiome specialist Microba Life Sciences (ASX:MAP) suggests our tummies are not in the best of shape, but the ailments can be rectified with better clinical management.

The company analysed 4600 patient results from its Metaxplore tests, which scan for 28,000 microbial species in the lower intestine.

Some of these bugs are friendly and some of them are pathogenic.

In more than 70% of cases, the preliminary results showed abnormalities in gut bacteria, signs of infection or inflammation markers “that could inform targeted treatment strategies”.

More than 42% of the tests showed microbiome markers linked to gastrointestinal health, while close to 10% exhibited symptoms such as inflammation, pancreatic insufficiency and blood in stools.

Microba’s selling point is that 65% of patients reported an improvement after following “clinically directed recommendations informed by Metaxplore”.

The test can help clinicians to apply “personalised, multi-dimensional treatment plans to support the clinical management of patients with chronic and functional lower gastrointestinal disorders”.

Even the tests identifying no problems can be helpful in terms of ruling out causes. In some cases, they may point to “psychological or neurological contributors” to symptoms.

In its March quarter update, Microba reported revenue of $3.4 million, down 14% . But management guided to full-year turnover of $15.25-16.25 million, 26-34% higher.

Microba doubled sales of Metaxplore tests during the stanza, to 3225, taking the annualised run rate to 12,900 units.

Locally the assays sell for $369 a pop.

Telix shrugs off Trump drug pricing threat

Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) has declared the Trump administration’s proposed move to lower prescription drug prices has a “a low likelihood of material impact” on the nuclear medicine group’s business.

The key reason is the unique nature of radiopharmaceuticals, which rely on a complex supply chain and ‘just-in-time’ manufacturing.

In other words: the isotopes used on US patients need to be made in the US because of short half lives.

The ready-to-inject radioactive doses are delivered through local nuclear pharmacy distributors.

Under its most favoured nation decree, The Trump administration plans to benchmark local drug prices against those charged in the cheapest of the industrialised nations.

The Prez claims this will reduce drug prices by up to 80% and save Medicare a poultice of money.

But Telix says its localised production makes international pricing comparisons “challenging to benchmark”.

Telix derives most of its revenue in the US, from its approved prostate cancer imaging agent Illucix.

The company intends to go ahead with commercialising kidney and brain cancer imaging products – Zircaix and Pixclara  respectively – and advance cancer therapy agents.

The company promises “pharmaco-economically defensible” pricing in the US.

Telix’s comments were by way of a news item on its website, rather than an ASX announcement.

OIL say! – that’s a decent share rise

Today’s biotech winner is Optiscan (ASX:OIL), with its shares bounding three cents – 30% – in initial trade.

Optiscan had nothing fresh to report, but yesterday said a robotic surgery development effort with Mayo Clinic was going well.

Specifically, the venture is about incorporating Optiscan’s digital confocal laser endomicroscopic (CLE) imaging in the robotic system.

The robots do the fiddly work, while the surgeons guide via joystick (not even necessarily in the same room).

The robots have a steadier hand – and often a better bedside manner.

Rather than wait for biopsies, the CLE enables a real-time assessment in terms of cancer cell types and the extent of the margins at the edge of the tumour.

“This capability is expected to streamline surgical workflows, enhance decision-making, and reduce the likelihood of follow-up surgeries,” the company says.

Optiscan CEO Dr Camile Farah says the venture – initially aimed at breast surgery – has “materially progressed”.