March 11, 2021 - Foundation Builds Upon Pediatrics Program – and more news

See two important milestones in the past year...                   March 11, 2021 IN THIS ISSUE Top News | Foundation News | Patient News | Research News  Industry News | Webinars | Events     Momentum Builds for Foundation Pediatrics Program The field of focused ultrasound for pediatrics celebrated two milestones in the past year: the Foundation designated its first pediatric Center of Excellence, and the FDA approved focused ultrasound therapy for the first pediatric condition. Learn about the current clinical trials available for these young patients. The Foundation hosted a Pediatric Benign Brain Tumor Workshop to discuss focused ultrasound to treat these difficult tumors.  We established a Scientific Advisory Board of experts to create a roadmap forward for all pediatric applications.  READ MORE >  Foundation News Watch Now: Fireside Chat on Focused Ultrasound for Pediatrics Focused ultrasound could replace invasive surgery or radiation therapy for children with a variety of tumors. Suzanne LeBlang, MD, discussed the latest research in focused ultrasound for pediatric indications. WATCH THE RECORDING > Foundation Hosts Pediatric Benign Brain Tumor Workshop Approximately 30 experts met virtually in December 2020. The group discussed an ongoing clinical trial and next steps for using focused ultrasound to treat pediatric benign brain tumors. The content from the workshop was captured in a white paper. READ MORE > Foundation Adds Senior Advisor for Medical Imaging and Therapeutics  Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, MA, will be a Senior Advisor for Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapeutics. He will provide input on research projects that involve medical imaging technology. He will also interface with professional societies and represent the Foundation at scientific and medical meetings. READ MORE >  Patient News Medicare Reimbursement for Parkinson’s Disease Expanded to 12 More States Medicare patients in some Midwest and Northeast states will soon have access to focused ultrasound therapy for tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease. In all, 19 states have announced coverage for the treatment under Medicare. Please remember to make sure your treatment center accepts Medicare patients. READ MORE > Focused Ultrasound for Essential Tremor Celebrates 10 Years On February 25, 2011, Jeff Elias, MD, and a University of Virginia (UVA) team treated Billy Williams, the first essential tremor patient to receive focused ultrasound in North America. The partnership between UVA, the Foundation, and Insightec led to this event, which ignited a sea change in therapy. In July 2016, the treatment earned FDA approval. WATCH BILLY SHARE HIS STORY > Essential Tremor Patient Sees Immediate Results after Focused Ultrasound  Roberto suffered from debilitating tremors but is “feeling brand new again” after focused ultrasound treatment. He was treated at Miami Neuroscience Institute, which is affiliated with Baptist Hospital. WATCH THE VIDEO > More Patient News Prostate Cancer Treatment | Hampton Roads Show [video] Research News The History of Focused Ultrasound Professor Gail ter Haar's webinar on the history of the field has been adapted for this special report. The talk was hosted by the International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound, of which Prof. ter Haar is a founding member.  She has directed a research team at the Institute of Cancer Research for more than 30 years. Foundation Chairman Neal Kassell, MD, called the piece "a must watch.” READ MORE AND WATCH THE PRESENTATION > Cardiawave’s First-In-Human Trial Using Noninvasive Focused Ultrasound for the Treatment of Aortic Valve Stenosis Circulation published feasibility results from the first 10 patients in a clinical trial to soften calcified aortic heart valves. Six participants responded to the treatment, possibly due to a longer duration of therapy. Cardiawave is developing their investigational Valvosoft® device to mechanically soften the hardened valves, improve valve function, and reduce symptoms. READ MORE > Radiologists Study Contrast Enhancement Patterns from Alzheimer’s Trial A multisite clinical trial is investigating focused ultrasound for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Radiologists at West Virginia University evaluated contrast agent enhancement patterns from three trial participants during and after treatment. Post-treatment images revealed a unique contrast enhancement pattern downstream from targeted sites. READ MORE >  Funding Opportunity for Alzheimer’s Research The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation seeks funding proposals that show potential for advancing discovery into meaningful therapeutics that treat, prevent, or slow Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. The opportunity provides up to $600,000 over two years plus project support from industry veterans. The deadline for the letter of intent is April 23, 2021. LEARN MORE >  Visit our free, online research library of focused ultrasound publications. *Login required   More Research News MRI Shows Focused Ultrasound May Induce Immunological Response in Alzheimer’s Patients | Diagnostic Imaging Black History Month 2021: Reflecting on the Impact of Race | University of California, San Francisco Industry News Article Highlights EDAP TMS’s Focused Ultrasound Treatment for the Prostate   Authority Magazine interviewed EDAP TMS CEO Marc Oczachowski in a series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs.   He shares what led him to the company, his hopes for its future, and thanks the Foundation. READ THE ARTICLE > Profound Medical Interview Highlights Sonalleve Device for Pediatrics  Dr. Karun Sharma of Children’s National Hospital discussed using the Sonalleve device to treat painful bone tumors in young patients.  Sonalleve is FDA approved to treat these tumors, called osteoid osteomas. Dr. Sharma shares why a noninvasive, radiation-free treatment is crucial for these patients. WATCH THE INTERVIEW > More Industry News Profound Medical to Participate in March Virtual Investor Conferences | Globe Newswire Webinars Bioeffects of Ultrasound Thursday, March 25, 2021, at 11:00 am Eastern Tatiana Khokhlova, PhD, University of Washington in Seattle Hosted by the International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound LEARN MORE AND REGISTER > Celebrating Women in Bio Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at 12:00 pm Eastern The Foundation's Chief Scientific Officer Jessica Foley, PhD, joins others to discuss opportunities and challenges for women scientists and business leaders. Hosted by CvilleBioHub LEARN MORE AND REGISTER > The Evolution of Prostate Care and Men's Health at the ALTA Klinik Thursday, April 1, 2021, at 12:00 pm and 9:00 pm Eastern Dr. Agron Lumiani will discuss how the TULSA-PRO system drove the evolution of prostate care in his ALTA Klinik. Hosted by Profound Medical LEARN MORE AND REGISTER > Recent Webinar Recordings Fireside Chat: Focused Ultrasound for Pediatrics | Suzanne LeBlang, MD | Hosted by the Focused Ultrasound Foundation (45 minutes) Bubbles, Targeted, Droplets, Science Behind the Agents | Eleanor Stride, PhD | Hosted by the International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound (58 minutes) Podcast: Penn Medicine Neurosurgery Expert on Focused Ultrasound for Essential Tremor | Gordon Baltuch, MD, PhD | Hosted by Global Neurology Academy (11 minutes) Do you have news for our newsletter? Tell us about it!   Upcoming Events March 11-12, 2021 26th Annual Meeting of the Blood-Brain Barrier Consortium | VIRTUAL MEETING March 20-26, 2021 Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Annual Meeting | VIRTUAL MEETING March 25, 2021 Bioeffects of Ultrasound  | WEBINAR March 30, 2021 Celebrating Women in Bio | WEBINAR April 1, 2021 The Evolution of Prostate Care and Men's Health at the ALTA Klinik  | WEBINAR April 10-13, 2021 European Conference on Interventional Oncology (ECIO) 2021 | VIRTUAL MEETING April 11-14, 2021 American Institute for Ultrasound in Medicine Annual Integrative Ultrasound Meeting 2021 | VIRTUAL MEETING May 12, 2021 A Flexible MRgHITU Platform for Precise and Incision-free Ablative Therapies | WEBINAR June 6-9, 2021 International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound (ISTU) 2021, Gyeongju, Korea | Abstract deadline extended until March 15, 2021. June 8-10, 2021 180th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) | VIRTUAL MEETING  June 10-12, 2021 Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Pediatric Conference, Washington, DC June 17-18, 2021 1st HIFUture Symposium, Lyon, France September 25-29, 2021 Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) 2021, Lisbon, Portugal | Abstract deadline is March 15, 2021.