Lung cancer is the number one cause of deaths from cancer, in large part because it generally isn't detected until very late stages. At that point, survival rates are low and the only option is radical lung surgery. But now imaging technologies can detect smaller cancers, sooner, and in the wake of the publication of the Early Lung Cancer Action Project, the medical device industry is preparing for a paradigm shift. Start-ups are now developing technologies to remove the barriers in diagnosis and access that hinder therapeutic intervention.

superDimension describes its interventional pulmonology device as a"global positioning system" for the lungs. Based on electromagnetic localization technology, superDimension combines a novel, steerable catheter that can maneuver in the tiny vessels at the lungs' periphery, with image-processing and navigation technologies that allow pulmonologists to visualize in real time the path of the catheter as it moves through the lungs.

Public Company Edition: Cancer-focused Adlai Nortye launched a concurrent initial public offering and private placement, while four other drug developers announced or completed SPAC mergers. Also, Sobi grossed $540m in a rights issue and Immunovant followed early data with a $450m FOPO.