Natick

Boston Scientific, lifted by growth in cardiac-treatment devices, reported a 4-percent jump in operational revenue for the first quarter along with net profits of $133 million, rebounding from a $454 million loss in the first quarter of 2013.

Natick-based Eastern Insurance Group LLC said Thursday it has acquired Smith Buckley & Hunt, a 12-person insurance agency based in Brockton.

Karyopharm Therapeutics is beginning early-stage clinical trials of its cancer drug, Selinexor, on children with relapsed or resistant forms of leukemia.

Natick-based Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX) has received approval for its newest defibrillators and heart failure devices, including the trademarked Dynagen Mini, Inogen Mini ICDs, and the Dynagen XF and Inogen X4 CRT-Ds.

Natick-based Cognex Corp., which manufacturers machine sensors, said it received more than $3 million in purchase orders for its DataMan barcode readers.

Fallon Ambulance Service, based in Boston's South Shore suburbs, is expanding west to a new location in Ashland after it was selected as the emergency medical services provider for MetroWest Medical Center, Fallon announced.

Karyopharm Therapeutics of Natick has produced promising results as it develops its cancer drug, KPT-330. Now, the startup is exploring other potential applications for its technology. Karyopharm CEO Dr. Michael Kauffman said the startup has tested KPT-330 in a topical gel on animal subjects and gotten positive results in treating wounds that are difficult to heal. The startup is also studying other applications for autoimmune diseases, but Kauffman said it was too early to discuss those in detail.

Natick-based Boston Scientific has expanded the rollout of its implantable defibrillator into parts of Asia.

Parcell Laboratories, a Natick-based provider of stem cell therapeutics, announced Wednesday that it's partnering with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to study a new stem cell-based wrinkle reduction treatment.

MassEcon, the state's private-sector economic development partner, unveiled 81 new sites that have been deemed ready to accommodate business tenants interested in locating in the Bay State.