A review of life science current events reported by MedCity News this week.
In Chik-fil-A gay marriage debate, St. Jude Medical, not medtech firm Vante, is the model. What the company could have said was that it was firing the CFO for his shameful behavior that does not reflect what Vante stands for. And it could have also stood up for gay rights. Instead, Vante hid behind phrases like “equal opportunity” and “diverse opinions” to skirt the issue. (Also see: A painful step-by-step timeline of a medical device executive’s Chik-fil-A meltdown).
Personalized medicine by 2020 and other futuristic healthcare predictions. For just a second, let’s stop thinking about the future of medicine in terms of post-healthcare reform and post-2012 election. Let’s think like emerging technology strategist Michell Zappa did when he put together a graphic based on what major technologies he sees – by “looking at emerging trends and research” – becoming mainstream in the next 25 to 30 years.
Einstein Medical Center will stop intubating cats. In a move certain to cheer animal lovers and rile those in favor of using live subjects, a Philadelphia medical center confirmed it has stopped using kittens as part of a training program to teach endotracheal intubation of infants. The decision by Einstein Medical Center comes three months after a physician group filed a complaint against the institution.
Subsidiary of DePuy Synthes receives FDA approval for implantable device that treats spasticity. The MedStream Programmable Infusion System is an implanted device that can deliver antispasm drug baclofen directly into the spinal canal through a catheter to relieve the symptoms of severe spasticity. Spasticity affects 12 million in the U.S. and is a movement disorder often caused by stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury.
5 ways healthcare innovators are helping old people. The AARP has launched a competition to reward startups who are serving the 50-and-older crowd. But there are already scores of funds, research institutions and entrepreneurs looking to serve the gray-haired set.Here are five innovations that the elder set will really enjoy in their sunset years.
Reserve your seat now for MedCity CONVERGE, to be held July 9-10 in Philadelphia. Discover strategies, solutions and startups in healthcare innovation. Be a part of this gathering where the entire healthcare ecosystem converges.
By Deanna Pogorelc MedCity News
Deanna Pogorelc is a Cleveland-based reporter who writes obsessively about life science startups across the country, looking to technology transfer offices, startup incubators and investment funds to see what’s next in healthcare. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ball State University and previously covered business and education for a northeast Indiana newspaper.More posts by Author
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