Questioning the AbbVie deal, medical device talks gay marriage and cyberattacks lawsuits (Morning Read)

Lots of questions on the AbbVie deal - from shareholders and analysts alike. Meanwhile, the medical device industry's big players are backing gay marriage, hospitals are suing over cyberattacks, and the FDA made an app (will it work?)!

The Morning Read provides a 24-hour wrap up of everything else healthcare’s innovators need to know about the business of medicine (and beyond). The author of The Read published it but all full-time MedCity News journalists contribute to its content.

TOP STORIES

Lots of questions on the AbbVie deal. The stock dipped yesterday, while Pharmalot noted the the devilish details that Pharmacyclics must split profits with Johnson & Johnson, which has half the rights to Imbruvica. And then there’s this quote in The New York Times: “People say it kind of makes AbbVie look desperate.”

All facets of the medical industry should take a stand on gay marriage. It was nice to see these announcements in the medical device industry.

Cyberattack repercussions are coming to the forefront – for example, the Washington hospital filing a lawsuit against Bank of America seeking $1.03M for recent losses.

LIFE SCIENCE

Oncoceutics cancer treatment is going to get fast-track designation, so says a company VP.

There are so many people with undiagnosed diabetes, a study is evaluating a blood test dentists could do to screen patients for the chronic condition.

Less than 1 percent of sampled milk has been found to have antibiotic residue, according to FDA findings. Reserve more of your health paranoia for other products?

Ikaria is being sold by its private equity owner for $2.3 billion to the biopharmaceutical company Mallinckrodt.

“IkarIa sells for 2.3 B, completing ARCH exit. :),” tweeted cofounder and managing director Bob Nelsen, who told Xconomy in 2008 that Ikaria could be the “biggest biotech IPO ever.”

Amarin announced a $52.8 million private placement.

Infusion pumps have an alarm that should sound when a therapy is interrupted have been recalled by Hospira.

PAYERS-PROVIDERS

Seattle Children’s Hospital has a new CEO taking the helm in May. Dr Jeffrey Sperring, who comes from Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, is in his mid 40s.

Bill Leaver will retire as CEO of UnityPoint Health in January 2016. Kevin Vermeer, UnityPoint’s chief strategy officer, will become the new CEO.

Overall, hospital CEO turnover is still very high.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray introduced legislation aimed at protecting women’s access to reproductive health services.

The Washington Democrat’s wide-ranging bill would mandate state Medicaid programs to provide full coverage for all forms of birth control, require hospitals and clinics to provide free emergency contraception to patients who have been sexually assaulted and order a study of how states are enacting laws to restrict access to abortions and other family-planning services.

New study highlights merits of behavior change tactics over drugs to treat patients with dementia such as encouraging caregivers to speak clearly and calmly published in the British Medical Journal.

“Why I think the caregiver interventions work is because they train caregivers to look for the triggers of the symptoms,” said Dr. Helen Kales, a psychiatrist who directs the University of Michigan’s Program for Positive Aging who was lead author of paper on the study. “And when [caregivers] see the triggers of the symptoms, they train them to manage them…It’s inherently patient- and caregiver-centered.”

Payers may need to prepare for the worst as we wait for a King v. Burwell decision.

Because the back-and-forth throughout the session gave no strong indicator on what the Court will decide, payers may have to play out different scenarios.

TECH

Even though MedCity News does A LOT of the things mentioned – see stethoscope above – HISTalk’s list of the kind of reader shouldn’t read HISTalk is pretty cool (second item).

The FDA released a new app that highlights drug shortages. Get it here.

There may be plenty of tech-savvy seniors, but a new study of seniors with diabetes underscores the need to make app features understandable, readable and relevant.

Criticism and some defensive responses play out with a look at how HITECH’s $28 billion investment has been spent.

Fitbit is acquiring FitStar. A TechCrunch article got confirmation from the wearable maker. It follows a week of speculation over the deal.

POLITICS

A new federal bill would keep employee wellness programs from facing regulatory scrutiny for penalizing workers for not taking part in the programs.

There are a dozen new health insurance exchanges on the horizon.

If the Supreme Court messes with Obamacare, enthusiastic conservatives could actually end up doing more harm in their own states.

Republicans are hanging their hats on comments by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia that the Obamacare challenge has a shot. States may make decisions based off his statements (what if he’s in the minority?).

A LITTLE EXTRA

Even though this probably won’t hurt the average man’s feelings, new research has found that men are simply more narcissistic than women, which could explain the current corporate glass ceiling.

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