TOP STORIES
A Canadian population health research platform, Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, has created a research portal that includes health and biological data from 300,000 Canadians to study cancer and chronic disease from new angles. The data can be used to conduct long-term population health studies, which look at people’s health, lifestyle or health risks. If study participants develop diseases such as cancer or heart disease, researchers can use their health data to identify factors linked to disease onset.
Dr. Heather Bryant, Vice President of Cancer Control at the Partnership said:
“What makes the CPTP portal so valuable and unique is the volume and variety of the information that has been collected…Researchers have access to health and lifestyle surveys, health outcome data and even biological samples like blood and toenail clippings. This lets them approach cancer and chronic disease from new angles, helping them dig deeper than ever before into its potential causes.” — PR Newswire
Novartis has agreed to acquire Spinifex Pharmaceuticals in a $200 million deal. The company is working on neuropathic pain treatments, including a Phase 2 drug to treat a painful condition associated with Shingles. Neuropathic pain remedies have had varying degrees of effectiveness. — Reuters
LIFE SCIENCE
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Roche is launching its CE Mark approved diagnostic test to identify a heart attack more rapidly before patients get to the hospital. — Roche
Immunocore and Eli Lilly have agreed to collaborate on a combination therapy for patients with melanomas affecting the skin and involving the eye. — BusinessWire
PROVIDERS-PAYERS
A precision medicine center is coming to Mount Sinai Medical Center. — HIT Consultant
A little more than one year after a data breach at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center exposed employee data, an arrest has been made in the case. — HIStalk
TECH
A multiperspective profile of Watson supercomputer’s evolution from gimmicky Jeopardy champ to identifying treatments for cancer. — The Washington Post
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation overhauled its IT department, which led to the elimination of 33 jobs. — Geek Wire
POLITICS
With several acquisition proposals swirling around the health insurance industry, the U.S. Department of Justice is taking an interest. — The Wall Street Journal
A House bill has proposed the elimination of funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Here’s a look at the agency and what defunding it would do. — Healthcare Informatics
A LITTLE EXTRA
In the latest program to make TV watchers question the robotics evolution in our society, particularly healthcare, AMC has debuted “Humans.” — A.V. Club
Photo: Flickr user Kim Seng
