TOP STORIES
Novartis got FDA approval for new heart medication this week, amidst concerns that its price tag will dissuade insurers from reimbursing it. But in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez (pictured) made a case for using remote monitoring to support the drug as a way to save money in the long term.
“If you had a remote patient-monitoring device that the patient could use in their home together with Entresto, we could make an even more serious dent in hospitalization.”
Beyond the Pill is a growing trend among pharma companies looking for ways to add more value to their medication with digital services aimed at improving medication compliance but also helping their physicians monitor their health between appointments. He added:
“We’re going to have to get smarter about services around the pill…and move into some areas that are different from just discovery of the drug…You’re going to see Novartis go to payers with multiple services.”
LIFE SCIENCES
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.
Charles River Labs has agreed to acquire Celsis for $212 million – Celsis is a rapid bacterial detection systems for quality control testingin the biopharmaceutical and consumer products industries. — Business Wire
Links have been identified between antidepressants Prozac and Paxil and birth defects in women who take them while pregnant, but the government has cleared Celexa, Lexapro and Pfizer’s Zoloft, despite the latter’s major lawsuit over birth defect claims. — Reuters
Global Blood Therapeutics, which was founded by Third Rock Ventures, is angling for a $115 million IPO to pay for its work on an oral treatment for sickle cell disease.
The company, launched in 2011, is plotting to make its debut on the Nasdaq under the symbol “GBT,” for now staying quiet on how many shares it intends to offer or at what price. The proceeds of its planned debut will go toward GBT440, an oral drug designed to interrupt the root cause of sickle cell disease.
The FDA is strengthening an existing label warning that non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke. — Drugs.com
Paul Sonnier is joining the strategic advisory board for Pathway Genomics — a global precision medicine company with mobile solutions for clinical laboratory testing. Sonnier is a digital health advocate and social entrepreneur who also runs a LinkedIn Group on digital health. — Pathway Genomics
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
Why aren’t payers participating more in health information exchanges?According to an American Medical Association report, they think they are long on financial demands and short on relevant data. — Healthcare Dive, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
Despite different providers dealing with consolidation, an opinion piece demonstrates that UnitedHealth is still looking pretty solid as the largest payer.
UnitedHealth has been on the sidelines of the merger frenzy in health insurance — so far. That’ll work out just fine for them, business columnist Lee Schafer says. Aetna’s agreement to buy its rival Humana is only the first deal to come out of an amazing merger-and-acquisition free-for-all going on among the largest publicly held health insurance companies.
POLITICS
Some House Democrats are threatening to oppose the bipartisan medical cures bill, or the 21st Century Cures Act, over concerns that Republicans are using it to further restrict abortion funding with a recently spread rider.
“Why in the world would you put in an abortion rider on a thing for medical research?” Slaughter asked during floor debate. Good question. — The Hill
TECH
Since patient health data breaches have been in the news this week, could medical imaging devices be the next security concern waiting in the wings? — Forbes
Some tips for those leaving conferences when it comes to avoiding illnesses that inevitably come about from exposure to so many people. — Vitals
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
For those of us who like to keep up with dinosaur news:
A newly discovered horned dinosaur from Canada lived 79 million years ago, making it one of the oldest known members of the Triceratops family, Ceratopsidae. It also sports the earliest evidence we’ve seen of a tall nose horn, offering hints about when this iconic feature evolved. The findings were published in PLoS One this week. — IFLScience
Photo: Novartis AG
Photo (featured): Flickr user James Morley
