TOP STORIES
Shire has acquired Foresight Biotherapeutics in a $300 million deal. The purchase gives Shire access to a conjunctivitis treatment in late stage development. Dr. Flemming Ornskov, Shire CEO, said:
“Ophthalmics is a highly-attractive growth area for Shire and this acquisition allows us to strengthen our presence in this therapeutic area.” — PR Newswire
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Concerns over hacking medical devices have resurfaced. This time the FDA has issued a safety alert that Humira’s Symbiq infusion system is vulnerable to cyberattack. The Department of Homeland Security first called attention to the pump, which is used to deliver medications directly into the bloodstream of patients. Billy Rios, an independent cyber security expert, found that remote attacks on patients could be carried out through a hospital’s network.— Reuters
LIFE SCIENCE
AstraZeneca is collaborating with Isis Pharmaceuticals on gene therapy for
for cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases. — PR Newswire
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
The practice of insurance company doctors overriding mental health professionals on how long in-patient treatment should last, sometimes with deadly results, was the subject of a story on 60 Minutes this week. Although one physician at Anthem, Dr Tim Jack, was singled out for having a 92 percent denial rate for requests to extend in-patient mental health care, that rate fits with 10 other physicians employed by Anthem, the 60 Minutes report said. The former medical director for Anthem in California, Dr. Paul Keith offered the insurance company’s perspective:
“Doctors will spin the clinical information. They will make things appear more serious than, perhaps, they are, because they feel strongly the patient needs this level of care for a little longer. So you do have a somewhat adversarial relationship between the reviewer and the attending physician.”
It would be interesting to see how Anthem’s record compares with other insurers. — 60 Minutes
TECH
Brainscope, an FDA-cleared device designed that can be used to assess whether someone has suffered a traumatic brain injury, has attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Defense for battlefield applications. The device includes a headset with disposable sensors that attach to an Android smartphone, which is used as a mini computer in the field. Army Col. Dallas Hack, the director of combat casualty care for the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command at Fort Detrick, Maryland, said:
“What we’re looking for [on the front lines] is something that measures the actual function of the brain, other than just asking people some questions.”
— Armed with Science (Dept of Defense Science blog)
Louisville, Kentucky-based healthcare startup acelerator XLerate Health launches its third class this week. The seven companies span health IT and medical devices such as clinical trial support to a wireless, disposable laryngoscope that optimizes airway intubation. — XLerate Health
POLITICS
The risk of a government shutdown has been ramped up. — Forbes
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
A new study suggests that energy-conscious buildings tend to be more comfortable for men because they are designed with their metabolic rates in mind, leaving women colder. — Wired
