Morning Read: Renowned neurologist and author Oliver Sacks dies, Amicus acquires Scioderm in a $229M deal

Renowned neurologist and author Oliver Sacks has died of cancer at the age of 82, Amicus Therapeutics has acquired a drug to treat a rare skin disorder through its purchase of Scioderm in a $229 million deal.

TOP STORIES

Renowned neurologist and author Oliver Sacks has died of cancer at the age of 82. One of his greatest achievements was to record his fascination with the inner workings of the human brain into conversational essays that made the subject matter accessible to a wider audience, even those of us without a science background. Among his books were The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Awakenings, which was later adapted into a movie starring Robin Williams. He wrote essays and did interviews with several newspaper, magazine and radio media including Public Radio International program, Radiolab. The Atlantic also helpfully compiled excerpts from his books, among them an essay he wrote in 2010, “This Year, Change Your Mind.”

“To what extent are we shaped by, and to what degree do we shape, our own brains? And can the brain’s ability to change be harnessed to give us greater cognitive powers? The experiences of many people suggest that it can.” — The New York Times

Amicus Therapeutics has acquired a drug to treat a rare skin disorder through its purchase of Scioderm in a $229 million deal that could eventually be worth $618 million after clinical, regulatory and sales milestones are met. Scioderm’s topical cream treats people with a genetic disorder that causes fragile skin. — The Street

LIFE SCIENCES

GlaxoSmithKline has formalized a collaboration with San Francisco-based life science incubator QB3@953 to identify and advance early stage drug development as part of its Discovery Partnerships with Academia initiative. — PR Newswire

PAYERS-PROVIDERS

Cleveland Clinic is taking an option to take over Akron General subject to state and federal regulatory approval. If it gets the greenlight, the entire Akron General system will become part of Cleveland Clinic within the next few months.

Becker’s Hospital Review

Nevada Health CO-OP became the third entity of its kind to fail and more are expected to follow. The model for the co-ops was set up as part of the Affordable Care Act to provide more insurance alternatives to rival the major players. But many are struggling with high administrative costs or finding enough members to cover what they are paying out for medical expenses. In Nevada’s case it struggled with both challenges.  The Nevada Co-Op, which had 21,000 members, was part of Nevada’s health insurance exchange. With open enrollment coming up in November, consumers will be forced to find alternatives. Two others that have announced plans to shut down are Louisiana Health Cooperative
and Co-Oportunity Health, which sold policies in Iowa and Nebraska.

Modern Healthcare

A HIPAA breach at Merit Health, a health system with 12 hospitals and headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, stems from an employee involved in identity theft.  — Healthcare IT News

TECHNOLOGY

What do 3D printing, fish and microrobots have in common? It’s part of a new drug delivery approach that’s in its early stages. — Forbes

Mouthguards that can detect or assess head impacts for concussions are becoming a thing. — Smithsonian

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA

A psychological condition known as hoarding is making it much more challenging for fireman to fight fires and is increasing the death toll from these blazes.

The Atlantic

Photo: Chris McGrath, Getty Images

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