Cardiology on trial in Munster, Indiana

TOP STORIES

The case of a cardiology practice in northern Indiana will prove to be a showdown over waste and medical procedures.

“Cardiology, whether we like it or not, is generally a big moneymaker for hospitals,” said Dr. Steven Nissen, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic and the former president of the American College of Cardiology. “We are still a fee-for-service system, and that creates, in my view, misaligned incentives among some physicians to do more procedures and among some institutions, particularly in areas where there is not tight medical supervision, to turn a blind eye and enjoy the high revenue stream.”

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.

The article is a fascinating read: pitting doctors against doctors and taking on the unwritten rules of clinical practices. – The New York Times

VCs are pushing back on the Theranos criticism – largely with the typical defensive tropes like “new tech is hard.” Truth: no one knows much except the FDA and Theranos. – Business Insider

Early indications are that Q3 is looking good for Valeant. Its quarterly earnings released show revenue was up 36 percent (though keep in mind the stock is down more than 30 percent from its August high). – Bloomberg, Valeant Investor Relations, Bidness Etc. & The Wall Street Journal

LIFE SCIENCES

Will the FDA rebuff of Shire’s eye drug lifitegrast also be the company’s knockout blow in its pursuit of Baxalta? – Reuters

A requiem for Marijn Dekkers – the outgoing CEO of Bayer – and a defense of the German way of doing business: “In the [US] culture, pressure comes too quickly if something doesn’t go well. People start knocking on your door saying, ‘Why don’t you sell this’ or ‘I want to be on your board as an activist.’ ” – Financial Times

Here’s a sneak preview of Dimension Therapeutics IPO – they hope to raise about $83 million when they hit the market this week as they push a new hemophilia treatment to market. – Boston Business Journal

Lightpoint Medical received a CE Mark for its cancer imaging system and will launch in Europe. Its United States launch is planned for next year. – PR Newswire

ViewRay has won approval to sell its system in South Korea. – PR Newswire

Ex-Oxxon Therapeutics and La Jolla Pharmaceutical CEO Dr. Deirdre Y. Gillespie is the new of CEO of Virttu Biologics. – PR Newswire

PAYERS-PROVIDERS

There was a shooting in a hospital over the weekend. A suspect treated at a Minnesota facility grabbed a gun from a sheriff’s deputy and killed the officer. Hospital security staff subdued the shooter. – Associated Press

Nice thought: “What I want is a care system that has continuity and that is concerned about my hopes and fears, and tailors a set of services to what I most need, rather than assuming that they’re going to come in and fix it.” – MedPage Today

John Langlois is the new CEO of Walker Baptist Medical Center. – Mountain Eagle

POLITICS

More obituaries for the Obamacare co-ops. “The co-op program was always kind of swimming upstream,” said Larry Levitt, senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation, which does nonpartisan health analysis. “Starting an insurance company is not easy, and there’s a reason why it’s not done very often.” – The Hill

Australia will now allow the cultivation of marijuana for medicinal and scientific purposes in order to establish clinical trials for pot. – Reuters

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA

Get a taste of the evolution of a chemistry lab – circa 1820. The University of Virginia uncovered the lab, which is linked directly to U.S. President Thomas Jefferson (he helped design the building). – NPR & UVA Today

Photo: Wikimedia Commons