TOP STORIES
Carestream Health received FDA clearance for its tool to read ECG waveforms on desktops and tablets using its Vue Motion universal viewer. ER physicians, cardiologists and other clinicians can use it to quickly view ECG exams to treat patients with STEMI (ST segment elevation myocardial infarction) and other heart conditions and illnesses. — Carestream
Now the Federal Trade Commission is getting tough on drug hoppers — opportunists in pharma who tweak products to retain exclusivity and block generic competition. The FTC filed an amicus brief as part of an appeal of Mylan’s lawsuit accusing Warner Chilcott and Mayne Pharmaceuticals of using the technique to prevent generic competition of their acne medication, Doryx. — FDAnews
LIFE SCIENCES
Johnson & Johnson has begun a safety and efficacy trial in Sierra Leone for a preventive Ebola vaccine. — Reuters Health
Houston heart failure biotech Procyrion has raised $10 million. – Xconomy
Verastem’s cancer drug has stumbled in its trial and the company has cut half of it’s workforce. – Boston Business Journal
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.
Following its deal with Preventice, Boston Scientific is evaluating remote monitoring services through a design challenge. — Fierce Medical Devices
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration greenlighted marketing of the first cerebrospinal fluid nucleic acid-based test for the detection of multiple pathogens that lead to central nervous system infections. FilmArray Meningitis/Encephalitis Panel uses CSF specimens from patients showing signs of meningitis or encephalitis. — FDA News
Quartet Medicine raised $6.25 million as part of a larger $23.25 million in a Series A to support the development of drugs to treat chronic pain and inflammation. It added Remedix Ventures and a couple of Shanghai-based strategic investors. — BusinessWire
A research team at University of California Davis will receive a $15.5 million grant spread across five years to build an imaging device that scans the whole body and reduces radiation exposure. — Sacramento Business Journal
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
The description of a small-town hospital: “These institutions are often mainstays of small communities, providing not just close-to-home care but also jobs and economic stability.” The 58th rural hospital since 2010 closed this week. – The New York Times
New York hospitals have a higher than average C-section rate, according to a Leapfrog report. They account for more than 28.5 percent of births on average at the 42 New York hospitals that submitted data to the 2015 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. — Crain’s New York Business
The former CFO of Bonner General Health in Idaho turned herself in after allegedly embezzling funds. She’s charged with one count of grand theft and could face 14 years in prison. – Bonner County Daily Bee
Memorial Hermann Health System CEO Dan Wolterman will retire from the Houston health system in the second half of 2016. — Modern Healthcare
Health insurance support startup Take Command Health grows in Texas. — BusinessWire
TECHNOLOGY
Social Security aligns itself with CommonWell to push interoperability — EHR Intelligence
Amazon’s web service is providing a way to build, test and evaluate apps for Android. It will allow developers to connect to the Internet of Things. It will also test and evaluate apps. Amazon made the announcement at AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas. — VentureBeat
Datu Health raises $10 million from St Joseph Health to support its patient tracking platform. It has backed the digital health startup since 2013 when it launched. — MobiHealth News
The Berlin based company behind the menstrual cycle tracking app has attracted $7 million in new investment from companies including Union Square Venture and Mosaic Ventures in London, England. — Bloomberg
Safeguard has become a founding contributor for Association of Women Entrepreneurs Ventures. — AWE Ventures
POLITICS
The silver lining in the wake of the terrible but periodic shooting massacres? A move closer to bipartisan bill that would remove barriers for Medicaid funding of mental health treatment, such as getting physicial and mental health care on the same day. — The Hill
A drive to repeal the California vaccination law has failed. – Reuters
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
California could be the first state to outlaw human antibiotics in livestock as part of a bill before the state senate. SB 27 would prohibit the regular use of antibiotics on animals that are not sick for either speeding up animal growth or “disease prevention.” Federal policy targets only growth promotion. — San Francisco Chronicle
