TOP STORIES
Hey, uh, Steve Jurvetson – yikes!
When asked whether he would invest in Theranos and Holmes now, Jurvetson said, “That’s a great question. So, we definitely stand behind Theranos in the sense that we’re an investor and we want them to succeed, right. So, we don’t, though, have the answers to the questions that are swirling around right now, which is: Can I give you an answer to the questions others are asking. I don’t have that.”
Watch for yourself. – Silicon Valley Business Journal & Bloomberg
LIFE SCIENCES
ForSight Vision5, which treats glaucoma and dry eye disease, among other things, has raised $7.8 million. The company is in the midst of Phase 2 trials. – MassDevice
Former Medtronic director Dr. Conrad Wang is now a principal on the investment team of HealthCare Royalty Partners. – Business Wire
Chinese fund Virtus Inspire Ventures invested $1 million in Gordian Surgical, which is starting clinical trials on a better way to close internal incisions made during laparoscopic surgery. – PRNewswire
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
So Oprah bought a 10 percent share in Weight Watchers – and it triggered a surge in the stock that doubled its price. – USA Today
It’s procedural, but Humana stockholders have approved the Aetna merger. – Business Wire
TECHNOLOGY
Qualcomm’s Venture Fund has made its first India investment: A startup that makes cloud-based software for hospitals and labs. – TechCrunch
Is Nike ready to return fire in the connected fitness space to the likes of Under Armour? It’s pledged to increase online sales by a factor of seven over the next five years. – MobiHealthNews
Primary care remains one of the biggest opportunities for cost-savings through digital health, according to a report from Accenture. – MobiHealthNews
inMediata received a $4 million infusion of cash to expand its healthcare payment platforms. – Business Wire
POLITICS
It looks like pharma has more leverage than I thought in the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal: “The most important trade deal of Barack Obama’s presidency could hinge on a single provision that’s reigniting a years-old debate on monopoly rights for drugmakers.” – The Hill
In a reminder we’re in competitive presidential primaries, Hillary Clinton has sent letters to the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission to further look into Turing Pharmaceuticals. – Reuters
More co-op failure fallout politicking: One Senator wants to block all HHS nominees “until families who lost their co-op insurance plans get straight answers.” – The Hill
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
This is what every nerd in your office will be talking about today.
And despite that video, still so many questions! – Wired