TOP STORIES
The amount of spending on drugs globally is forecast to grow to $1.4 trillion by 2020 compared with $1.07 trillion this year, according to IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. Among the reasons for the rise are increased patient access to medicines across the world and high-priced drugs for chronic diseases. It estimates that patent expirations could cut spending on branded medications by $178 million. — Pharma Times
It has been three years since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against routine screenings for prostate specific antigen. It has already had a substantial effect on the number of men being screened, which fell from 41 percent in 2008 to 31 percent in 2013. — Reuters
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
LIFE SCIENCES
Despite the terrorist organization that bears the same name and even a move by Archer creators to drop the name, ISIS Pharmaceuticals has no plans to rebrand for now. — The San Diego Union-Tribune
AstraZeneca is collaborating with Cerulean on a study that will combine Cerulean’s nano-polymer drug conjugate with the big pharma’s Lynparza to evaluate its effects on tumors. The National Cancer Institute will fund and execute the study. — Fierce Biotech
The U.S. Justice Department is cracking down on nutrition supplement makers over false advertising and lying about ingredients. — Reuters
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
NYC Health and Hospitals, which runs 11 hospitals and Maimonides Medical Center, will screen new mothers for depression in the first part of a plan to make the screenings for pregnant women and new mothers more widely available within two years. — New York Daily News
Daniel Barchi, CIO for Yale New Haven Health System will leave at the end of the month. He will succeed Aurelia Boyer, CIO at New York-Presbyterian, when she retires this year. — HISTalk
The Washington Nationals are changing up their health plan. — The Washington Post
Tandigm Health will collaborate with Doylestown Health System. — Philly.com
TECHNOLOGY
Proteus Digital Health tapped Molly O’Neill as Chief Commercial Officer. She was previously Tenet Healthcare’s senior vice president of business development. — Proteus Digital Health
For a company that has been content to flirt with healthcare, Uber sure is boosting its profile in this sector. This year it will vastly expand a program create by Boston Children’s Hospital Chief Innovation Officer John Brownstein to use the Uber car service to deliver nurses bearing flu vaccines to people who may otherwise not get one. Brownstein has also joined UberHealth as an adviser. — The Washington Post
A study looks at mining Twitter’s big data for public health insights. — JAMA
McKesson Ventures has invested in ClearCare, a software provider for private duty home care agencies. — BusinessWire
N-of-One signed a global agreement with WuXi NextCODE to provide clinical and scientific evidence for personalized treatment options based on the results of WuXi NextCODE tumor-normal genome sequence interpretation. — BusinessWire
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
Ashton Carter, the head of the Department of Defense, envisions a big role for the Silicon Valley to help the military innovate. — Wired
Photo: Flickr user Peasap
