TOP STORIES
Politics takes center stage today, and it looks ugly.
The Dallas Morning News is questioning whether former Texas Gov. — and ex-presidential candidate — Rick Perry had a hand in a decision by Oklahoma to shut down an investigation of a surgeon with dozens of safety complaints and malpractice suits to his name. The story traces a web of political connections that also reaches Tennessee. — The Dallas Morning News
In Washington, the Senate Special Committee on Aging will investigate the pricing practices of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Martin Shkreli’s Turing Pharmaceuticals and two other drug companies. — Bloomberg
PhRMA is fighting back, trying to push the blame onto insurance companies and federal regulators. — The Hill
On the Obamacare front, don’t forget that Accountable Care Organizations and the Medicare Shared Savings Program are components of the Affordable Care Act. A new analysis by a team including former Bush administration CMS Administrator Dr. Mark McClellan finds modest success and huge potential in terms of care improvements and cost savings from Medicare ACOs. — Health Affairs Blog
LIFE SCIENCES
Sanofi has agreed to a licensing deal to develop long-acting diabetes drugs with Hanmi Pharmaceutical that could earn the South Korean drug maker as much as $4.2 billion. — Reuters
The University of Kansas Cancer Center says it is the first in the world to enroll patients in a trial of a new type of T-cell therapy. — PR Newswire, KCUR.org
Orphan drugs cost 13.8 times more per patient than mass-market drugs, an EvaluatePharma report says. — Business Wire
AstraZeneca will pay $46.5 million and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ Cephalon will pay $7.5 million to settle civil charges that they overcharged Medicaid in three states. — Reuters
Johnson & Johnson is buying Novira Therapeutics, which is testing a new treatment for chronic hepatitis B. — Philadelphia Business Journal
Cell Signaling Technology has released six new monoclonal antibodies for tumor immunology research. — Business Wire
LifeMap Sciences and Lab7 Systems are teaming up on next-generation genomic sequencing. — Business Wire
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
A local TV station has uncovered a “case study in deceptive business practices” at Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico. — KRQE-TV
A Geisinger Health System study has shown that the OpenNotes program improves medication adherence in patients being treated for high cholesterol or hypertension. — Healthcare IT News
Envision Healthcare Holdings is buying clinical staffing firm Questcare Medical Services and Questcare subsidiary QRx Medical Management for $135 million. — Dallas Business Journal
Kaiser Permanente Northwest says it is the first physician group in Oregon to publish online patient ratings of its doctors. — PR Newswire
TECHNOLOGY
Data-driven management saved a Florida health system money and reduced bed waiting times while increasing patient throughput, according to a Rand study. — PR Newswire
Wisconsin startup Quietyme has introduced an alternative to the call button in hospital rooms: a wireless cube that lets patients request specific services. — Xconomy
Analytics startup DocDelta is actually touting what it does as high-tech “physician poaching.” — Business Wire
HealthGrid has introduced what it calls the first mobile CRM platform for patient engagement. — PR Newswire
POLITICS
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says that the surging cost of specialty pharmaceuticals is straining the health budgets of developed countries. — Reuters
Death from drug overdoses is becoming an issue in the 2016 presidential race. — The Wall Street Journal
France is lifting a 32-year-old ban on blood donations by gay men. — Reuters
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
It should surprise nobody that the “fattest” states in America also have high poverty rates and poor health status. — WalletHub
Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images