TOP STORIES
The Gavi global alliance for vaccines and immunization group signed a $5 million advance purchase commitment to buy a vaccine being developed by Merck to protect against the Ebola virus. — 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.
The results are in for the Scripps Translational Science Institute’s Wired For Health study, a six-month randomized control trial, and it doesn’t look good for digital health. The study found no short-term benefit in health costs or outcomes for patients monitoring their health with connected devices. — MobiHealthNews
LIFE SCIENCES
Gene therapy company AveXis Inc. filed to raise up to $115 million in an IPO. The company hopes to begin pivotal studies in the U.S. and EU of AVXS-101 therapy to treat spinal muscular atrophy. — BioCentury
The frustration continues over the now-infamous JP Morgan party that added models for diversity. — Phoenix Business Journal
Imaging informatics company HealthMyne won FDA 510(k) clearance for its analytics software package designed for radiologist oncology-related workflow and advanced decision support. — MassDevice
BluDiagnostics, a Wisconsin-based startup that is developing a saliva-based fertility test, has raised $600,000 so far this year in debt financing as part of a seed funding round. — Xconomy
The CDC has issued Zika-related guidelines for pregnant women who are getting sick and have visited or lived in countries where they could have been exposed to the virus. — The New York Times
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
I wonder if PETA would do some angel investing in medical simulation and the like?- STAT
When it comes to marketing, how much is the brand of a hospital or health system actually worth? — Health Care Communication News
In its fourth-quarter earnings report, UnitedHealthcare said it lost $720 million on its Affordable Care Act-compliant plans in 2015. — FierceHealthPayer
POLITICS
The Senate’s health committee announced it will not take up a major House-passed biomedical research package known as 21st Century Cures. — The Hill
Following the Democratic debate, did anyone come out on top? “The biggest loser in the Democratic debate wasn’t Hillary or Bernie, it was Obamacare,” wrote Michael Cannon at the libertarian Cato Institute. “Clinton and Sanders inadvertently revealed that not even Democrats like Obamacare all that much.” — Forbes
A LITTLE EXTRA
Building a mirror for a gigantic telescope to allow astronomers to explore space is no easy task. But the effort is interesting, despite being incredibly laborious.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFnRHa7DwT0]
Photo: Flickr user VCU CNS
