TOP STORIES
A Senate investigation of hospital-acquired infections linked to contaminated scopes found none of the 16 hospitals where patients were infected had filed the required federal paperwork reporting the events. – Los Angeles Times
LIFE SCIENCES
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.
An early stage clinical trial of a pain relief drug has resulted in one death and five hospitalizations. Biotrial conducted the Phase 1 trial in France for the drug developed by Portuguese drug developer Bial. Some 84 people took the drug without incident. — Chemical and Engineering News
Amgen secured full approval for its cancer drug Kyprolis to treat multiple myeloma from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a few years after the US regulator granted accelerated approval for the drug in 2012. The new approval means the drug can be used with other therapies and as a single agent for patients with relapsed refactory melanoma who have already received at least one treatment. — Reuters
With sanctions against Iran reduced, big pharma companies such as Novo Nordisk want to boost their business dealings there. – Reuters
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health is set to boost its profile in a merger with Kennedy Health System in neighboring New Jersey. The news follows another Jefferson merger agreement announced earlier this week with Aria Health System. — The Philadelphia Business Journal
A look at physicians, free speech and guns. – Science-based Medicine
POLITICS
An initive with nonprofit health groups rolled out at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland involved several corporate giants including Novo Nordisk, Johnson & Johnson, and PepsiCo, calling for businesses to publish information about the health of their employees. —STAT
Republican presidential candidate and Texan Senator Ted Cruz doesn’t have health inusrance. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas had canceled all of its individual policies in Texas, as of December 31 2015. Cruz and his wife, Heidi, purchased an individual plan last year after previously receiving coverage through the Wall Street firm. — Politico
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
A neurology resident with Jackson Health System has been placed on administrative leave after she was filmed in a confrontation with an Uber driver, which is currently doing the rounds on YouTube. — CBS Miami
