Top Story

Morning Read: Iowa caucus results show single payer lives (at least in Bernie Sanders’ mind)

Also, Index Ventures spins off a new biotech fund with the help of Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi will take a shot at a Zika vaccine and IBM Watson teams with the American Heart Association.

Bernie Sanders single payer

TOP STORIES

I think they’re still sorting some things out in Iowa. But here’s some quick, healthcare related insights:

  • Some observers believe Sanders’ support for single-payer helped him energize his supporters in the Democratic race. – Modern Healthcare
  • Hillary Clinton’s razor thin lead as votes and delegates continued to be counted this morning in Iowa’s presidential caucuses keeps alive Bernie Sanders’ single payer health plan idea. – Forbes
  • Dr. Ben Carson is not quitting. *sigh* – Business Insider

LIFE SCIENCES

“We are doubling down on life sciences and early-stage investments across Europe,” said Medicxi Ventures general partner Francesco De Rubertis. Index Ventures has spun off Medicxi and received more than $100 million from both Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline. – Financial Times, Reuters

This puts the Abbott and Stryker deals into context. – Wall Street Journal

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has filed a lawsuit accusing Gilead Sciences of manipulating the patent system in order to thwart competition to its HIV medicines. – STAT

British oncology company MISSION Therapeutics has raised $65.5 million from Imperial Innovations Businesses, Woodford Patient Capital Trust, Sofinnova Partners, SR One, Roche Venture Fund and Pfizer Venture Investments. It will move several of its drug candidates into clinical development. – PR Newswire

Medtronic won CE Mark approval for expanded indications and sizes of its Resolute Onyx drug-eluting stent. – MassDevice

PAYERS-PROVIDERS

Zika watch:

  • Sanofi will take a shot at a Zika vaccine. – Reuters
  • WHO moves into high gear to combat Zika, microcephaly – Reuters
  • How Mayo Clinic is preparing for the Zika virus – Jacksonville Business Courier
  • WHO declares Zika virus a global health emergency – Reuters

The structure of Humana under Aetna ‘still to be defined’ – Louisville Business First

TECHNOLOGY

MedCity News’ Stephanie Baum took a look at Alphabet’s earnings and it’s a must read. But here are some other tidbits for Google junkies:

  • Google’s Other Bets Eat Up Less Cash (And Make Less Money) Than We Thought – Re/Code
  • Google is showing discipline with ‘moonshot’ spending, which is exactly what investors wanted – Business Insider
  • Alphabet Passes Apple to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company – Wired

Mattel has bought Sproutling, which has a health sensing wearable device for babies. – MobiHealthNews

China’s top venture fund, Qiming Venture Partners, raised a new fund with $648 million in commitments (its investment areas include healthcare). – PR Newswire

The American Heart Association is teaming up with IBM Watson and Welltok for a new workplace wellness strategy focused on cardiovascular diseases. – PR Newswire

athenahealth has named Prakash Khot, former chief technology and product officer at Kaseya, as its chief technology officer. – HIT Consultant

A great, timely question for healthcare: What kind of data scientist do you need? – Harvard Business Review

POLITICS

The state-by-state policy telemedicine report cards are out and it’s gotten tougher in many states in the area of physician licensure and standards. – MobiHealthNews

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA

The Yahoo employee-ranking system favored by Marissa Mayer is now being challenged in court. An employee says the company’s senior managers routinely manipulated the rating system to fire hundreds of people without just cause to achieve the company’s financial goals. – The New York Times

Photo: Getty Images 

Shares0
Shares0