This post has been updated from an earlier version.
TOP STORIES
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.
Cleveland Clinic’s telemedicine pilot with HealthSpot may not have gone the distance, but that didn’t diminish its interest in telemedicine. In a collaboration with Cleveland Clinic and American Well, CVS MinuteClinic will give customers access to Cleveland Clinic physicians through American Well’s video interaction technology. Cleveland Clinic also provides on-demand care through its Express Care Online service. The service will be available to CVS MinuteClinic customers in Ohio and West Virginia. — American Well
LIFE SCIENCES
The FDA has given the thumb’s up for the first blood-based colo-rectal cancer screening test, Epi proColon. Epigenomics developed the screening test. Although colo-rectal cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. — Medical Device Network
The Centers for Disease Control confirmed that the Zika virus causes microcephaly, linking the mosquito-transmitted virus to congenital brain defects. — The Washington Post
A quadriplegic man has regained the partial use of his right after receiving an implant. The electronic sensors in his brain transmit signals to his muscles, allowing him to grab and pour from a bottle, pick up a stick and even play Guitar Hero. It is part of a neural bypass technology study by Ohio State University. — Newsweek
Biotech startup Imara has raised $31 million to do clinical trials for a pill to treat sickle cell disease. Cambridge-based Orphan drug accelerator Cydan Development launched the company. — Boston Business Journal
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
Hospital workers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center have said they will go on strike today in a push for a $15 minimum wage. — Huffington Post
TECHNOLOGY
Xerox has to fork out $120 million to California in the wake of a failed computer modernization project to process claims for the state Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. It won the bidding for the contract in 2010, but Xerox has had problems with its Medicaid business in a few states. — HealthcareIT News
(Update) In an emailed statement, a spokesman for Xerox said the company was not winding down its Medicaid computer system business and continues to operate MMIS platforms in a number of states.
Express Scripts is booting PillPack from its network at the end of April. — St. Louis Business Journal
The folks behind Nightscout, a diabetes management tool that came about from hacking a glucometer, talk about the ups and downs of working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to get FDA clearance. — MobiHealthNews, JAMA
How many clinical trials are using Fitbit activity trackers? Would you guess it’s up to 18? — MobiHealthNews,
Student electronic health record provider CareDox raised $4.3 million in a combination of a Seed round and a venture debt agreement. TEXO Ventures and Prolog Ventures led the $2.8 million seed round and it inked the $1.5 million venture debt agreement with Western Technology Investment. — CareDox
POLITICS
Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America have come out with recommendations on how to make President Barack Obama’s push for hospitals to implement antibiotic stewardship programs by 2020 a reality. They include things like requiring pre-authorization for targeted antibiotics such as those used to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections, and rapid diagnostic testing. — EurekAlert!, Clinical Infectious Diseases
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
Are you a consumer tech entrepreneur motivated to help Philadelphia’s NBA team avoid a repeat of their dismal 2015-16 season? The team is opening an innovation lab at its training center across the river in Camden, New Jersey and is looking for up to six early and late stage startups to participate in a six month program. This comes pretty close to the mark of one of my prognostications for 2016. I predicted the team would take a majority stake in Catapult, but this move is much more interesting and I’ll be keeping a close eye on developments. — Philadelphia Business Journal
Photo: BigStock Photos
