Top Story

Morning Read: Biogen may sell its hemophilia treatments, insulin costs hit low-income diabetics

Also, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly got a greenlight from the FDA for the second part of a Phase 2/3 trial for a treatment to slow the advance of Alzheimer's disease and sales of short term health insurance are continuing, despite ACA restrictions.

bag of bloodTOP STORIES

Biogen is considering selling its hemophilia treatments, which added up to $500 million in sales last year, according to sources referenced by Reuters. The company has been working on a restructure of its business since October and is mostly done. Biogen has two FDA approved treatments for hemophilia —Alprolix and Eloctate.  — Reuters

The high cost of insulin is forcing low-income diabetes patients to make hard choices between medication and paying bills, doctors say. — Connecticut Post

LIFE SCIENCES

The FDA has given AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly a greenlight for the second part of a  Phase 2/3 trial of its treatment for Alzheimer’s disease — beta secretase cleaving enzyme  inhibitor, which is associated with beta-amyloid. A drug that combats beta-amyloid development could slow the disease’s advance. — Pharma Times

Smart fabric startup Recovery Force, which is developing a treatment for compression therapy that involves conductive fabric and microprocessors, is looking to license its technology to medical device companies. — Xconomy

The first uterus transplant was undone by a yeast infection. — CNN

PAYERS-PROVIDERS

Sales of short-term health insurance, despite not meeting Affordable Care Act standards, are still going strong because they offer lower prices than insurance that does meet those standards. Also, unlike ACA supported plans, short-term plans are offered year round. — The Wall Street Journal

TECHNOLOGY

HIStalk’s reader poll revealed that more people would trust Apple to protect their personal health data safe than electronic health record providers, health systems and Microsoft. — HIStalk

One stumbling block for the growth of telemedicine? State network adequacy rules for ACA-compliant plans aren’t cool about allowing patients to see providers through telemedicine. — Forbes

POLITICS

It looks like the pharmaceutical industry is warming up to a cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for consumers, if comments from Stephen Ubl are anything to go by. The president and CEO of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said that it supported Hillary Clinton’s proposal to do that. Still a PhRMA spokeswoman group hastily pointed out that the industry group hasn’t taken a position on specific congressional proposals to limit out-of-pocket expenses. — STAT

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA

Starbucks apologized to a customer at its St Augustine store in Florida after one thoughtless barrista decided to label his Grande White Chocolate Mocha: Diabetes here I come. — Refinery 29

Photo: Flickr user Canadian Blood Services

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