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Jennifer Lawrence
Every week, we compile the most popular and thoughtful stories on MedCity News. Among this week’s highlights, an EY report suggests slower growth in biotech and lots of crossover between healthcare and entertainment — including a musical about pharma bro Martin Shkreli and and news that Jennifer Lawrence has signed on to star as Elizabeth Holmes in a movie about Theranos.
1. Is the biotech boom slowing down?
The cover of Ernst & Young’s 2016 biotech report has a picture of a parachutist and the subtitle, “Returning to Earth.” According to EY, the biotech industry has experienced explosive growth over the past few years, but that appears to have slowed in 2015. On its own, a 13 percent increase in biotech revenue looks impressive – unless it’s compared to the 18 percent increase in 2014.
2. Healthcare and pop culture collide: Jennifer Lawrence to play Elizabeth Holmes
Healthcare just won’t stop colliding with pop culture, will it? It seems to be reaching unprecedented levels this week.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
3. True interoperability of EHRs requires more transparency
The business case for interoperability must come from individual providers because the HIT industry has no incentive to make it easier to switch systems, and hospitals have no financial motive to share patient admission and discharge information with primary care physicians.
4. Three big issues in biotech as BIO 2016 gets underway
The life sciences community is descending on San Francisco this week for the annual BIO International Convention, an unparalleled opportunity to network with peers, make deals and weigh in on some of the industry’s most pressing problems. Here’s a small taste of some of the issues that will be occupying the collective minds of BIO-goers.
5. RetraceHealth, a concierge care provider using nurse practitioners, is raising $7M Series A round
A healthcare startup that developed a concierge care service tapping nurse practitioners for telemedicine and house call visits has raised more than $6.5 million in a Series A round led by new investor Lemhi Ventures. RetraceHealth CEO Thompson Aderinkomi confirmed the information in a phone interview.
