TOP STORIES
The Government Accountability Office has issued two reports critical of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approach to approving drugs and devices. One report, titled “FDA Needs More Strategic Planning to Guide Its Scientific Initiatives,” said the regulator lacks measurable goals to assess its progress in advancing the science supporting its effort to assess the products it regulates. The second report is “Comprehensive Strategic Planning Needed to Enhance Coordination between Medical Product Centers.” Republicans view the report as providing plenty of ammunition to speed up drug approval as part of the 21st Century Cures bill. — GAO report one, GAO report two, STAT
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.
Richard J. Hatchett, acting director of the government’s biodefense agency, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, told a House subcommittee hearing that thanks to federal initiatives, there are seven drugs in advanced testing that are designed to combat Gram-negative bacteria which produce superbugs. — The Wall Street Journal
Rgenix raised $33 million in a series B round led by new investors Novo A/S (Hellerup, Denmark) and Sofinnova Partners to support its lead cancer immunotherapy treatment, expected to enter clinical trials this fall. Existing investors also taking part in the round include Partnership Fund for New York City, Alexandria Venture Investments and Conegliano Ventures. — Bio-IT World
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
Unlike the steady stream of losses reported by payers blaming the Affordable Care Act for their downturns, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida had a profit of $471 million on ACA individual plans. It views the retail centers, which give customers one-on-one enrollment help and its high-deductible plans as key to its profit. But it still plans to jack up premium rates at 9.8% for individual plans and 8.7% for small-group plans 9.5% to 16.5% for its HMO network. — Modern Healthcare
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More healthcare consolidation: Envision Healthcare and AmSurg merge. The deal makes good on contract physician company AmSurg’s desire to get larger, creating one of the biggest providers of specialty physicians. — Bloomberg
Two pharmaceutical salesmen were arrested over charges that they paid New York doctors a total of $259,000 to prescribe the opioid fentanyl. The salesmen worked for Arizona-based Insys Therapeutics. Its FDA approved product Subsys, is a fast-acting form of fentanyl. These kind of kickback schemes are helping to drive up the number of unnecessary opioid prescriptions. More than 14,000 died from prescription opioid overdoses in 2014.— USA Today
Hospitals are no strangers to social media and their presence seems to be growing. Here are 10 hospitals using Instagram. —Health Care Communication News
TECHNOLOGY
The market for biometric sensors is expected to reach $1.83 billion by 2024, according to a report by Grand View Research. — PR Newswire
POLITICS
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley has published a report critical of American Red Cross finances after a year-long investigation of the charity. — NPR
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
Happily, the World Health Organization has walked away from the claim that coffee causes cancer –more specifically it said, “(This) does not show that coffee is certainly safe … but there is less reason for concern today than there was before,” according to Dana Loomis, a deputy head of the International Agency for Research at a news conference. But don’t worry sanctimonious tea drinkers, it still believes hot coffee poses a threat by increasing the risk of getting cancer of the esophagus. — Reuters
Photo: Flickr user Charles Williams
