TOP STORIES
In proposing changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule for 2017, CMS is trying to emphasize primary care, collaboration and care coordination. And there’s potentially big money involved in this shifting of incentives:
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.
We conservatively estimate that these changes would result in approximately $900 million in additional funding in 2017 to physicians and practitioners providing these services. Over time, if the practitioners qualified to provide these services were to fully provide these services to all eligible beneficiaries, the increase could be as much as $5 billion in additional funding for care coordination and patient-centered care.
The agency also is, for the first time, planning on expanding a preventive care initiative — the Diabetes Prevention Program — from the CMS Innovation Center starting in 2018. — Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS Blog
The FDA has ordered a pause in a Juno Therapeutics clinical trial of a promising CAR-T cancer immunotherapy, following three patient deaths. The news send the Seattle-based company’s stock down by nearly 30 percent in after-hours trading Thursday. Naturally, a law firm representing investors was ready to pounce within a few hours. — Xconomy, Reuters, PR Newswire
LIFE SCIENCES
KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, fresh out of bankruptcy, has reached an agreement with ex-CEO Martin Shkreli that gives the company the right to buy back Shkreli’s shares and restrict his ability to sell his shares to others. — Xconomy
The FDA has warned Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals for failing to offer evidence its Xartemis XR opioid is safe for children and teens. — STAT
Enzo Biochem’s Enzo Life Sciences will pay Illumina $21 million to settle a patent infringement case. — Business Wire
Is adaptive design of clinical trials ready to go mainstream? — Business Wire
Belgian researchers have found another gene that makes bacteria resistant to colistin, the “antibiotic of last resort.” — STAT
Beacon Biomedical, a startup maker of a handheld, point-of-care device for running blood tests, is setting up an R&D lab at the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation in Phoenix. — Phoenix Business Journal
PAYERS/PROVIDERS
Here’s a promising sign: Moses Cone Hospital, in the middle of tobacco country in Greensboro, North Carolina, has the lowest heart attack readmission rate in the nation. — PR Newswire
A Stanford med student offers five recommendations for moving medical education into the 21st century. — STAT
TECHNOLOGY
The number of mergers and acquisitions in the medical device industry fell sharply in the first half of the year, but the overall value increased by more than 45 percent from the same period in 2015. — MassDevice
Swedish medtech firm Bioservo Technologies is licensing robotic glove technology developed for the International Space Station to repurpose for healthcare use. — PR Newswire
POLITICS
Big Pharma and the UK government have convened a task force to assess the impact of the Brexit vote on the pharma industry. Drug-makers account for 25 percent of business R&D spending in the UK. — Reuters
Meanwhile, the French cities of Strasbourg and Lyon want to steal the European Medicines Agency away from London. Milan, Italy, also has expressed interest. — Reuters
The World Health Organization wants to develop a “fair pricing model” for pharmaceuticals. Naturally, the U.S. is its own special case. — STAT
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
Fatigue is no match for a loving father when his child is in the hospital. — KTRK-TV
Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
