TOP STORIES
More than 300 companies are selling unapproved stem cell tests and procedures in the U.S., according to a study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell. — Reuters
Medtronic has filed for premarket approval for an artificial pancreas that, if approved by the FDA, would mark a watershed moment in the battle against diabetes. The MiniMed 670G is the size of a smartphone and can wirelessly connect an insulin pump and glucose monitor. The external device will function in lieu of the malfunctioning pancreas, which is supposed to naturally produce insulin. — Bloomberg
LIFE SCIENCES
In a deal that could be worth more than $400 million, Takeda has acquired the ex-U.S. rights to a Crohn’s disease treatment developed by Belgium’s TiGenix. — FierceBiotech
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.
Owlstone, a UK company, announced that it has spun out Owlstone Medical to develop a breathalyzer that can be used in clinical diagnostics and precision medicine to battle cancer as well as inflammatory and infectious diseases. The latter company has closed a $7 million funding round, which will help test the device in clinical trials for lung and colon cancer screening. — Owlstone
AbbVie’s Humira received its 10th U.S. approval that expands the anti-inflammatory drug’s label to treat adults with non-infectious intermediate, posterior and panuveitis. — Medscape.
PAYERS/PROVIDERS
Massachusetts has issued new rules mandating “fresh air” time for psychiatric patients, but some hospitals seem ready to fight the state. — STAT
Cigna is teaming up with Hill Physicians Medical Group of Northern California in an effort to increase healthcare quality, boost care coordination and also lower costs. — Sonora Weekly
TECHNOLOGY
Pocket DNA sequencers will become ubiquitous, declared digital health’s most famous doc — Dr. Eric Topol — at the HFMA annual conference in Las Vegas. Topol painted a picture of a not-too-distant future when, armed with smartphones, consumers will use a myriad of apps to increasingly control their own data, a fundamental shift from the past. — Health Data Management.
In the near future, it may be possible to regrow bones by leveraging a patient’s own stem cells and their CT scans. — Scientific American
POLITICS
Gilead Sciences and the state of Massachusetts have reached an agreement by which the drugmaker will provide rebates to the state for its Hepatitis C drugs. — STAT
Lawmakers are urging Deven McGraw, deputy director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights, to provide guidance to provider organizations that are compromised by ransomware attacks. — Healthcare Dive
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
Obsessed with selfies? You might just develop a medical condition, the “selfie elbow.” That was the diagnosis that greeted NBC’s Hoda Kotb, when she went to visit her orthopedist and complained of pain in her elbow. — Elle
Photo: Flickr user Scott Davidson
