Karius’ NGS test for infections shows high sensitivity in pilot study
The study, conducted with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, showed a 78 percent predictive sensitivity two days before the onset of infection.
Pharmacist finds ‘significant errors’ in popular Bugs + Drug app
Physicians might be using more mobile healthcare apps, but the question of trust is one that still looms. An example of that comes this week in the form of a pharmacist’s biting review of an app from the powerhouse team of Epocrates and Athenahealth. The app in question, Bugs + Drugs, pairs Epocrates’ clinical content […]
Behavioral Health, Interoperability and eConsent: Meeting the Demands of CMS Final Rule Compliance
In a webinar on April 16 at 1pm ET, Aneesh Chopra will moderate a discussion with executives from DocuSign, Velatura, and behavioral health providers on eConsent, health information exchange and compliance with the CMS Final Rule on interoperability.
Want to spread fewer germs in hospitals? Ditch the handshake, go for a fist bump
Here’s an interesting proposal from researchers at West Virginia University School of Medicine: Healthcare could prevent nosocomial infections by taking a cue from bro culture. In a study published in The Journal of Hospital Infection this fall (you can read the full paper here without a subscription), researchers found that fewer germs were transmitted between […]
The magic’s in the microbiome for VentureLabs’ new biotech startup Seres Health
The human body is full of trillions of microorganisms that keep us functioning and healthy. But when the normal ecosystems in which these microorganisms live are disturbed, they can become harmful. A new startup out of VentureLabs, the arm of Flagship Ventures that invents and launches new companies, is turning to imbalances in the body’s […]
$14M round for ‘cross-kingdom vaccine’ maker will fund trials in prevention of yeast infections
Whereas most vaccines under development are designed to protect against one kind of pathogen, NovaDigm Therapeutics thinks a vaccine it’s developing could protect against certain fungal and bacterial infections caused by several species of the fungus Candida. NovaDigm will be able to test its hypothesis thanks to a new 14 million Series B from RusnanoMedInvest, […]
athenahealth + Epocrates’ first app helps docs prescribe antibiotics using local infection data
athenahealth’s January acquisition of mobile health company Epocrates has generated its first market-ready byproduct, as the two brands today announced a joint mobile app called “Bugs + Drugs.” The app for physicians pairs Epocrates’ mobile mastery and clinical content with data from the more than 40 million medical records athenahealth (NASDAQ:ATHN) hosts in the cloud. […]
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.
Super scrubs! Vestagen raises $8.3M to turn medical gear into a shield against bacteria
Patients aren’t the only ones who are prone to infections like MRSA and C. difficile in hospitals. Healthcare workers get them too, and may even transmit them to other patients. A new line of apparel called Vestex is trying to scratch healthcare worker’s garments from the list of suspects in spreading bugs in a healthcare […]
Infonaut is building an Internet of things to help hospitals fight infections
Infonaut tracks patients, staff and assets in hospitals within six inches of accuracy.
Rapid, benchtop test for UTIs brings in $2M investment for medical device startup
Creating a quicker, cheaper and more accurate way for doctors to test patients for urinary tract infections has netted a St. Louis startup at least $2 million in its latest round of fundraising. Medical device company BacterioScan disclosed in a regulatory filing that it had raised $2.1 million of a $6 million round from 20 […]
Seattle biotech ups series B again to ID & develop antibodies as infectious disease therapies
Seattle-based biotech Theraclone Sciences Inc. has added another $8 million to its series B as it advances two antibodies targeting viral infections through clinical development and works on identifying more. Existing investors ARCH Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, MPM Capital, Healthcare Ventures, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Amgen Ventures, Versant Ventures and Zenyaku Kogyo committed $8 million […]
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Colorado biotech’s latest milestones exemplify big-picture progress toward a dengue vaccine
The tropical disease dengue fever isn’t something we hear or worry about much in the U.S. So when virologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published study findings that a rare 2010 dengue outbreak in Florida came not from abroad but from a unique, local strain of the virus that’s evolved its […]
Texture of shark’s skin inspires a unique approach to bacteria control for healthcare
The insides of these fearsome fish may be harboring drug-resistant bacteria, but apparently, the outsides are doing just the opposite. And now a synthetic surface designed to mimic the bacterial-resistant properties of shark skin is making its way into medical devices and hospitals. University of Florida researcher Anthony Brennan observed the antimicrobial properties of shark […]
New broad-spectrum antibiotic based on Nobel Prize-winning research reaches phase 3
Three years ago, Yale University professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry Thomas Steitz won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his research on the structure and function of the ribosome. Now, the company that he co-founded to create new antibiotics that overcome drug resistance is preparing to enter phase 3 clinical trials. Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, the […]
How to improve hand hygiene compliance in healthcare? These 5 companies have some ideas
It’s the most basic of principles, really, to keep your hands clean to prevent the spread of infections. But it’s something the healthcare industry has struggled with, despite the notion that hand hygiene is commonly associated with preventing healthcare-associated infections. One study pegged the compliance rate for hand hygiene in U.S. healthcare facilities at less […]
NanoBio Corp. takes in another $11 million for emulsion-based topical drugs, intranasal vaccines
Anti-infection and dermatology drug company NanoBio Corp. raked in $11 million in series C financing from its existing lineup of investors, bringing its total to $130 million, half of which has come from nondilutive sources. With the funding, the company says it will continue developing its various anti-infection programs and vaccines. Its NanoStat platform is […]