Highlights of the important and the interesting from the world of healthcare:
Has the iPad been a disappointment for healthcare? Doubt any promise you hear about the iPad having a huge impact on the way healthcare is delivered–at least for now, writes Sandra Yin. Some of the breathless articles fawning over the device have overyped the reality of what medical professionals are really using the iPad to do now, she asserts. Of course, the device has only been around for six months and it’s often not wise to bet against Apple, so the verdict is hardly already in.
Starve the beast: In their effort to repeal health reform, Republicans hope to “de-fund” the law by denying the money necessary to enact the law’s various provisions. Of course, the plan would work much better if Republicans take control of both the House and Senate, which looks unlikely at this point.
BioLabs Pegasus Park Cultivates Life Science Ecosystem
Gabby Everett, the site director for BioLabs Pegasus Park, offered a tour of the space and shared some examples of why early-stage life science companies should choose North Texas.
AstraZeneca settlement: AstraZeneca will pay about $198 million to settle 17,500 lawsuits alleging its antipsychotic drug Seroquel causes diabetes in some users.
Tick tick boom: Many venture capitalists are sitting on ticking time bombs: end-of-life deadlines under which the funds must dispose of all their companies and wind down. The problem is many VCs are still holding onto the companies those funds invested in.
More of the same with NuPathe: Pennsylvania-based migraine drug developer NuPathe was just the latest biotech startup forced to cut its IPO price, settling on $10 after having targeted between $14 and $16. Only one biotech that’s gone public this year–Ironwood Pharmaceuticals–has seen its share price rise after trading has begun.
Putting the “me” in 23andMe: With doubts about the viability of the do-it-yourself, home genetic-testing market, is now a good time for 23andMe to be paying $4 million to one unidentified executive?
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.
Photo from flickr user Yutaka Tsutano
