Highlights of the important and interesting in the world of healthcare:
Slicing genes to treat cancer. ProNAi Therapeutics in Kalamazoo, Michigan, says it’s started to treat cancer patients with its first experimental DNA interference drug, which is made to silence the disease at the DNA level, according to Xconomy Detroit.
Drug maker M&A continues. Endo Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ENDP) in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, has agreed to buy privately owned generic drug maker Qualitest Pharmaceuticals in Huntsville, Alabama, for a cool $1.2 billion in cash.
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.
No tPA for you. An organized effort by emergency department doctors against using tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) to treat ischemic strokes is gaining momentum, according to blogger Notes from Dr. RW.
Bigger hospitals charge higher prices? Experts say hospital consolidations, which likely will gain steam, thanks to reform efforts, has led to higher healthcare prices — size is power, and commanding market share can give hospitals an edge in negotiations with insurers, reports the Washington Post.
UPMC binges on urgent care centers. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is irritating its rival by binging on urgent care center development, according to FierceHealthcare.
Oops, found a tumor. Medical imaging procedures done as part of clinical trials are accidentally detecting tumors, aneurysms or infections in nearly 40 percent of participants, according to drugs.com.
