Highlights of the important and interesting in the world of healthcare:
Only one obesity drug left. Orlistat (sold as Xenical in prescription form and as Alli over the counter) is the only prescription weight-loss drug approved for long-term use now that Abbott removed Meridia from U.S. (where 68 percent of the population is overweight or obese) and Canadian markets, at the FDA’s request, according to the Wall Street Journal’s Health blog.
LibiGel takes poll position for female libido. German drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim has pulled its flibanserin, an experimental trug being tested as a treatment for women with low libidos, NPR reports. So the CEO of BioSante Pharmaceuticals in suburban Chicago thinks his company has the pole position in the female libido-boosting market with its LibiGel, writes Brett Chase at Minyanville.
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.
Big Pharma has some things right. Biotechs could learn a few things from Big Pharma about being opportunistic and looking outside themselves for new products, said Matthew Perry, portfolio manager for the Biotechnology Value Fund in the Burrill Report.
J&J denies ‘discounts’ were ‘kickbacks.’ Johnson & Johnson is asking a federal judge to toss out a lawsuit alleging the company paid millions of dollars in kickbacks in a scheme that involved pharmacy services company Omnicare to induce broader use of its antipsychotic drug Risperdal, according to FiercePharma.
Community health get big boost. The Obama administration announced on Friday awards of more than $700 million to community health centers nationwide to help them build new medical clinics and bring older clinics into the technological age, reports the Washington Post.
Hospitals buying physician practices. As part of a move by hospitals to deal with cuts in reimbursement fees and increasing competition, UNC Health Care System and Rex Healthcare have set up a nonprofit subsidiary to operate a network of local physician practices, starting with 15 practices and more than 60 doctors across Research Triangle Park, reports the News & Observer.
