TOP STORIES
An FDA panel took sharp aim at the regulator over not going far enough to test Bayer AG’s permanent contraceptive device Essure. It follows a steady stream of complaints from women who have used the device over chronic pain and bleeding to autoimmune disorders. Some are crediting Facebook group Essure Problems with the attention the FDA is giving to the device.— The Wall Street Journal
Before Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO became such a lightening rod for criticism, neatly consolidating people’s worst suspicions of hedge fund managers and the pharmaceutical industry, Mattew Herper recalls an interview over lunch when he got to know Martin Shkreli. The meeting four years ago focused on his work heading up Retrophin. —Forbes
The Funding Model for Cancer Innovation is Broken — We Can Fix It
Closing cancer health equity gaps require medical breakthroughs made possible by new funding approaches.
LIFE SCIENCES
Replimune raised $30 million in a Series A round led by Atlas Venture to develop next-generation oncolytic viruses for cancer. — BioCentury
Intarcia Therapeutics acquired former GlaxoSmithKline’s Phoundry Pharma. – MassDevice
Arrowhead Research got solid Phase IIa clinical trial regulats for its hepatitis B treatment, ARC-520. – Xconomy
Market Trends to Watch for Health Systems and Their Specialty Pharmacies
The future looks bright for the integrated specialty pharmacy model – for health systems, providers, and most importantly, for patients.
A look at 17 biobanks and the genetic data they hold. — Science
A study by scientists at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has identified a new cell type that could explain why certain people develop life threatening food allergies food allergies. — PR Newswire
What did we learn from the Ebola outbreak? Healthcare leaders from the Centers for Disease Control to the department of Health and Human Services share some of the lessons they learned. — Time
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
Tran$parency: Three patients are suing MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and George Washington University Hospital because they claim they were illegally forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to obtain copies of their electronic medical records. – Washington Business Journal
Look at the simulation suits teaching Polish medical students empathy. – Reuters
Smilow Cancer Hospital is preparing to add Lawrence and Memorial Healthcare into its telepharmacy system. It uses video, audio and photo surveillance to supervise technicians prepping chemotherapy drugs from a central location in Smilow.
The Pope’s visit to Philadelphia this weekend has been received with a mix of joy and anxiety, particularly over what the traffic tie ups will do to people trying to get to a hospital for serious and minor emergencies. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is taking the Chinese proverb crisis = opportunity to heart with the launch of a telemedicine app to help connect would-be patients with a physician to determine whether their trip to the ER is really necessary. — 6ABC
Contra Costa County in California became the latest to provide health insurance for non emergency are to adult illegal immigrants. — NPR
TECHNOLOGY
A deeper look at the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust health IT debacle: it spent $60 million on Epicand $140 million on the equipment needed to run Epic. – Computing (h/t HIStalk)
The UK subsidiary of Merck is collaborating on the launch of a digital health accelerator for preventive care in London. — MobiHealthNews
American regulators are considering antitrust action against Google’s Android business. – Bloomberg
MD Revolution a digital chronic care management provider and WellTrackONE will collaborate to help Pennsylvania-based physician association Renaissance Health Network’s 70 physician practices manage their chronic care patients and provide annual wellness visits. — Businesswire
Consumer wellness startup Joy Lux has raised $3 million to advances its therapeutic use of LED lighting. — Term Sheet, Fortune
POLITICS
And the hits just keep on coming for Healthcare.gov. The latest? The website failed to encrypt user sessions, which is understood to be common practice for financial transactions, according to a government audit. — The Hill
Bernie Sanders comes out against Cadillac Tax joining several Democrats.
— The Hill
Ummm, Bernie? That Cadillac tax might be working. – RealClearPolitics
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
We’re running out of IP addresses for websites, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. — Wired
Photo: Flickr user Colin_K