TOP STORIES
Less than 24 hours after it ran an unflattering profile of diagnostic startup Theranos calling into question the use of machines other than its own for doing blood tests, Elizabeth Holmes’ company continues has limited the use of tiny blood vials it used to collect blood drawn from fingerpricks to its FDA cleared test. — The Wall Street Journal
Holmes went on CNBC’s Mad Money to express shock that the Journal ran the article even after the company defended itself in what was no doubt a concise 1,000-page document. — Mad Money
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.
Matt Herper says Holmes needs to stop complaining and start answering questions, though he does express some remorse for being too easy on her about her critics when he recently interviewed Holmes at Forbes’ 30 under 30 conference. — Forbes
Bloomberg and Dr. Joel Ehrenkranz, the director of endocrinology at Intermountain Healthcare ponder in a video interview: Just how accurate is Theranos’ blood testing technology? No one knows. “Theranos doesn’t play by the rules, science or medicine,” he said. — Bloomberg
Bernie Sanders, who is vying for the Democratic nomination for president, said he will take Turing CEO Martin Shkreli’s campaign donation and pass it along to a Washington health clinic. — Boston Globe
LIFE SCIENCES
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.
An antibiotic from Cempra advanced closer to FDA NDA submission after solithromycin was found to be as effective as moxifloxacin. Its first indication will be to combat community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CAPB). — Reuters
After a temporary shut down for generating a steady stream of product recalls in 2009 and 2010, Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare has reopened. —Philadelphia Business Journal
AstraZeneca received a Complete Response Letter from the FDA over its fixed-dose combination of saxagliptin and dapagliflozin to treat adults with type 2 diabetes. — AstraZeneca
The FDA wants to get a better handle on the effect of adding more complex information about prescriptions in direct-to-consumer advertising. The regulator is planning two surveys of 900 adults each to assess the effect of the prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer television advertisements. —FDA News
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
Valley Children’s Hospital is suing three physicians over a significant data breach that also seems to involve some deception with Spanish-speaking patients. –Healthcare Dive
Cigna is making its Coach app available to Apple iOS network users in a bid to expand the user base of its health and wellness app.— BusinessWire
Hospitals that adopt bring your own device policies need to have strict patient data privacy and security measures that comply with HIPAA privacy and security rules. — mHealth Intelligence
Kathryn Knott, the ex hospital technician who is accused in taking part in an assault on a gay couple in Philadelphia last year turned down a plea deal and her case is going to trial. — Philadelphia Inquirer
TECHNOLOGY
Apple’s ResearchKit is helping lay the groundwork for future FDA-cleared medical apps, according to Apple. — MobiHealthNews
Tanzania is making a mobile app available to citizens to help register newborns in a bid to increase birth certificates in the country where the cost of registering for a birth certifiate is beyond the budget of many families there. The groups behind the government initiative include government registration agency RITA, UNICEF and telecommunications company Tigo. — AlJazeera
POLITICS
The current projections for people enrolled in state-based insurance exchanges is 10 million by the end of 2016. —Reuters
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
Swiss students have designed a stair climbing wheelchair. The students at the Swiss Institute of Technology and Zurich University of the Arts included a button that changes the chair to stair climbing mode. Only one catch: on the stairs it goes backwards. — Reuters
