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Morning Read: Google and American Heart Association team up for $50M heart disease research push

Also, Bill Gates warns the world is better prepared for war than it is for the next disease pandemic.

By Stephanie Baum on November 09, 2015 7:55 am

TOP STORIES

A Google Life Sciences initiative with the American Heart Association will mean both groups investing $50 million to create a team of research specialists to better understand, reverse and prevent coronary heart disease over a five-year period. — American Heart Association

LIFE SCIENCES

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Meet Iron Horse Therapeutics, a new startup focused on Lou Gehrig’s disease, is the latest collaboration between Avalon and GSK. – Xconomy

Bill Gates warns the world is better prepared for war than it is for the next disease pandemic.  “We must prepare for future epidemics of diseases that may spread more effectively than Ebola.”  — Financial Times

An FDA advisory committee wants to see stronger warning labels on a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. — Business Insider

A library of 3D computer models holds the potential to help identify better matches for pediatric heart transplant recipients. The library of 3D images from MRI and CT scans was used to predict the best donor body weight to ensure the proper heart size for recipients. — Drugs.com

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DNA4Life is following in 23andMe’s footsteps with a genetic test designed to be sold direct to consumers under $250. — Reuters

PAYERS-PROVIDERS

Humana has decided to yank several plans from the federal health insurance exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act because more sick people enrolled than expected. The move affects 100,000. — Healthcare Dive

Ophthalmologist Dr Sanduk Ruit is profiled for his pioneering cataract eye surgery through his Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology in Nepal. The rates he charges allows patients who can pay for it to subsidize those who can’t.  — The New York Times

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners want insurers have enough doctors and hospitals in their networks to provide all covered services to consumers “without unreasonable travel or delay.” – The New York Times

Cash incentive to reduce cholesterol levels produced a marginal decrease in the percentage of strokes and heart attacks, according to a study at the Center for Healthcare Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania. To study found that it achieved the best results when patients and doctors shared financial incentives. — Drugs.com

TECHNOLOGY

Hartford Hospital and a health IT contractor EMC Corp. agreed to pay $90,000 and conduct cybersecurity training following the investigation of a 2012 laptop theft. The laptop, reported stolen from the home of an EMC Corp employee, had unencrypted health information for more than 8,800 patients. — HISTalk, Connecticut Mirror

Expect more quality digital health data from CB Insights – it just raised $10 million. – Xconomy

Will robots be a job killer? More like job helper as they’ll automate some tasks, a new McKinsey Report says. That includes some tasks by physicians. — McKinsey, The New York Times, Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis

POLITICS

Democrat Congressional leaders House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid want to repeal the Cadillac Tax provision of the Affordable Care Act, which would impose a 40 percent excise tax on high-cost health plans. — The Hill

Federal prosecutors in at least four states are proving “widespread fraud” by compounding pharmacies victimizing health-insurance program that covers 9.5 million U.S. military members and their families. – Wall Street Journal

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA

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