TOP STORIES
Set aside the drug-pricing issues that captured the imagination of every Internet troll on the planet. Two signals that the federal government through all its slow inertia would take the subject more seriously in 2016 came out Monday. First, there was the release of data that showed higher prescription drug prices in 2014 led to significantly more spending by Medicare. Plus, the government unveiled a new Medicare drug-spending dashboard focused on the 80 most expensive drugs from 2014. Change is coming one way or another. – Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Fascinating details in the Valeant-Walgreens deal: Walgreens is essentially taking the drugs on consignment. – Wall Street Journal
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.
LIFE SCIENCES
Another pro forma termination of Martin Shkreli: He’s out at KaloBios. As soon as he wins his case (or finishes serving his time) he’ll be back. – CNN
Actelion’s pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment, selexipag, will be in the American market next month. – Reuters
India’s reactions to FDA drug criticisms: Investors now look at smaller companies without a U.S. focus. – Reuters
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Gelesis has reloaded after withdrawing its IPO with $31 million to get its obesity pill through trials. – Boston Business Journal
Cancer biotech Immunome has raised $5 million to develop its therapeutics pipeline. – PR Newswire
Novan Therapeutics has raised $30 million (from 136 investors!) to support additional trials of its acne drug. – Xconomy
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
Nurses: America’s most trusted professionals (again). – PR Newswire
The FDA lifted its blood-ban on gay men (it’s now a 12-month window). – Scientific American
More discussions about insurance co-ops as if they are all dead and gone. – NPR
TECHNOLOGY
Only 33 percent of people said exchanging e-mails with doctors made them healthier, while two-thirds said it didn’t matter. Is this good or bad? What would happen to a drug if it did nothing for two-thirds of its patients? – PR Newswire
GI Logic’s AbStats, which uses disposable sensors monitored on a tablet app to monitor digestion, has been approved by the FDA. – MobiHealthNews
EpiFinder has raised a seed round to build out software that helps diagnose epilepsy at the point of care. – Phoenix Business Journal
Everything is a social network. That’s part of the philosophy Vivek Ranadive will use to invest the $250 million University of California fund. – TechCrunch
Alphabet is losing $1.5 billion on all its companies if you exclude Google – and people seem fine with that. – Business Insider
POLITICS
All the evidence you need to know that healthcare will come roaring back as an issue once the presidential elections finish the primary stage. – Reuters
In a shocking development, a presidential candidate’s plan to overhaul the FDA is a dumpster fire. This time it’s from Ted Cruz. – STAT
The medical device industry’s personal Congressman wants to use the medical device tax pause to go for full repeal. He’s probably right. – MassDevice
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
Nerd alert: Learn the plans for the Large Hadron Collider, now that it is back up and running with two year’s worth of upgrades. Even more exciting: bigger machines are in the works. – Wired
