The life sciences biz had a colorful year. We were on the sidelines of scandal (Shkreli), disillusionment (Theranos) and some extreme M&A. As such, the internet’s awash with year-end highlight reels – rattling off the top stories, top personalities and top issues of 2015.
But what’s the fun in that?
We do life sciences a little differently here at MedCity News. So here are some 2015 life science highlights… in rhyme!
Transforming Patient Care: The Role of AI-Powered Assistants
The progress in artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping patient care, across various dimensions, from facilitating faster discharge to curating treatment plans and suggesting lifestyle changes.
An ambassador of health going tech
With that cool, Jobs-esque black turtleneck
But her diagnostics face scorn
Dubbed a failed unicorn
Liz Holmes: Now a bit of a wreck?
We must thank our dudebro Shkreli
Pharma’s bungling Machiavelli
He jacked up drug prices
Threw Wall Street in crisis
But revealed its corrupt underbelly!
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.
All hail CRISPR/Cas9
The gene editing uses? Divine.
But we must be prudent:
Can’t engineer a mutant.
“We’ve gone Gattaca!” the masses will whine.
This year’s M&A perversion?
Botox and Viagra, merged for inversion
Pfizer’s under attacks
But… Allergan’s tax!
Might sanction that U.S. desertion.
As for stethoscopes, Topol is critical
‘Cause he espouses all things going digital:
The renowned cardiologist
Is a social technologist
His prowess on Twitter? Inimitable.
I signed up for 23andMe
To learn what my genetics could be.
All I found? Hypochondria!
Over my mitochondria
Oh, and that lame family tree.
There once was a biochemist called Venter
Who became a genomics inventor
Now he backs precision med
‘Cause he’s afraid to be dead
Hence the launch of his “Human Longevity” center
Google favors the literary sobriquet:
Verb Surgical, Verily and Alphabet
But though they like words
They’re just biotech nerds
Chasing healthcare like it’s the next Internet.
“The forgotten organ” we’ve found
Where a world of bacteria abound
Microbiota’s got plethora
Of good-for-you gut flora
(“Fecal transplant” still has a gross sound)