TOP STORIES
Johnson & Johnson is reportedly seeking to sell its manufacturer of active pharmaceutical ingredients, Noramco, this apparently could value the division at as much as $800 million. — Reuters
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.
We’ve got our own coverage of CES. But here is some other CES health news:
- Sharecare’s AskMD will come preloaded on Android. – Atlanta Business Chronicle,
- Introducing a bluetooth pregnancy test. – Wall Street Journal
- Check out Acer’s health monitoring solution. – Digitimes
- Here’s a list of health tech products that may not cut it. – STAT
LIFE SCIENCES
Valeant will temporarily replace its CEO with either Howard Schiller, its former chief financial officer last year, or current CFO Robert Rosiello. – FOX Business
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.
Dr. Eric Aguiar, formerly of Thomas, McNerney & Partners, has joined Aisling Capital as a Partner. – PR Newswire
Gilead is ending its a phase 2 clinical study of simtuzumab in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (it didn’t work). – Pharmaceutical Business Review
Eli Lilly’s diabetes treatment, Jardiance, is cutting into other drugs in the space: 25 percent of patients take the treatment as opposed to 15 percent in August. – Reuters
A new study involving pregnant cockroaches could pave the way for genetics research, particularly with new revelations about how stress during pregnancy could affect both the mother and her baby. — Science Daily
LifeScience Alley, the trade association serving Minnesota’s medical device, biopharmaceutical, diagnostics and digital health sector, is returning to its original name, Medical Alley. — Mass Device
New York ophthalmology startup Clerio Vision raised $3.2 million. – MassDevice
Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. has announced that it has entered into a $150 million credit agreement, secured by future royalties of ENHANZE products, received from collaborations with Roche and Baxalta. — Fierce Biotech
New neuroscience technique, Optogenetics, may revolutionize treatment of chronic pain and other neurological disorders. — Scientific American
Takeda and Baxalta have swapped a manufacturing facility in the Minnesota. – Business Wire
PAYERS-PROVIDERS
A Mississippi hospital will end up paying $156 million to settle a pension fraud suit. — Becker’s Hospital Review
Here’s a list outlining the ten things that CEOs and CFOs. involved with hospitals and insuring patients in particular,should pay attention to in 2016. — Becker’s Hospital CFO
TECH
Aver, which offers a data management platform to help with reimbursement, raised $13.6 million from Heritage Group, Cardinal Health and GE Ventures, among others. – Business Wire
Lumos Lab, which makes the Lumosity “brain training” games, will pay $2 million in refunds after the Federal Trade Commission said it it deceived customers about the health benefits of some of its products. – STAT
SafeWander is providing a wearable that can track the elderly to help prevent falls. It is “the world’s first wearable sensor that sends an alert to a caregiver’s mobile device when a loved one or a patient gets up from a bed or chair, even if the caregiver is far away,” reportedly. — iMedicalApps
POLITICS
Hillary Clinton already announced an Alzheimer’s initiative and now she’s unveiling an autism plan during a campaign stop in Iowa. — Politico
Eeeek. “The Obama administration wasn’t able to ensure that all tax-credit payments made to insurers under the health law in 2014 were on behalf of consumers who had paid their premiums.” – Wall Street Journal
A LITTLE EXTRA
The Cleveland Browns hired Moneyball analytics guru Paul DePodesta away from the New York Mets and have named him Chief Strategy Officer, as owner Jimmy Haslam announced. He’s still with Scripps, we have established that, just switched from one sport to another for this role. For those living in Cleveland, a hire like this for the team might help the city sleep better at night. — Cleveland.com
Photo: Screenshot via Johnson & Johnson Facebook
