TOP STORIES
Two years after spending $680 million to acquire Prosensa and its experimental treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, BioMarin Pharmaceutical is giving up on trying to win approval for that drug, drisapersen. The FDA rejected drisapersen in January, and it became increasingly apparent that European regulators would soon do the same. — Xconomy
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.
Michael Pearson may have led Valeant Pharmaceuticals to the brink of destruction, but the Laval, Quebec-based drug-maker still gave its ex-CEO a consulting contract that pays $583,000 through the end of 2016 and up to $180,000 next year. That’s in addition to Pearson’s $9 million severance that comes due in about a month and deferred stock awards that could be worth millions more. Not bad for colossally screwing up. — STAT
In the wake of a Los Angeles Times exposé on Sunday about Gilead Sciences reportedly dragging its feet on developing a safer HIV treatment, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation has called on the FDA and Congress to investigate Gilead. The L.A.-based nonprofit already has a lawsuit pending against Gilead and two other companies for alleged drug patent manipulation. — Business Wire
LIFE SCIENCES
Personalized medicine company Myriad Genetics has acquired Sividon Diagnostics, maker of breast cancer prognostics tests, in a deal that could be worth as much as $56 million. — Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News
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.
Swiss biotech firm AC Immune seeks to raise $50 million in a U.S. IPO. — Reuters
More and more drug and device companies are offering money-back guarantees on their products. — STAT
Octogenarian activist investor Carl Icahn has acquired a “large position” in Allergan and expressed confidence in CEO Brent Saunders. — CNBC
Cardinal Health’s Cordis is recalling its Precise Pro RX nitinol carotid stent system. — MassDevice
The FDA has asked Teva Pharmaceuticals to conduct more blood studies before approving Teva’s treatment of chorea related to Huntington’s disease. — Reuters
PAYERS/PROVIDERS
Health insurance startup Oscar has picked Tempe, Arizona, over the Denver area to build a concierge healthcare center. — Phoenix Business Journal
We normally don’t think twice about health IT contract wins, but it seems significant that Pontiac (Michigan) General Hospital has picked Medsphere Systems’ OpenVista — based on the VA’s open-source VistA EHR — over Epic Systems, Cerner, Meditech and the like. — Business Wire
TECHNOLOGY
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has completed recruitment of the first pediatric study to use the Curelator Headache smartphone app to examine symptoms and factors that precede migraines. — PR Newswire
Gary Lauer is stepping down as CEO of private health insurance exchange company eHealth. His replacement will be Scott Flanders, who is leaving his job as CEO of Playboy Enterprises. For real. — Marketwired
Former CMS Administrator and FDA Commissioner Dr. Mark McClellan has been named vice chairman of American Well’s advisory board. — American Well
Stop us if you’ve heard this before: an EHR vendor executive, in this case, Allscripts President Rick Poulton, said that vendors need to start innovating around interoperability. — Healthcare IT News
E-prescribing vendor DrFirst has acquired health IT consulting firm The IN Group. — Business Wire
POLITICS
The deadlock in Congress over funding to address the Zika virus has state and local health departments scrambling. Timing is particularly bad because the first baby with birth defects linked to Zika in the New York metro area was delivered Tuesday. — The Hill, Fox News
Physicians and veterans groups will be in Washington on Wednesday to protest a VA plan to replace physician anesthetists with nurses for certain complex surgeries. — PR Newswire
Canada is mandating generic-looking cigarette packaging in an effort to cut down on smoking. — Reuters
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
On Friday, Medtronic’s SpinalGraft Technologies group will dedicate a garden in Memphis, Tennessee, to organ donors. — Memphis Business Journal
