Dr. Eric Topol’s identity as a physician remains closely connected to Cleveland Clinic.
His biography prominently states he is “well known for leading the Cleveland Clinic to become the #1 center for heart care,” among other things. Plus, his not getting the chief executive position at Cleveland Clinic, the subsequent departure and the brouhaha surrounding it made national news. Plus, it remains a hot (or touchy) topic among cardiologists, Clinic staff members and alumni, as well as other members of the healthcare community.
So, when I met Topol at the mHealth Summit in Washington D.C. I had to ask: “How would Cleveland Clinic be different if you had run the institution?”
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.
He didn’t bite.
“I’m glad the institution is doing really well and I’m having a great time at Scripps (Health),” Topol said. Instead, he focused our discussion almost exclusively on his new book.
