Another deadly infection blights the US yet again, this time in California. We all saw the news of the outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center. The origin stemmed from duodenoscopes used at that hospital. This closely follows on the heels of the measles ( a virus previously considered eradicated from […]
Since the news of the CRE (carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae) infections at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center on Wednesday, many are concerned about how the design of the duodenoscope used is difficult to sterilize. Seven people were infected with CRE and two have died. The device is often used to do procedures on the gallbladder, pancreatic ducts […]
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.
We hear that antibiotic resistance is on the rise, but it’s hard to quantify what that means. The below infographic does a nice job of it – telling us which bacteria is particularly threatening, and which antibiotics pale in comparison. It’s done by data journalist David McCandless, who has a trove of fantastic data visualizations on his site, […]
The way we diagnose urinary tract infections is still pretty belabored. The most common method is examining a urine sample for errant bacteria or blood cells. Other methods include a urine sample and then trying to grow the bacteria in the lab, or having CT scan of your bladder – quite the to-do for a bacterial infection […]
President Obama’s recent executive order on antibiotic resistance has called attention to a growing problem that is threatening to undermine the extraordinary achievements of modern medicine. The President’s executive order and the accompanying “National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria” call for a broad range of measures to conserve the antibiotics we have and to develop […]
Antibiotic resistance is taking its toll on the pharmaceutical industry: Drugs are getting retired from clinical circulation, because many have basically been rendered ineffective, according to an article from Washington University of St. Louis. It highlights the work of WUSTL’s Michael Kinch, associated vice chancellor of its Center for Research Innovation in Business: The number […]
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.
Dan Peterson is an epidemiologist and entrepreneur who started a company last year, Teqqa, to help physicians and healthcare facilities decide which antibiotics they should prescribe for their patients. Its first product — iAntibiogram — is an analytics tool for clinical decision support. It comes on the heels of the Obama administration’s push to improve […]
Honey as an antiseptic is one of those valid old wive’s tales – its medicinal properties have been documented in medical literature for millennia. Now, a team of researchers at Sweden’s Lund University have figured out why. Thirteen lactic acid bacteria found in fresh honey – straight from the honey stomach of bees – produce an […]
Hospitals in the developing world may be able to save money, and fight off antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with a cheap and readily available tool: maggots. BBC News is reporting that a pilot study at Kenyatta National Hospital has found an ancient technique called maggot therapy is reducing the need for antibiotics and long hospital stays for […]
Overcoming challenges posed by the growing number of infections that are resistant to traditional antibiotics is the goal of a startup surfacing today with a $3 million Series A and a drug development partnership with Roche. Spero Therapeutics was born last year out of a collaboration between VC firm Atlas Venture’s seed program and Partners […]
Gabby Everett, the site director for BioLabs Pegasus Park, offered a tour of the space and shared some examples of why early-stage life science companies should choose North Texas.
One of the most dangerous medical threats now facing us is the growth of resistance to antibiotics. According to the CDC’s 2013 report on antibiotic resistance, more than 2 million people in the USA every year acquire a bacterial infection that is resistant to antibiotics and 23,000 people die from these infections. Resistance arises when […]