WhiteLab Genomics Raises $10 Million for AI Gene Therapy Development Platform
WhiteLab Genomics, a biotech headquartered in France, has received new funding to tune of $10 Million in support of its artificial intelligence (AI) offerings for cell and gene therapy development. The company helps streamline the costly process of early development by using AI to predict treatment effects and prices. The AI is trained on data from several public and private datasets.
Amazon, Walmart and Other Providers Ask US Congress to Extend COVID-19 Telehealth policies
A group consisting of 370 care providers has asked the US Senate to extend pandemic policies regarding telehealth. These policies provide extra flexibility to telehealth services, like cross-state services or the relaxation of in-person visits for mental healthcare. The organizations consist of massive providers like Amazon, Walmart, and many others.
Making Next-Gen Sequencing Accessible to Patients
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is essential for advances in individualized medicine, but getting it to patients requires convincing insurers to pay for the technique. For this goal, care must be taken to ensure an accurate value-assessment process. In a new article in Value and Outcomes Spotlight, Lieven J.P. Annemans, PhD, discusses the barriers patients face accessing NGS and proposes a plan of action to reduce them.
Novartis Whistleblower Case Dismissed Again
A US District Judge has dismissed a whistleblower case against Novartis yet again. The case, brought by Steven Camburn, a former Novartis sales rep who alleged that the company was giving physicians kickbacks to encourage them to prescribe Gilenya, a drug for multiple sclerosis. Judge Kimba Wood ruled that Camburn has not provided enough evidence to support his claims
Flatiron ResearchX Session – What have we learned: Adapting to RWE regulatory guidance and experience – October 18th
Countries are increasingly releasing guidance after guidance in the use of real-world evidence (RWE) in regulatory decision-making. With the growing demand for RWE from industry and government alike, preparing for regulatory applications supported by RWE is more important than ever. On October 18th, Flatiron is hosting its next ResearchX Session.
US Senator Lindsey Graham Introduces Bill Banning Abortions After 15 Weeks Nationwide
Only weeks after the US Supreme Court reversed the right to safe abortions by overturning Roe V. Wade, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has introduced a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks into pregnancy. The bill, which is doomed to fail with Democrats controlling Congress and the presidency, is in contradiction with Graham’s statement a month ago that abortion laws should be decided at the state level.
Webinar – A Journey without a Map: Building an Oncology Powerhouse Where Innovation Thrives – Sept. 21
The landscape of next-generation cancer treatment development is rapidly changing. Achieving success in advanced requires careful consideration of the shifting tides of the industry and quick adoption of new concepts and technologies. In an upcoming Endpoints webinar on September 21st, leaders from Astellas discuss how they built an oncology powerhouse.
The Impact of Alzheimer’s Care: A Managed Care Perspective
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, affecting 6.5 million people in the US alone. Unfortunately, a crisis is brewing in many countries aging populations; the number of people facing the disease will double in the next 40 years. A newly published article in AJMC breaks down the societal and economic impact of the disease and explains the role of managed care in the relieving this burden.
Better Healthcare Outcomes Through Digital Health Real-World Data
The boom in digital health solutions has caused an explosion in real-world data (RWD) that is full of potential insights that could improve outcomes for patients. Gleaning these insights is neither easy nor straightforward; careful consideration must be undertook to ensure that data is accurate, organized, representative of the population, and correctly analyzed. A new Harvard Business Review article examines this topic and provides patient experiences.
Biden Relaunches Cancer Moonshot With Goal of Halving Cancer Deaths in 25 years
US President Joe Biden is revamping and relaunching his cancer moonshot, a project he began as Vice President in 2016. Biden set a goal of reducing cancer deaths by 50% in the next 25 years by policy changes that would spur new innovation in biopharma, increase healthcare data infrastructure, and reduce drug prices.
Whitepaper – Engaging the End Prescriber: A Practical Guide to Working With Physicians
Adapting pharmaceutical marketing to the changing healthcare landscape requires understanding the perspective of physicians. However, there is often a big divide between clinicians and marketers that must be bridged in order to achieve market success. In a new whitepaper by flipMD, learn why you should include physicians in your planning and how to do it.
Fierce Biotech Releases 2022 Fierce 15 List
Every year, Fierce Biotech highlights 15 biotechs that excel in innovation, achievements, and potential. In this year’s Fierce 15, Fierce Biotech focused on finding biotechs who led the way in diversity in management and geographical regions. The companies featured target cancer, currently untreatable genetic disorders, and more with technologies ranging from small molecules to RNA.
EU Commission Approves Novavax COVID-19 Boosters
The EU Commission has approved the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine booster for adults 18 and above. The move comes only weeks after the European Medicine Agency (EMA) recommended the use of booster doses of the protein-based vaccine. The shot is currently authorized for the purpose in 3 APAC countries, Japan, New Zealand, and Japan.
Becker’s Healthcare – 13th Annual Meeting – April 2023
Beckers’ Healthcare is hosting its 13th annual meeting in April 2023. The conference will bring together professionals from across the healthcare industry to network and collaborate solutions for the rapidly changing healthcare landscape. Speakers include industry leaders, celebrities, investors, and more.
Stopping the Next Big Healthcare Crisis
Healthcare is facing an impending crisis due to healthcare inflation, nursing shortages, and widespread healthcare worker burnout. Solving this problem before the bottom falls out will require quick action. While systemic changes are needed, Robert Pearl, MD, offers 3 strategies that can be implemented now.
Pretzel Therapeutics Nets $72.5 Million in Series A Funding For Mitochondrial-Targeted Therapeutics
The biotech Pretzel Research has been awarded a total of $72.5 million in Series A funding. Pretzel develops therapeutics that target the mitochondria, often referred to as “the powerhouse of the cell.” There are many diseases caused by mitochondrial dysfunction and even more that are affected by it. To start, Prezel will focus on “primary” mitochondrial disorder, which affect 1 out of every 5,000 people.
Tirzepatide and Weight Loss – A New Era for Obesity Medicine
Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide was recently approved for weight loss by the US FDA. A newly published study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the drug has similar effects to gastric bypass surgery. The data further supports the use of the drug to treat obesity, which is associated with conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers. Patients with a BMI 30 or greater that took the drug and got counseling for healthy eating and exercise lost 20.9% of their body weight in 72 weeks, compared to 3% body weight loss in the placebo group. This has big implications for patients, providers, and payers.
Cityblock Health Raises $400 Million in Megaround
Cityblock Health has raised $400 million in its latest funding round. This brings the value of the startup to a whopping $5.7 billion. The company focuses on delivering care to patients in marginalized groups, aiming to provide care for 10 million patients by the end of the decade. Two key parts of the company’s strategy is integrating community support into care plans and connecting members with resources and specialized providers.
Moderna Looking At $100 COVID-19 Vaccines
With the US federal government ending free COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2022, Moderna has begun deliberating the cost it will charge for the shots on the commercial market. Arpa Garay, COO of Moderna, spoke with investors Tuesday, September 8th, informing them of the company’s move towards value-based pricing. The proposed $100 price tag would be triple that paid by the US government during the ongoing pandemic.
STATUS List 2022 Spotlight Series
STAT News is hosting its 2022 STATUS List Spotlight Series beginning September 20th. The series will highlight movers and shakers in the life science fields. Talks will cover the spotlighted professionals’ personal stories of their backgrounds, careers, and ideas for their fields moving forward. The first talk features Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo M.D., Ph.D., M.A.S..
Webinar: Making HEOR More Accessible to Patients – October 13th
Health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) is increasingly being picked up by providers, payers, drugmakers, and regulatory decision-makers for its value in healthcare and research. Patients and patient advocacy groups, however, may be intimidated by the jargon and acronyms of the field. In an upcoming webinar on October 13th, HEOR experts will discuss how to make HEOR relevant and accessible for patients and why it’s important.
Webinar September 14th – LP Studio: Making Free-Text Available to Users
Electronic health records (EHR) and other healthcare documentation often contains unstructured text that isn’t easily searched or categorized. In an upcoming webinar on September 14th, Miriam Caduri Greenstein of MD Clone will explain how NLP Studio uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help extract actionable and research insights from existing pools of unstructured text data.
Federal Judge Rules Against HIV Prophylaxis ACA Provision
A US federal judge has ruled that an ACA provision guaranteeing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is unconstitutional, in a suit filed by Braidwood Management. PrEP is a medication that, if taken correctly, effectively prevents HIV infections and transmission. Requiring Braidwood to cover the drug would, according to the ruling, violate their religious freedoms.
India Approves Nasal COVID-19 Vaccine by Bharat Biotech
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Bharat Biotech’s nasal COVID-19 vaccine for adults 18 and over. This is the first of its kind in the nation and is one of few nasal COVID-19 vaccines approved worldwide. Based on a modified chimpanzee cold virus, the vaccine delivers SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins directly to the nose, one of the first spots in the virus’s route of infection.
Conference: Becker’s Health IT + Digital Health RCM Annual Meeting
The landscape of healthcare is changing faster than ever, with the rapid growth of telehealth usage and increasing digitization. This October, Becker’s Healthcare will bring together professionals from health IT, digital health, and RCM to learn, collaborate, and connect. The in-person event will take place from October 4th-7th in Chicago. The meeting will take place virtually October 10th-14th.