August 15, 2019 Going forward, though, one thing will change, several lawmakers told the pharma and PBM executives. The “status quo is not going to continue,” Rep. Joe Kennedy said. “It can’t.” That remains to be seen, but at a hearing, members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce highlighted some of the reasons … Read more
August 13, 2019 The scheme of illegal kickbacks and bribes could amount to one of the largest healthcare fraud cases ever seen by the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Inspector General’s Office, according to the agencies. Arrests were made Tuesday, April 9, 2019, and two (2) dozen people have been … Read more
August 08, 2019 Now, using CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens and RNA sequencing, a Stanford University team of scientists has identified CD22 — a B-cell receptor that keeps immune responses in check — as a negative controller of microglial phagocytosis. Tuning down CD22 appears to improve cognitive function in aged mice. The researchers reported their findings in … Read more
August 06, 2019 To start, the retail and computing giant has paired up with six (6) companies to develop programs that can harbor protected prescription information, book doctor appointments, track blood glucose levels and find the nearest urgent care center. That includes a program from the digital health company Livongo, a member of the 2017 … Read more
August 02, 2019 Alec Burkaloff, who pleaded guilty in a Boston courthouse in November 2018 on federal racketeering charges, agreed in April to forfeit $9.5 million and admit his role in a plan to induce physicians to write scripts for the company’s under-the-tongue fentanyl spray as part of a paid speaker program he personally managed. … Read more
July 30, 2019 With new support from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and other donors, the Diagnostic Accelerator “venture philanthropy” project at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is poised to name its first grantees in the near future and has begun taking applications for a second round of grants focused on fast-tracking digital tools for … Read more
July 25, 2019 The Agency hopes a tailored regulatory framework will help promote the development of machine-learning devices and programs, which FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb says “have the potential to fundamentally transform the delivery of healthcare.” “As technology and science advance, we can expect to see earlier disease detection, more accurate diagnosis, more targeted therapies … Read more
July 23, 2019 Seems a rather odd choice for Michael Gove, a British conservative member of Parliament and former cabinet minister, given the ongoing deadlock at Parliament. However, Gove, who alongside former London Mayor Boris Johnson is a leading favorite to be the next leader of Britain (as current PM Theresa May appears to be … Read more
July 18, 2019 A recent Kaiser Health News (KHN) investigation revealed that the FDA granted device makers numerous “exemptions” from the standard rules of publicly reporting harm related to devices. One such program began about 19 years ago and allowed companies to file alternative summary reports about injuries or malfunctions into a database not visible … Read more
July 16, 2019 Before any physical signs or symptoms of heart failure emerge, chronically stressed cardiac cells undergo changes to adapt; however, the adjustments do not necessarily make things better, said Doug Lewandowski, Ph.D., an Ohio State researcher who focuses on cardiac metabolism, in a statement. Lewandowski’s team discovered that deficiencies of a reactive fat … Read more