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FierceBiotech
Scientists at Northwestern University have discovered a “kill code” in every cell of the body that’s triggered by chemotherapy and that causes cancerous cells to self-destruct. What’s more, they’ve learned enough about the code that they’ve figured out how to trigger it without chemo — a finding that they believe could lead to new therapies.
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Medscape
More than two thirds of patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP) have mutations detectable on circulating tumor DNA (ct-DNA) testing, or so-called liquid biopsy. For these patients, ct-DNA testing could alter their treatment and improve their outcomes, say UK researchers.
The findings come from a proof of principle study presented here at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2018 Congress.
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Case Western Reserve University via ScienceDaily
A single protein regulates a battery of key genes inside developing sperm, according to a new study. Scientists discovered the protein — called Dazl — controls a network of genes essential for developing sperm to replicate and survive. The findings, published in Cell Reports, could lay the groundwork for future research into therapies for infertile men.
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| | EMERGING MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES |
Forbes
The next time you glance at your watch, it may tell you a lot more than just the time.
With the recent announcement of FDA approval for the first-ever consumer wearable health device – the electrical heart rate sensor embedded within the new Apple Watch 4 – lawmakers have begun paving the way for an entirely new industry of consumer-based healthcare devices.
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Entrepreneur
ave led to an outburst of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) around the world today. What this has also done is left large pockets of communities under-served. In the wake of these challenges, the onus lies on the healthcare sector to provide quality medical care and assistance to one and all at affordable costs.
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| | BIOTECH/DIAGNOSTICS/PERSONALIZED MEDICINE |
MIT Technology Review
Sometime this fall, the number of people who have spit in a tube and sent their DNA to the largest consumer DNA testing companies, like Ancestry and 23andMe, is likely to top 20 million. The list by now is certain to include some of your classmates and neighbors. If you are just tuning in, this figure will seem huge. And you might wonder: how did we get here?
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STAT News
How old were you when CRISPR first showed up in print? And what were your grandparents doing when the word DNA made its first appearance?
Now you can find out. Merriam-Webster has been promoting a search tool that lets you look up the words that made their first known appearance in print in the year you were born, or any other year dating all the way back to 1500.
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mobihealthnews
Artificial intelligence medical imaging diagnostics startup Visla Labs announced today that it has raised $3 million in seed funding. The round was led by Lux Capital, with participation from others including Dick Costolo and Adam Bain, Twitter’s former CEO and COO, respectively.
The startup’s first software offering uses AI to increase the accuracy, speed and cost of radiology diagnoses.
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Medical Xpress
Skeletal stem cells are valuable because it's thought they can heal many types of bone injury, but they're difficult to find because researchers don't know exactly what they look like or where they live.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified a type of skeletal stem cell in the "resting zone" of the epiphyseal growth plate, which is a special cartilaginous tissue and an important driver for bone growth.
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Science
In the wake of a call for retractions of dozens of papers from a high-profile Harvard University heart stem cell research lab, federal officials today announced they are pausing a clinical trial based on research in this field. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in Bethesda, Maryland, explained in a statement today that the pending retractions “have raised concerns about the scientific foundations of this trial.”
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MarketWatch
CVS Health Corp. bought health insurer Aetna Inc. for nearly $70 billion. Cigna Corp. paid about $54 billion for pharmacy-benefits manager Express Scripts Holding Co.
These deals and others have been powerful consolidating forces in the U.S. health industry, with high price tags accompanied by investment-grade bond issuances.
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USA Today
Every fall, open enrollment season means complicated forms to read and big decisions to make about insurance and other benefits offered at your job.
You may find the process a headache, but taking the time to evaluate your choices could save you thousands of dollars.
Three out of five (60 percent) workers say their employer offers an open enrollment period for benefits, according to a recent Nationwide Financial consumer survey. Workers typically can switch health care plans, add disability or life insurance, or sign up for other benefits.
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| | FDA: NEW TREATMENTS AND TECHNOLOGY |
Reuters
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved TherapeuticsMD’s oral hormone therapy for menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances and night sweats, the company said on Monday.
The regulatory nod is the third in five months for the drugmaker, which received approvals for a birth control device and another hormone therapy for menopause symptoms.
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| | ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATIONS |
Healthcare Finance
Nine bipartisan lawmakers have added their voices to concerns from provider groups over proposed reforms to the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
The U.S. House of Representatives members want to see two key changes to the proposed rule, and their concerns mirror those expressed by healthcare industry associations in a similar letter sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last month.
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Patient Engagement HIT
While value-based care models have made great strides toward breaking down silos, coordinating care, and better serving patients, it is time to take steps further.
In order to make value-based care truly beneficial to patients, those very patients have to be at the center of care, according to experts presenting at Xtelligent Healthcare Media’s third annual Value-Based Care Summit.
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RevCycle Intelligence
Over one-third of accountable care organizations (36 percent) said they are unlikely to continue with the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) if the proposed overhaul is finalized, a recent survey showed.
Only 48 percent of ACO leaders in the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) survey reported that their organization would stay in the revised Medicare ACO program, which would be called the Pathways to Success initiative.
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The WATCHMAN™ Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device is the only device approved by the FDA to reduce the risk of stroke in people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who need an alternative to warfarin. An analysis titled, “Cost Effectiveness of Left Atrial Appendage Closure with the Watchman Device Compared to Warfarin or NOACs for Secondary Prevention in NVAF,” was published in a May issue of the journal Stroke. The manuscript concluded WATCHMAN is the most cost-effective stroke risk reduction strategy for secondary prevention of stroke in patients with NVAF when compared to warfarin. The analysis used data from multiple pivotal trials and costs derived from 2016 U.S. Medicare rates and was populated with a cohort of 10,000 patients. The analysis also included patient care costs compared to other non-warfarin oral anticoagulants including dabigatran, apixaban and rivaroxaban.
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A new study published in The Oncologist demonstrates the objective prognostic value of the Biodesix VeriStrat® test in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Researchers utilized samples from the Phase 3 MARQUEE trial and found that the VeriStrat (VS) test was a significant predictor of outcomes, independent of ECOG Performance Status categories, patient EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) mutation status, treatment received, and other clinical variables. Click here to read the full release.
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Biodesix today announced newly published data showing the noninvasive BDX-XL2 test, currently in development, could reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies carried out on patients with benign nodules, as well as reducing the overall cost of care while lowering patient anxiety. Click here to read the full release.
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The University of Rochester School of Nursing offers the first 100% online Care Management Education program from a top-tier academic medical center. Whether it’s onboarding new care managers or renewing a managed care nursing certification, the UR School of Nursing’s courses are all taught by practicing experts. Students learn cutting-edge strategies to improve patient experience, manage population health, and reduce health care costs. The ABMCN has endorsed all 68 contact hours as preapproved renewal credits. Please click here for more information.
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| Senseonics today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its Pre-market Approval (PMA) application to market the company’s Eversense® Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System to people with diabetes in the United States. The system is the first and only CGM system to feature an implantable glucose sensor and provide long-term continuous monitoring for up to three months. Please click here to view the full press release..
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Novo Nordisk and the National Association of Managed Care Physicians (NAMCP) Medical Directors Institute have released the supplement titled “Management of Obesity: Considerations in Managed Care Medicine” in the Journal of Managed Care Medicine. Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, multifactorial, neurobehavioral disease resulting in adverse metabolic, biomechanical, and psychosocial consequences. The medical and financial burden of obesity significantly affects individuals, health care providers, employers, payers, and society. This supplement provides an extensive overview of the problem of obesity, the benefits of modest weight loss, and why various stakeholders are affected by and should address the issue. Click here to view the published article on the important topic of obesity management.
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Seattle Genetics announced an FDA approved label expansion for our lead product/program Adcetris (Brentuximab Vedotin) in combination with chemotherapy for adults with previously untreated stage III or IV classical Hodgkin Lymphoma. Click here for more information.
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| Advanced Accelerator Applications, a Novartis Company, Receives US FDA Approval for LUTATHERA®, a First-in Class Treatment for Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (GEP-NETs). Please click here to read the entire press release. |
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The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) and the National Association of Managed Care Physicians (NAMCP) Medical Directors Institute announced today the joint release of their recent study of medical director perspectives on value demonstration and reimbursement for regenerative and advanced therapies. Click here to view the published article about the study.
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| The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized a New Technology Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) for the HeartFlow® FFRct Analysis, a first-of-its-kind non-invasive technology that helps clinicians diagnose and treat patients with suspected coronary artery disease. Under the APC payment system, hospitals enrolled in Medicare that bill CMS for the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis for Medicare patients are eligible for reimbursement effective January 1st, 2018. Please click here to view the full press release. |
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