About pharma
BMS to buy MyoKardia for $13.1 billion, expanding cardiovascular franchise: “Bristol Myers Squibb announced Monday that it agreed to purchase MyoKardia for $225 per share in cash, or approximately $13.1 billion, gaining the latter's experimental heart disease drug mavacamten.”
Assessment of Availability, Clinical Testing, and US Food and Drug Administration Review of Biosimilar Biologic Products: “This study found that most comparative efficacy trials supporting the FDA approval of biosimilars appeared to be as rigorous as and often larger, longer, and more costly than pivotal trials for new molecular entities. Further research is needed into whether less costly comparative efficacy trials could provide adequate evidence of biosimilarity and whether animal studies contribute useful scientific evidence.”
Oxford researchers start new trial on the use of anti-TNF to treat Covid-19 in care homes:”Researchers at the University of Oxford are starting a new study to explore the effectiveness of the anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drug adalimumab [Humira] as a treatment for patients with COVID-19 in the community, especially care homes.”
Nitric oxide a possible treatment for COVID-19, study finds:”Researchers at Uppsala University have found that an effective way of treating the coronavirus behind the 2003 SARS epidemic also works on the closely related SARS-CoV-2 virus, the culprit in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The substance concerned is nitric oxide (NO), a compound with antiviral properties that is produced by the body itself. The study is published in the journal Redox Biology.
‘To our knowledge, nitric oxide is the only substance shown so far to have a direct effect on SARS-CoV-2,’ says Åke Lundkvist, a professor at Uppsala University, who led the study.”
For the first time, drug makers and PBMs must jointly face an insulin price fixing lawsuit: “A federal judge ruled that a Texas county can proceed with a lawsuit accusing several drug makers and pharmacy benefit managers of conspiring to fix prices for insulin, the first time these companies will have to collectively defend their role in the rising cost of the life-saving diabetes medicine.”
About the public’s health
CDC says airborne transmission plays a role in coronavirus spread in a long-awaited update after a website error last month:”The long-awaited update to the agency Web page explaining how the virus spreads represents an official acknowledgment of growing evidence that under certain conditions, people farther than six feet apart can become infected by tiny droplets and particles that float in the air for minutes and hours, and that they play a role in the pandemic.
The update follows an embarrassing incident last month when the agency removed a draft that had not gone through proper review and was posted in error.”
Amid COVID-19 pandemic, less than 60% in U.S. plan to get flu vaccine: The latest survey by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases found that 59% “of people in the United States plan to be vaccinated against the flu this winter…
Although fewer than one-third of respondents said that the COVID-19 pandemic would make them more likely to be vaccinated, nearly half said they were concerned about the potential effects of the new coronavirus on the seasonal bug, the data showed.” The number is good compared to other years but still much lower than it should be.
US panel tackles race, poverty in virus vaccine priorities: “As expected, the panel recommended health care workers and first responders get first priority when vaccine supplies are limited. The shots should be provided free to all, the panel said. And throughout the vaccine campaign, efforts also should focus on disadvantaged areas to remedy racial health disparities, according to the report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.”
Only 3 states are reporting declines in new coronavirus cases as the US hits its highest daily rate in 2 months: “As of Saturday night, new cases were down in Texas, Missouri and South Carolina, while 21 states reported a rise in cases and a little more than half held steady compared with the week before.
Friday, there were 54,506 new reported cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, the highest single day case number since 64,601 cases were reported on August 14.”
COVID-19 Antibodies Decline Quickly in Donated Plasma: Study: “Antibodies against COVID-19 in people who've recovered from the disease begin to vanish about three months after they develop symptoms, researchers say.
This suggests that sooner is better for recovered COVID-19 patients to donate antibody-containing blood plasma for convalescent plasma treatment, according to the authors of a small study published Oct. 1 in the journal Blood…
By about 88 days, all 15 donors had decreases in antibodies, and half of detectable antibodies dropped within 21 days after that, the investigators found.”
Effect of Face Masks on Gas Exchange in Healthy Persons and Patients with COPD: One less reason to avoid wearing a mask: “Although we did not measure changes in tidal volume or minute ventilation, this data find that gas exchange is not significantly affected by the use of surgical mask, even in subjects with severe lung impairment.”
About health insurance
UnitedHealthcare planning largest MA geographic expansion in 5 years: “The insurance giant, which currently covers more than 6.5 million people in its MA plans, will expand to 300 additional counties to reach nearly 3.2 million additional members for plan year 2021.”
Cigna expands Medicare Advantage offerings to 67 new counties in 2021: “In 2021, Cigna will expand its MA plans into 67 new counties in five new states, with both HMO and PPO plans available. The new markets will be in Ohio, Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah and New Mexico. Additionally, it is broadening its PPO offerings in more than 150 of its existing communities.”
About hospitals and health systems
50 Best Teaching Hospitals for America: Yet another list…this one is “based on their performance in three broad categories: patient outcomes (mortality etc.), civic leadership (treating lower-income and minority patients etc.), and value of care (avoiding overtreatment).” The order of institutions and omissions are surprising.
Investors Extracted $400 Million From a Hospital Chain That Sometimes Couldn’t Pay for Medical Supplies or Gas for Ambulances: “In the decade since Leonard Green & Partners, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, bought control of a hospital company named Prospect Medical Holdings for $205 million, the owners have done handsomely.
Leonard Green extracted $400 million in dividends and fees for itself and investors in its fund — not from profits, but by loading up the company with debt.”
Lafayette General Health Joins Ochsner Health:”The combined system includes $465 million growth plan for Acadiana and an immediate $100 million expansion at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center.”
American Renal Associates shares skyrocket 70% premarket on news of take-private bid: “American Renal Associates Holdings Inc. shares…jumped 70% in premarket trade Friday, after the provider of outpatient dialysis services said it has reached an agreement to be acquired by private-equity firm Nautic Partners in a deal with an enterprise value of about $853 million.”
About healthcare IT
VA considers moving to Cerner patient portal, racking up to $300M more in EHR project costs:”The Department of Veterans Affairs is in talks to retire its current EHR patient portal and switch to Cerner's tool, which could cost anywhere from $60 million to $300 million.”
Clinical evaluation and diagnostic yield following evaluation of abnormal pulse detected using Apple Watch: “A clinically actionable cardiovascular diagnosis of interest was established in only 30 (11.4%) patients, including 6 of 41 (15%) patients who received an explicit alert.” In other words, there is a very high false positive reading with these watches.
University of Minnesota develops AI algorithm to analyze chest X-rays for COVID-19: “A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota recently developed and validated an artificial intelligence algorithm that can evaluate chest X-rays to diagnose possible cases of COVID-19. Working together with M Health Fairview and Epic, the algorithm will be available at no cost to other health systems through Epic, the medical records software used by many health care organizations across the country.”
Nvidia to build the UK’s fastest supercomputer for AI drug-hunters at GSK, AstraZeneca and more: “Through a new partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and the U.K.’s National Health Service, the chip maker Nvidia plans to build Great Britain’s most powerful supercomputer—and dedicate its use to artificial intelligence research in healthcare.
Dubbed Cambridge-1, the machine is designed to deliver 400 petaflops of performance, or 400 quadrillion floating-point calculations per second.”
HHS Renews $10.2 Million Contract For Controversial COVID-19 Data Tracking Company:”The Department of Health and Human Services decided to award a second $10.2 million, six-month contract to TeleTracking Technologies even though Congressional committees are investigating the process by which the contract was awarded and the HHS Inspector General is looking at how the company is securing the information it is gathering, an NPR Investigation has learned.”