About Covid-19
As vaccinations keep rising, so do Covid-19 hospitalizations among those who aren't vaccinated: “First, the good news: The United States reported a record-high 4.6 million doses of vaccines administered in one day, according to data published Saturday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
Now the bad news: For the third straight week, new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing, according to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walenky.”
Nearly half of new US virus infections are in just 5 states: “New York, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey together reported 44% of the nation’s new COVID-19 infections, or nearly 197,500 new cases, in the latest available seven-day period, according to state health agency data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Total U.S. infections during the same week numbered more than 452,000.”
Those states account for 22% of the total US population.
States have been slow to order allotted vaccine doses, spurring calls for new approach: “States have delayed ordering hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses available to them even as coronavirus outbreaks escalate — a sign the nation is moving past its supply pinch and now faces more acute challenges related to demand, staffing and inoculation of hard-to-reach populations…
State and county officials offered different explanations for not ordering their full allocations each week. Many cited the difficulty of matching first and second doses. Others pointed to reduced demand, staffing challenges and inadequate communication between state and local officials.”
AWS [Amazon Web Services] to distribute $12 million in 2021 and expand scope of its initiative to fight COVID-19.: “In the first phase of the initiative, AWS helped 87 organizations in 17 countries ranging from nonprofits and research institutions to startups and large businesses. We have awarded $8 million supporting a range of diagnostic projects, including molecular tests for antibodies, antigens, and nucleic acids; diagnostic imaging; wearables; and data analytics tools that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect the virus.
As we launch the next phase, we are excited to broaden the AWS Diagnostic Development Initiative’s scope and distribute the remaining $12 million this year. Starting April 12, we are expanding the scope to three new areas: 1) early disease detection to identify outbreaks at the individual and at the community level; 2) prognosis to better understand disease trajectory; and 3) public health genomics to bolster viral genome sequencing worldwide.”
Japanese drug regulator to fast track any modified vaccines to fight variants: “The Japan Times reported that modified vaccines against new variants of COVID-19 will not require clinical trials in Japan if the production process and handling are similar to those of the original authorised vaccine.
The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) said companies will still need to submit data from clinical trials overseas that shows immune response to the variants when they apply for Japanese approval.”
This move is unusual for the VERY cautious PMDA.
Here's how the U.S. compares to other countries on the coronavirus pandemic: A really good review and analysis of the current status of this topic.
South African variant may evade protection from Pfizer vaccine, Israeli study says: “The South African variant, B.1.351, was found to make up about 1% of all the COVID-19 cases across all the people studied, according to the study by Tel Aviv University and Israel’s largest healthcare provider, Clalit.
But among patients who had received two doses of the vaccine, the variant’s prevalence rate was eight times higher than those unvaccinated - 5.4% versus 0.7%.”
The study had very small numbers and the results make no sense. Why would vaccination increase infection almost 8 times more than in those unvaccinated?
Regeneron says antibody cocktail prevented Covid when given as simple injection, not an IV: “The study enrolled 1,500 healthy volunteers, each of whom shared a home with someone who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and randomized them to receive a single dose of its antibody treatment, given subcutaneously as four shots, or placebo. After 29 days, 11 patients in the treatment group developed Covid-19 compared to 59 on placebo. And for the subjects who got Covid-19 despite treatment, their symptoms resolved after one week, compared to three weeks for those on placebo. In 204 patients who had already tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the study’s outset, the injection reduced their chances of progressing to symptomatic Covid-19 by 31%.”
More Black Americans open to vaccines after outreach efforts: “A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in late March found that about 24% of Black American adults said they will probably or definitely not get vaccinated. That’s down from 41% in January. The latest number shows Black Americans leaning against getting shots in almost the same proportion as white Americans at 26% and Hispanic Americans at 22%.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said attitudes toward the vaccine among Black Americans have taken “almost a 180-degree turnaround” as outreach campaigns have worked to combat misinformation.
He credited Black physicians, faith leaders and other community organizers for being trusted messengers during the pandemic, which has killed more than 550,000 Americans.”
About healthcare IT
How Americans Feel About Telehealth: One Year Later: A quick-read survey that highlights how much has changed in one year.
In a change, patients can now read the clinical notes written by their physicians: This “spring, new federal rules went into effect that will allow patients to see the clinic notes physicians write, which advocates say will improve patients’ knowledge of their own health….
But not all doctors are as enthusiastic, concerned that patients might misinterpret what they see in their doctors’ notes, including complex descriptions of clinical assessments and decisions.”
Microsoft accelerates industry cloud strategy for healthcare with the acquisition of Nuance: “Microsoft Corp and Nuance Communications, Inc. today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Nuance for $56.00 per share, implying a 23% premium to the closing price of Nuance on Friday, April 9, in an all-cash transaction valued at $19.7 billion, inclusive of Nuance’s net debt… Mark Benjamin will remain CEO of Nuance, reporting to Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Cloud & AI at Microsoft. The transaction is intended to close this calendar year….
Nuance’s products include the Dragon Ambient eXperience, Dragon Medical One and PowerScribe One for radiology reporting, all leading clinical speech recognition SaaS offerings built on Microsoft Azure.”
Google is exploring a health record tool for patients: ”After 13 years, Google is coming back for patient health records. The tech giant has launched an early user feedback program aimed at exploring how patients might want to see, organize, and share their own medical record data.
The work could inform the creation of a consumer-facing medical records tool along the lines of Apple’s Health Records app.”
Stand-alone apps are way behind current trends for interoperable systems and data exchange (see recent postings on anti-blocking laws). From the provider standpoint, any system that does not also have a financial (billing/collections) component is worthless.
FDA clears its first plug-in AI video system for spotting polyps during colonoscopy: “The GI Genius, developed by Cosmo Pharmaceuticals and distributed internationally by Medtronic, is designed to be compatible with all agency-approved endoscopy video systems. On the physician’s feed, the add-on system highlights areas of interest, allowing for closer visual inspections, tissue biopsies or ablation, with the goal of finding cancers when they may be easier to treat.”
About healthcare tech
Medline Industries Explores Sale:”Medline Industries Inc. is exploring a sale that could value the big medical-supply company at as much as $30 billion and mark the latest in a recent string of large leveraged-buyout bids.
The family-owned company has hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to run the process, according to people familiar with the matter. There is no guarantee the company will ultimately be sold. The process is at an early stage, the people said, with some adding that an IPO or minority investment is also a possibility.”
The top 10 medtech M&A deals of 2020: FYI
About pharma
Ohio Expects To Save $240 Million In Medicaid Drug Costs By Running Its Own PBM: “Ohio officials expect that consolidating the seven private pharmacy benefit managers that run its Medicaid managed-care system into a single, state-regulated PBM will save more than $240 million every year. The change will go in effect starting in early 2022.
Officials will administer PBM services through Gainwell Technologies, a state-regulated PBM that will replace the seven PBMs currently operating in the managed-care system.”