Industry news

Bioelectronic device improves rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in first-in-human trial

Amirah Al Idrus / Fierce Medical Device

A trio of collaborators announced Monday clinical trial data showing that an implantable neuromodulation device improved symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The results may also have an impact on patients with other inflammatory diseases, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Crohn’s disease.

Independence would be good for the FDA and the public

Ed Silverman / STAT

In a moment remarkable for its symbolism, six former Food and Drug Administration commissioners last month sat together on a stage and argued that their former agency needs more autonomy from Washington bureaucracy. The solution: make the FDA independent and maybe give it a cabinet seat at the White House, too.

Could gene therapy become biotech’s growth driver in 2017?

Ohad Hammer / Open Reading Frame

Despite bouncing off a 2-year low, biotech is still an unpopular sector and investors are rightfully concerned about its near-term prospects. Recent drug failures, growing pricing pressure and the potential impact of biosimilars all contribute to the negative sentiment, but the main problem is the lack of growth drivers for the remainder of 2016 (and potentially 2017).

Top Spanish drugmaker fears disruption if EMA moves from Britain

Emma Pinedo / Reuters

The likely relocation of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) from London threatens to disrupt the approval of new drugs and is a medium and long-term worry for top Spanish drugmaker Almirall, its chief executive said on Monday.

Resistant superbug's arrival highlights the need for more effective diagnostics

Liz Hollis / Bio World

Politicians and medical experts worldwide alike have decried the lack of innovation in antibiotics – an area that has been neglected for three decades – but another area is turning out to be just as important: diagnostics.

Are we ready for Sean Parker’s CRISPR trials?

Charles Craig / Bio World

Everything about Sean Parker’s first-in-human cancer trial of CRISPR gene editing technology is monumental, including ethical concerns about the safety of the first patients who will serve as true pioneers to test the potentially breakthrough cancer immunotherapy.

The biotech IPO feast flags as investors lose their appetite for R&D risk

John Carroll / ENDPOINTS

There was a time after the 2008 crash that biotech IPOs were about as popular as snow in March. But from 2013 through 2015 generalist investors got over their fears and jumped into one of the hottest stock games on the planet. Funds chased each other for huge returns. CEOs became overnight millionaires.

Pharmacy Managers Unleash Big Data

Zachary Tracer / Bloomberd

OptumRx was doing a routine analysis of a client’s prescription-drug claims when it noticed something odd. The company’s spending on acne medicine seemed high compared with those of other customers. Digging into the usage data for clues, the pharmacy arm of the health insurer, UnitedHealth Group, found that employees had been prescribed newer brand-name acne drugs that were, for the most part, combinations of older generic medicines. OptumRx began requiring patients to begin treatment with the cheaper remedies and switch to the pricier ones only if the others proved ineffective. Within six months, the 60,000-employee company had saved more than $70,000, OptumRx says.

Diabetes Breakthrough Nears With Medtronic’s Artificial Pancreas

Michelle Cortez / Bloomberg

The discovery of insulin almost a century ago was one of the most remarkable achievements in medical history, transforming a deadly disease into a manageable one. Now diabetics are on the cusp of another breakthrough, one that could ease the endless task of manually testing and adjusting their blood sugar levels.

Reality check from Eric Lander: Majority of cancer cures will take decades

STAT

Softening the current optimism about curing cancer, a leading figure in genetics and disease research says it’ll take decades to transform the majority of cancers into chronic diseases instead of lethal ones.