Page 194 - Aet News Today

Taysha Gene Therapies has encouraging data from an open-label, Phase 1/2 study in the rare disease giant axonal neuropathy. It might not be enough. The FDA recommended the biotech conduct a randomized and placebo-controlled study—a challenge in any ultra-rare disease.

Russian hacker group Killnet has claimed responsibility for a string of recent cyberattacks that took more than a dozen hospital websites offline across the U.S. — including the websites for Cedars-Sinai, Michigan Medicine, and UPMC. The group has been active for at least a year and is known to target countries that support and/or send resources to Ukraine.

Ciox recently partnered with Virginia-based non-profit health system Sentara Healthcare to pilot a tool that makes it easier for expectant mothers to access their health records. The fact that patients’ pregnancy data get trapped in silos is problematic because providers can use that information to predict complications and intervene sooner.

Blue Shield of California's new health plan, Virtual Blue, gives members virtual access to primary care through Accolade and virtual access to specialty care through TeleMed2U. If needed, they can also receive in-person care through the payer's PPO network.

Vector BioMed has developed a technology platform for designing and manufacturing the lentiviruses used to deliver cell and gene therapies. The startup is launching as the field continues to experience shortages of these viral vectors.

Less than 20% of behavioral healthcare providers collect data on how patients are progressing with their treatment. To buck this trend, Two Chairs is rolling out “mental health snapshots,” which are consistent summaries of patients’ well-being designed to offer real-time insight to both clinicians and clients.

A recent NEJM publication concluded that although colonoscopy is widely used as a dependable screening test to detect colorectal cancer, its overall effect on the risks of colorectal cancer death is potentially less clear than previously reported. The doubt sprouting from this study is misplaced, dangerous and will potentially lead to more deaths from this disease.

Was Livongo a good business? As Burke, now CEO of Quantum Health, touts its strength to investors ahead of a potential IPO, should the Livongo-Teladoc history give them pause?

Now that numerous calls for repeal and legal challenges brought against the ACA over the years have failed, health plans can finally invest confidently in this line of business.

Last year’s digital health investment trends have left some startups feeling uneasy about their ability to raise capital in the new funding environment. Venture capitalists think companies that have a demonstrable return on investment and serve multiple stakeholders will probably have the easiest time securing capital, while point solutions and startups in crowded markets will face a tougher environment.