Researchers Cheer Key Breakthroughs In Pig Kidney Transplant Surgery
A team at NYU Langone Health has discovered immune reactions that may explain why these organs get rejected, ABC News reported. The team also discovered a way to anticipate a potential rejection up to five days sooner. "I do believe that we will be in a position in the next few years where gene-edited pig organs will be an alternative to human organs," said Dr. Robert Montgomery, director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute.
ABC News:
'Huge Step Forward': Scientists Discover Immune Reaction Behind Pig Kidney Rejection In Transplant Patients
Transplanting gene-edited pig kidneys into humans has been hailed as a pioneering procedure and a way to help ease the shortage of organs available for those on transplant waiting lists. Scientists, however, have been struggling to understand why these animal organs have been rejected not long after surgery. Now, they may have an answer. In the first of two studies published Thursday in the journal Nature, researchers at NYU Langone Health have discovered immune reactions that may explain why these organs get rejected. (Kekatos, 11/13)
The Guardian:
New AI Tool Could Cut Wasted Efforts To Transplant Organs By 60%
Doctors have developed an AI tool that could reduce wasted efforts to transplant organs by 60%. Thousands of patients worldwide are waiting for a potentially life-saving donor, and more candidates are stuck on waiting lists than there are available organs. (Gregory, 11/13)
In other health care industry news —
CNBC:
Cheaper Medicines, Free Beach Trips: U.S. Health Plans Tap Prescriptions That Feds Say Are Illegal
Every step is a struggle for Bruce Zimmerman, whose health has been deteriorating since he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis eight years ago. In 2019, Zimmerman said, his then-employer offered him an opportunity that sounded irresistible: He and his wife, Becky, could take all-expense-paid trips to the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas to retrieve the medication he needed, Avonex, a drug made by Biogen that currently retails in the U.S. for $2,159 per weekly dose. Through Florida-based PriceMDs, which paid for the couple’s travel, Zimmerman’s Avonex would be free of charge. (Zamost, Tortorelli and Lee, 11/13)
Modern Healthcare:
Medicare Advantage Marketing Targeted By State Commissioners
State insurance regulators are pressuring Medicare Advantage insurers to reverse decisions to cut back on compensation to brokers and other third-party marketers. Struggles in Medicare Advantage have caused carriers such as UnitedHealth Group subsidiary UnitedHealthcare and Humana to shift strategy in recent years to emphasize profit margins over growth as spending rises and federal dollars are harder to come by. Insurers have trimmed or eliminated commissions to agents and brokers and restricted access to online applications to avoid signing up new customers who could prove costly. (Tong, 11/13)
Bloomberg:
Elevance Seeks To Keep NYC Health Plan Contract In Secretive Legal Fight
Elevance Health Inc. is trying to keep a major contract to provide health benefits for New York City public employees by arguing the city was “arbitrary and capricious” when it gave the lucrative award to its rivals. The contract to manage billions in public spending is supposed to switch over Jan. 1. Elevance has been fighting to keep it for almost two years in litigation that a state court has kept under seal. Now, an appeal that was briefly made public has revealed for the first time Elevance’s protest over how the decision was made. (Tozzi, 11/13)
WUSF:
South Florida Hospitals, Leapfrog Group Seek Court Ruling Over Safety Grades
Five South Florida hospitals and the Leapfrog Group are separately asking a Palm Beach County judge to resolve a legal dispute over the nonprofit’s hospital safety grades without a trial. Over the past three weeks, each side has filed motions for summary judgment, presenting arguments to convince the court to rule in its favor. (Mayer, 11/13)
Newsweek:
Short Staffing Pushed Nurses To Launch Strike At Maine Hospital
Nurses at Maine’s Houlton Regional Hospital (HRH) will go on strike next week to protest the hospital’s failure to address staffing and patient care concerns. There are 55 nurses at HRH represented by the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC). (Giella, 11/13)
The Baltimore Sun:
Baltimore County Woman To Serve 38 Months For Impersonating Nurse
A Baltimore County woman was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison Tuesday after prosecutors say she impersonated a nurse at more than 40 health care facilities across Maryland. (Parker, 11/13)
Also —
WBUR:
Inside MIT's Lab Training Robots For A Future In Caregiving
MIT researchers huddled around a humanoid robot in a mock kitchen. The robot slowly scooped lemonade powder out of a bowl into a pitcher of water, mixed the liquid, and poured the lemonade into a glass, with no spills. The space, called the Living Lab, is intended to show researchers how robots could assist people with everyday tasks. (Brown and Dearing, 11/13)
