Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Amazon's New Hire Brings History Of Introducing Health Professionals To Technology
Stat: Amazon’s Latest Health Care Hire Brought Technology Into The Clinic
Dr. Maulik Majmudar has spent years toiling on a task Amazon must master to disrupt the nation’s health care industry: getting physicians to incorporate novel technologies into their practices. This week, he announced he is taking a new job with the ecommerce giant following several years incubating new technologies at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Ross, 8/21)
The Wall Street Journal: Biotech Instrument Maker Bionano Genomics Bucks Trend In $20.6 Million IPO
Bionano Genomics Inc. has gone public in an unusual move for a venture-backed biotech research instrument company, making its Nasdaq debut Tuesday. Drug developers capture the bulk of medical venture-capital dollars, and among health-care startups, they are the most likely to go public. Drug makers also made up the majority of the 29 venture-backed health-care companies that staged initial public offerings in the first half of the year, according to Dow Jones VentureSource. (Gormley, 8/21)
The Associated Press: Herbalife Distributors Claim In $1B Suit Events Were A Sham
Patricia and Jeff Rodgers figured they did everything right to get rich beyond their wildest dreams selling Herbalife health and personal care products. They attended all of the “Circle of Success” events, brought in new recruits, met their quotas on buying Herbalife goods to sell and even set up a storefront shop. But they didn’t get rich. Instead, Patricia Rodgers estimates the couple lost over $100,000, including about $20,000 spent on attending Herbalife events. Now, the couple and others are suing the multi-level marketing company that sells its products through a network of distributors who recruit more distributors. The potential class-action case could involve more than 100,000 plaintiffs and might mean as much as $1 billion in damages. (Anderson, 8/21)
