Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CRISPR CAR-T Cancer Drug May Be More Effective Than Found In Study
Stat: CRISPR Therapeutics’ Off-The-Shelf CAR-T Drug Shows More Remissions
More of the cancer patients who received CRISPR Therapeutics’ experimental, off-the-shelf CAR-T cell therapy showed complete remissions compared to the drug’s initial study results, according to a company update Tuesday. Some of the remissions are lasting six months or more, an important measure of durability. In the CRISPR Therapeutics study, which remains preliminary, 24 adult patients with advanced B-cell lymphoma were injected with escalating doses of CTX110. Fourteen patients, or 58%, responded to treatment. Nine patients, or 38%, had complete responses, meaning tumor cells were no longer detectable. (Feuerstein, 10/12)
In other pharmaceutical and biotech news —
Modern Healthcare: FDA Approves First Smartwatch For Both Blood Oxygen And ECG Monitoring
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday signed off on a new smartwatch that includes a blood oxygen monitor and electrocardiogram sensor to track the wearer's vitals, the first device to receive simultaneous approval. Created by the health technology company Withings, the ScanWatch can record ECG and SpO2 measurements, detect sleeping irregularities and document physical activity. "[ScanWatch] is our most ambitious medical watch to date and has the potential to benefit millions of people," said Mathieu Letombe, CEO of Withings, in a news release. (Devereaux, 10/12)
WLRN 91.3 FM: Why Does A Miami Mask-Maker Have Millions Of Them Waiting For Buyers?
Luis Arguello is mad about masks. He isn't angry about wearing masks. He's disappointed the market for American-made surgical masks has not materialized like he thought it would just 10 months ago. Arguello is the president of medical products maker DemeTech, based in Miami Lakes. "We rolled the dice with no clients, no buyers. I said, 'Let's see what happens,'" Arguello said in December 2020. The bet has not worked out. (Hudson, 10/12)
And in updates on the Theranos trial —
CNBC: Safeway Ex-CEO: We Did 'At Least 100 Hours' Of Diligence On Theranos
Former Safeway CEO Steve Burd said on Tuesday that his company knew it was taking a risk by partnering with blood-testing start-up Theranos, and he acknowledged that a deal would have been good for the grocery chain’s stock price. On his second day testifying in the criminal fraud trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, Burd told jurors that Safeway ran a thorough independent investigation into the company’s claims about its technology before signing an agreement in 2010. (Khorram, 10/12)
