Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hack Hits 27,000 Customers Of Pharmacy App Capsule
Crain's New York Business: Digital Pharmacy Capsule Reports Hack Affecting 27,000 Users
Capsule, an app-based pharmacy that delivers medications to patients, has reported a network server breach that affected more than 27,000 people. The Manhattan startup said the attack was likely an instance of “password spraying,” the term for when an attacker uses login information from other companies’ data breaches to attempt to break into users’ accounts. A third-party cybersecurity firm concluded the breach was not a result of any weaknesses in Capsule’s security or data infrastructure, a company spokeswoman said. She did not name the firm that conducted the investigation. (Kaufman, 6/2)
Bloomberg: FDA Warns DNA Sequencing Machines Could Be Hacked
US regulators warned health-care providers about a cybersecurity risk with some Illumina Inc. DNA-sequencing machines that could compromise patient data. Several of Illumina’s next-generation machines have a software vulnerability that could allow an unauthorized user to take control of the system remotely and alter settings or data, the Food and Drug Administration said in a letter Thursday. While there have been no reports of this happening, it’s possible that a hacker could alter a patient’s clinical diagnosis or gain access to sensitive genetic information. (Brown, 6/2)
In other medical technology news —
Press Association: New Smartphone App Identifying Jaundice From Babies' Eyes 'Could Save Lives'
A smartphone app that can identify severe jaundice in newborn babies by scanning their eyes could help save lives in poorer parts of the world, a new study suggests. In the study - co-authored by researchers at University College London (UCL) and the University of Ghana - an app called neoSCB was used to scan the eyes of more than 300 newborns in Ghana, following an initial pilot study on 37 newborns in 2020. The app, developed by UCL clinicians and engineers, was used to analyse images taken on a smartphone to quantify the yellowness in the whites of the newborns' eyes - a sign of neonatal jaundice. (Lough, 6/3)
And more from the pharmaceutical industry —
Columbus Dispatch: Cardinal Health To Open New Distribution Center In Grove City
Pharmaceutical and medical supplies distribution company Cardinal Health announced Thursday it will create about 100 jobs with the opening of a new distribution center in Grove City. The center is projected to be fully operational in November and is part of a multi-year warehouse modernization and growth plan, according to a press release. The 208,144-square-foot location will work to support Cardinal Health's at-Home Solutions business, which provides medical supplies for in-home care aimed at those with chronic or serious health conditions. It is the 10th distribution center in the U.S. for Cardinal Health at-Home Solutions. (Skidmore, 6/2)
Axios: Americans Overpay For Generic Drugs, Paper Says
U.S. consumers overpay for generic drug prescriptions by as much as 20% and it's largely because of the industry middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), according to a white paper from the USC Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. PBMs are powerful, secretive and heavily consolidated, and have a big impact on drug prices in America. This report focuses specifically on generics, which account for more than 90% of U.S. prescriptions and 18% of drug spending. (Reed, 6/1)
