Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
NYC Nursing Strike Ends; 'Harmful Events' Hit 25% Of Hospital Patients
CBS News: Nursing Strike At Two Big NYC Hospitals Ends After Three Days
A nursing strike that disrupted patient care at two of New York City's largest hospitals for three days is over. (1/12)
In other industry news —
NBC News: Nearly 1 In 4 U.S. Hospitalized Patients Experience Harmful Events, Study Finds
Nearly 1 in 4 patients who are admitted to hospitals in the U.S. will experience harm, according to a study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Sullivan, 1/11)
Stat: Physicians Urge FDA To Convene Expert Panel Before Final Leqembi Approval
A physicians group is urging the Food and Drug Administration to hold an expert panel meeting to review an experimental Alzheimer’s treatment before issuing a full-blown approval, a move that reflects nagging safety issues surrounding the medication. (Silverman, 1/11)
The Boston Globe: Harvard Medical School And Partners In Health Receive $50 Million To Launch Paul Farmer Collaborative
A $50 million donation from the Cummings Foundation will create the Paul Farmer Collaborative, an international partnership between Harvard Medical School and the University of Global Health Equity, a health sciences school in Rwanda co-founded by Dr. Paul Farmer, the late global health champion. (Mohammed, 1/11)
Stat: Element Ratchets Up Race For Cheaper DNA Sequencing
Decoding the billions of chemical letters that help shape who we are once cost a fortune. But genomics startup Element Biosciences on Wednesday announced it can now read a whole human genome for as little as $200 — the cost of a couple trips to the grocery store. (Wosen, 1/11)
On artificial intelligence and health —
Stat: Medical Schools Are Missing The Mark On Artificial Intelligence
Ready or not, health care is undergoing a massive transformation driven by artificial intelligence. But medical schools have barely started to teach about AI and machine learning — creating knowledge gaps that could compound the damage caused by flawed algorithms and biased decision-support systems. (Palmer, 1/12)
Stat: BioNTech CEO: How MRNA, AI Can Power Personalized Medicine
When BioNTech was founded in 2008, messenger RNA therapies and vaccines were still an unproven idea. The German company has now shipped out billions of doses of its mRNA Covid-19 vaccine worldwide — and BioNTech’s leaders say that’s just the beginning of a larger revolution in medicine. (Wosen, 1/12)
Also —
Stat: Drastic Changes Should Bring Profitability, Startup Health Insurers Say
Startup insurers Oscar Health, Bright Health, and Clover Health have hemorrhaged money since going public within the past two years. All three used their stage time at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference to make the case that their drastic decisions — like fully exiting some insurance markets — will deliver the profitability investors are demanding. (Bannow and Herman, 1/11)
Modern Healthcare: Nonprofit Health Systems Move Past 'The Worst Of It' In 2023
Nonprofit healthcare systems are in for a tough year, but a Fitch Ratings report released Wednesday projects even the hardest-hit providers may start to see improvement in the coming months. (Hudson, 1/11)
The Wall Street Journal: Alphabet Unit Verily To Trim More Than 200 Jobs
Verily Life Sciences, a healthcare unit of Alphabet Inc. is laying off more than 200 employees as part of a broader reorganization, the first major staff reductions to hit Google’s parent following a wave of layoffs at other technology companies. (Kruppa, 1/11)
Reuters: Mark Cuban's Pharmaceuticals Startup Ties Up With RxPreferred
Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban's pharmaceuticals startup has tied up with pharmacy benefits manager RxPreferred Benefits, the companies said on Wednesday, in a move to offer lower priced drugs through some employer-backed health insurance plans. (1/11)
The New York Times: R.J. Reynolds Pivots To New Cigarette Pitches As Flavor Ban Takes Effect
The law prohibits flavors, odors or “tastes” in tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. But antismoking experts argue that R.J. Reynolds, the maker of Camel and Newport brands, is trying to circumvent the ban by luring smokers with a suite of what it says are new non-menthol versions offering “a taste that satisfies the senses” and “a new fresh twist.” (Jewett and Baumgaertner, 1/11)
Reuters: U.S. Judge Rules Apple Watch Infringed Masimo's Pulse Oximeter Patent
A U.S. judge ruled that Apple (AAPL.O) had infringed on one of Masimo Corp's (MASI.O) pulse oximeter patents by importing and selling certain Apple Watches with light-based pulse oximetry functionality and components, Masimo said on Tuesday. The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) will now consider whether to implement an import ban on these Apple Watches, the medical device maker said. (1/11)
