Information technology
The new data experts our health care professionals need | The Wall Street JournalIn an op-ed, Dr. Drew Harris, director of health policy and population at Thomas Jefferson University's College of Population Health in Philadelphia says, “As our nation's mammoth health system transitions to a new model that rewards high-value rather than high-volume care, there are real questions about whether the next generation of clinical managers and leaders have the right skills to put all the available data to effective use.”
Pharmaceuticals
Many doctors treating alcohol problems overlook successful drugs | Kaiser Health NewsAs millions of Americans battle alcohol abuse problems each year, public health officials suggest that two often overlooked medications might offer relief to some.
AstraZeneca licenses inflammatory disease candidate to Allergan | Reuters
Britain's AstraZeneca said it had licensed a potential medicine for inflammatory diseases to Allergan for an upfront payment of $250 million and potential additional payments of up to $1.27 billion.
Spectral Medical's sepsis treatment fails late-stage study | Reuters
Spectral Medical said its experimental treatment for sepsis – a common, oft-deadly complication of infection – failed a late-stage study, stymieing the company's plans to bring to market the first FDA-approved device for the condition.
Novo Nordisk bets on riskier insulin research | The Wall Street Journal
Nearly 10 years ago, executives at Novo Nordisk wondered whether the company's decades-long quest to make ever-better insulin had finally come to an end. The trigger was an impressive set of results for the company's newest insulin that suggested the product would be difficult to improve upon. That realization has forced a gear change at Novo Nordisk, the world's largest insulin maker. Now, it is getting into the complex and more expensive business of inventing new forms of insulin.