Information technology
Merger may revitalize California’s flagging effort to pool medical records | Kaiser Health NewsAfter a sluggish start, the Cal INDEX medical database has agreed to a merger that would create one of the largest repositories of patient records in the country. The nonprofit California Integrated Data Exchange, launched by insurers Blue Shield of California and Anthem Inc. with much fanfare in 2014, announced Tuesday that it intends to merge with the Inland Empire Health Information Exchange. Together, they would have insurance claims and medical records of 16.7 million people.
Pharmaceuticals
National Cancer Institute unveils new effort to speed drugs to researchers | STATIn the Obama administration’s final days, the National Cancer Institute is establishing an ambitious new program designed to allow scientists to more quickly access new drugs and compounds for novel research.
Valeant agrees to sell Dendreon to Sanpower for $820 million | The Wall Street Journal
Valeant Pharmaceuticals agreed to sell its Dendreon cancer business to Chinese conglomerate Sanpower for $820 million, part of an effort by the beleaguered drugmaker to unload assets and pare debt.
Here’s how big pharma plans to clean up after Martin Shkreli | Buzz Feed News
Martin Shkreli was everywhere last year. After hiking the price of an antiparasitic pill from $13.50 to $750 as the then-CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, the unapologetic, indicted, and widely reviled “pharma bro” helped ensure that the issue of skyrocketing drug prices made news almost daily. No wonder Stephen Ubl, who runs the pharma industry’s lobbying group, said that moving on from Shkreli and doing damage control are the top priorities for drug makers in 2017.
Safety, quality and clinical practice
Rebooting the nursing home | PoliticoThe Green House, a nursing home near Hershey, Penn., is part of a growing movement to transform nursing homes from medicalized institutions to places that feel much more like home.
