Intercept Pharmaceuticals, a company that once led the race for a NASH drug, is set to be acquired by Italian firm Alfasigma for $794 million. Alfasigma will pay $19 per Intercept share, marking an 82% premium over Intercept’s closing stock price prior to the announcement. Intercept’s primary asset, obeticholic acid, was approved by the FDA in 2016 as a treatment for primary biliary cholangitis under the brand name Ocaliva. The company had hoped that the drug could also treat NASH, a more common liver disorder. However, after the FDA rejected its application twice, Intercept decided to halt its NASH efforts…
Author: Abhay Panchal
Harbinger Health, a company focused on early cancer detection, has secured a significant funding of $140 million in a series B financing round. The company is developing a range of liquid biopsy tests and a software program to analyze blood samples for early signs of cancer. The funding was led by Flagship Pioneering, which had previously brought Harbinger out of stealth in 2021, and saw participation from new investors including Pictet, Partners Investment, and M&G Investments’ Catalyst fund. Key Insights: Harbinger’s total funding now stands close to $200 million since its inception. The series B funds will be used to…
Dr. Aasma Shaukat, a gastroenterologist and researcher in colon cancer screening, discusses the conflicting colorectal cancer (CRC) screening recommendations. The American College of Physicians (ACP) recently proposed CRC screening starting at age 50, using fecal occult blood-based testing every 2 years, and flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years or colonoscopy every 10 years. This contrasts with other major guidelines, which recommend initiating screening at age 45. The discrepancy arises from differing interpretations of the same evidence, with some emphasizing the rising CRC incidence in those under 50, while others point to the lack of randomized controlled trials for this age group.…
Amazon’s healthcare initiatives can combine Anthropic models with existing healthcare LLMs to integrate AI into healthcare initiatives like Amazon Clinic, One Medical and Pillpack. Read More
Patients with confirmed nonerosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are not at greater risk for esophageal cancer compared with the general population and are unlikely to need additional endoscopic monitoring for cancer, new research suggests. By contrast, patients with erosive disease had more than double the incidence of esophageal cancer. “We expected a less-strong association with cancer among patients with nonerosive GERD compared to those with erosive GERD, [and] the results do make sense in view of the fact that the nonerosive GERD patients had normal esophageal mucosa at endoscopy,” Jesper Lagergren, MD, PhD, of Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, told Medscape…
Dr. Kambiz Kadkhodayan, a gastroenterologist at the Orlando-based AdventHealth Center for Interventional Endoscopy, has successfully performed the world’s inaugural “Candy Cane” endoscopic procedure. The patient, Rene Galloway, a former emergency room nurse, had previously undergone nine surgeries over the past 13 years. Due to her medical history, she was deemed a less favorable candidate for additional surgeries. The “Candy Cane” procedure involves: Removing a problematic segment of the patient’s small bowel using a repurposed endoscopic device. Subsequently, a channel for food intake is established. Both stages of the procedure are executed without resorting to traditional surgery, utilizing an endoscope and…
New guidelines suggest that women should be offered take-home kits to screen for cervical cancer, aiming to reduce discrimination in healthcare. As provinces transition away from Pap smears, which involve a doctor collecting cervical cells to detect early signs of cancer, a newer HPV test is being introduced. This test detects high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and is offered to those aged between 25 and 65 every five years. Self-swabs for HPV, likened to at-home COVID-19 tests, could significantly enhance early detection. Dr. Aisha Lofters, a scientist and family physician, believes that at-home HPV testing can help overcome…
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who resumed infliximab treatment after using a biosimilar faced a threefold increased risk of discontinuing the treatment over time due to an unwanted response. This observation was made in a study conducted by Rosanne W. Meijboom and her team from the Pharmacy Foundation of Haarlem Hospitals in the Netherlands. Key Points: Study Background: The research aimed to understand the reasons behind patients reverting from a biosimilar to the original infliximab. While many patients transitioned successfully from the infliximab originator to its biosimilar, about 7% reverted to the originator. Research Methodology: The study, conducted between…
CHICAGO—A monitoring device passively and accurately detects flares of Crohn’s disease before clinical signs appear, according to a study of more than 100 individuals monitored for up to a year. The device—which stays at home and is not worn by the patient—measures biomarkers remotely with a sensor as the patient performs normal activities. Collecting data on the patient’s changes in sleep, gait and respiration, the device then employs machine learning to detect the difference between remission and flare, reported investigator Joshua Korzenik, MD, an associate professor of gastroenterology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in Boston. “It…
The American Medical Association (AMA) has conducted research to understand the landscape and decision-making process behind cost and commercial payer coverage for digitally enabled care. The findings indicate a lack of coverage agreement, inconsistent coverage policies within the commercial market, and varying levels of coverage policy transparency for digital health services and tools. Key Points: Study Overview: The AMA, in collaboration with Manatt Health, released a study summarizing publicly available coverage policies of commercial health insurers for 21 unique digital medicine services. The aim was to comprehend the existing landscape of commercial payer coverage and the decision-making process behind coverage…