Curated GI articles July 31st, 2021:
Healthcare M&A on track for record year
Exact Sciences Announces Second Quarter 2021 Results (PR Newswire)
Total revenue was $434.8M, an increase of 62%. The company anticipates Screening revenue of $1,100-$1,125M, Precision Oncology revenue of $530-$540M, and COVID-19 testing revenue of $75-$80M.
Healthcare M&A on track for record year (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Physician practices and services saw 26 deals this June, up from 16 last June. Four of the deals were completed by Gastro Health, which acquired gastroenterology practices in northern Virginia.
8 Recent reports on COVID-19, GI: Liver transplantation, malnutrition, vaccine response (Healio)
These stories include research on liver transplantation, hepatitis B, GI symptoms that persist in patients post-COVID infection and more.
Hawaii hospital onboards state’s first AI-powered endoscopy system (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Pali Momi Medical Center reportedly is the first in the state to acquire an AI image-guided interventional endoscopy system. AI is used in image-guided endoscopic procedures and reduces radiation exposure to patients and staff.
Understanding the No Surprises Act (HealthLeaders)
The No Surprises Act, represents a significant change in the way out-of-network providers can bill and be reimbursed. Starting January 1, 2022, the legislation prohibits providers from balance billing members under certain conditions.
Enhancing Drug Delivery With Ultrasound – Boosts Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tract Disorders (SciTechDaily)
MIT spinout Suono Bio is advancing a new approach that uses ultrasound to deliver drugs, including nucleic acids like DNA and RNA, to the GI tract more effectively.
Endoscopic management highly successful in treatment of gastric leaks after resection for cancer (Healio)
According to a study published in Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology, internal endoscopic drainage should be the first line endoscopic treatment of anastomotic fistulas when possible.
Fallout of the CMS 2022 pay proposal for ASCs: 3 notes (Becker’s ASC Review)
If finalized, the proposed CMS 2022 Hospital Outpatient Payment Prospective System and ASC Payment System rule may have lasting ramifications for ASCs and the healthcare system.
Data Highlight Profound Social And Emotional Impact of IBD (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)
A recent survey of over 300 IBD patients found that more than eight in 10 said they have anxiety, and over half said their illness limits their ability to live up to their potential.
USA Today: Telehealth can be lifesaving amid COVID-19, yet as virus rages, insurance companies look to scale back (DHPA)
Most other insurers plan to reduce coverage of the visits in September even though Medicare and Medicaid are likely to cover them far more generously through the end of the year.
High-Fructose Corn Syrup Ups CRC Risk, More Data Suggest (Medscape)
In a study of 33,106 participants who provided dietary intake of high consumption of simple sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) noted increased risks for colorectal adenomas, particularly rectal adenomas.
New gastric intestinal metaplasia diagnosis codes for ICD-10-CM (AGA)
Ten new diagnosis codes for gastric intestinal metaplasia will be available for reporting as of Oct. 1, 2021.
Obesity does not increase risk for serious infection in biologic-treated IBD (Healio)
Obesity was not associated with an increased risk for serious infection among patients with IBD treated with biologics, according to research published in Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.
Combined Analysis of Risk Factors in NAFLD (Medscape)
A comprehensive study of 57 NAFLD patients concluded BMI had the strongest association with histological fibrosis, but PNPLA3 gene variants, gut bacteria and dietary factors underscore the multifactorial pathogenesis of NAFLD.
Founder and Former Chairman & CEO of Exact Sciences, Joins PAVmed Subsidiary Lucid Diagnostics (Business Wire)
Multitarget FIT yielded better diagnostic accuracy in the detection of advanced adenomas compared with basic FIT, according to research published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
AGA convenes seven groups to call for a unified public health response to NASH epidemic (AGA)
AGA in collaboration with seven professional associations convened an international conference of 32 experts to develop a multidisciplinary action plan to improve care for the growing population of patients with NASH and NAFLD.
Digital Therapeutics And Changing Future Of Healthcare (BW Healthcareworld)
CVS Caremark and Express Scripts with a market share of 53 per cent in the United States now support DTx in health plans. A study revealed, overall, 44 per cent of physicians showed interest in prescribing medical apps for patients.
Top 5 reasons physician finances worsened in 2020 (Becker’s ASC Review)
Forty-six percent of physicians reported their financial state as worse in 2020 than 2019, Medical Economics reported in its 92nd physician report.
Using Artificial Intelligence to Make Use of EHRs Less Painful (JAMA)
In a study with gastroenterology doctors it was noted that AI can be used as a first-pass technology to reduce the workload of a clinician who must wade through voluminous old records.
Treatment Gaps for Patients With Metastatic CRC (OncLive)
Reactions to the increase in prevalence of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) among a younger patient population despite treatment advances.
Seres, after earlier success, fails a key test for microbiome drugs (BioPharma Dive)
An experimental drug from Seres Therapeutics failed a Phase 2 study of patients with mild or moderate ulcerative colitis in a setback for an emerging class of medicines known as microbiome therapeutics.
Jonathan Bush, NBA star invest in healthcare price transparency startup (Becker’s Health IT)
Former Athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush and Golden State Warriors NBA player Klay Thompson recently joined a $5 million investing round for healthcare price transparency startup Turquoise Health.
More Hot headlines in GI
Webinar: Scope Forward – The Future of GI is Now in Your Hands (Sonic Incytes)
ABCs of Colon Cancer by NY’s highly respected GI veteran Dr. Iswara (Pat Brady)
Risks, Prevention of C diff Transmission During Transition (Medscape)
Amwell scoops up two digital health companies for $320M as tech M&A heats up (Fierce Healthcare)
VIDEO: Telemedicine changes face of care for IBD patients (Healio)
PathAI enters into clinical diagnostics through acquisition of Poplar Healthcare Management (PR Newswire)
10 gastroenterologists to know (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Circulating micro-RNA diagnoses NASH in patients with NAFLD (Healio)
Walmart signals continued healthcare expansion in 37 states (Healthcare IT News)
Some IBD Treatments in Pregnancy Had No Effect on Kids’ Infection Risk
(MedPage Today)
Videos: Interviews with GI Leaders (NextServices)
COVID-19: The Way Forward for Gastroenterology Practices