This Week in BioPharma: 8/3-8/7

Here is the top news from the biopharmaceutical industry this week:

Biotechnology is helping to heal Delaware: Nearly 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year. Another 14,000 will die from the disease. One Delaware biotech firm is working to change that. In December, Wilmington-based AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals released Lynparza, a new medicine for women with advanced ovarian cancer. Innovative treatments like Lynparza help Delaware patients live longer and healthier lives. Drug development also keeps Delaware's economy healthy by creating jobs and supporting local businesses. But now, Congress may jeopardize the health of our state and its residents with ill-advised changes to Medicare Part D and patent laws. Read the full post here.

U.S. officials warn medical devices are vulnerable to hacking: The federal government is warning about a medical device that could be tampered with by hackers. The FDA and Department of Homeland Security issued a statement that "strongly encourages" health care facilities to discontinue the use of Hospira's Symbiq infusion pump after officials learned the devices are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. The medical device company confirmed that the computerized pumps -- which continuously deliver medication over an extended period -- could be accessed remotely through a hospital's network. This could allow an unauthorized user to control the device and change the dosage of medication the pump delivers to a patient. Read the full post here.

Allow medical devices sector to work with doctors: Pitching for allowing medical devices industry to engage doctors, industry body CII today said preventing medical practitioners to undergo training about latest technologies may be detrimental. Currently, under the voluntary the Universal Code for Pharmaceutical marketing Practices (UCPMP) industry is not allowed to engage medical practitioners for continued medical education on latest technologies, CII said in a statement. "Medical Device Industry is an innovation driven industry and needs to work with medical practitioners as well as paramedical professional in close proximity," the industry chamber said.  Read the full post here.

How can we derisk innovation in pediatric medical devices?: Sometimes, kids need intensive medical treatment – and the tools used for adults aren’t necessarily suitable to treat smaller, growing bodies. This presents a unique challenge for surgeons and clinicians, who find themselves with limited options when treating sick children. That’s where the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation comes in. It’s a division of the Washington, D.C.-based Children’s National Health System – and focuses on making pediatric surgery more precise, less invasive and, ideally, pain-free. Kolaleh Eskandanian, executive director of the Institute, spoke with MedCity News about the unique challenges in pediatric medical device innovation – and ways they’re helping jumpstart entrepreneurship in this small but important market. Read the full post here.

Technavio Says the High Demand for Biopharmaceuticals Will Inflate the Global Single-use Bioprocessing Systems Market Through 2019:  Technavio has published a new report on the global single-use bioprocessing systems market, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 34% from 2015-2019. The new report indicates the increase in the aging population is leading to a rapid increase in patient population suffering from diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, cerebral strokes, and cancer. This increases the demand for biopharmaceuticals among patients. Read the full post here.

Share this article with your social network, just click below to share now!

Share |