The England international defender became a father for the first time in April 2019 but his clan has now expanded after confirming partner Fern Hawkins had given birth again

This year will likely bring far less unicorn hype, but tech firms with promising business models and profit outlooks could be poised for healthy IPOs in 2020.

Keep on reading: 5 Tech IPOs to Watch for in 2020

The former Chief Digital Officer for New York City shares advice for how business leaders can best manage their personal media outlets.

Keep on reading: Top Social Media Tips for Execs

For those of you who find yourselves with more time to read over the next few weeks, Managing Partner at Blue Dots Partners LLC., Philippe Bouissou, Ph.D., explains how his research and strategies help businesses stay aligned while working to survive a time of uncertainty.

Keep on reading: M.R. Asks 3 Questions: Philippe Bouissou, Ph.D., Managing Partner, Blue Dots Partners LLC.

(MedPage Today) -- Triple therapy -- with methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine -- is little used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the U.S. today, and clinical outcomes showed less efficacy than regimens combining...

Coronavirus concerns see low crowd numbers at the NT's NTFL grand final, where the Nightcliff Tigers make history winning back-to-back premierships in a first for the club, beating St Mary's by 13 points.

The undefeated Melbourne City missed its supporters in the grandstand as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, but the W-League giant is celebrating another championship after beating Sydney FC 1-0 in the season decider.

Hugh Bowman rides Farnan to victory in the prestigious Golden Slipper, as racegoers are barred from Rosehill Gardens in Sydney's west because of biosecurity protocols surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Fremantle shows why it is tipped to win its first AFLW flag with a 70-point thrashing of Gold Coast, as the Kangaroos and Demons also progress to the preliminary finals.

Steve Smith is now free to captain Australia again if called upon, with the leadership ban arising from the ball-tampering scandal expiring quietly over the weekend.

From today, new masks and protective boxes are being shipped out to Australian medical staff to help protect them while treating coronavirus patients — and they're coming from an unlikely source.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan confirms club members can get their money back if they face financial hardship, but implores those who can afford it to stick with their clubs through the coronavirus pandemic.

Up to 15 former Wallabies captains unite to raise questions about the leadership of the current administration, with some predicting new management within a fortnight.

Former Richmond Tigers premiership player Michael Bowden is remembered as a fierce footballer, inspiring educator and compassionate family man after his death from motor neurone disease at the age of 73.

After a concerted effort from #NBATwitter to bump up the release date of the Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance, the first two episodes hit Netflix ahead of time on Monday night and we're already hooked.

Rugby Australia is prepared to hold crisis talks with a group of disgruntled retired Wallabies captains, who have penned a letter to the governing body claiming the game has "lost its way", while demanding a change in leadership.

NRL players Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr have been fined $1,000 each for breaching the state's coronavirus distancing lockdown during a weekend away, as the NRL describes the getaway as "unacceptable".

The latest instalment of The Last Dance shows us the Michael Jordan we know and love, as well as some outlandish antics from Dennis Rodman, including a team-sanctioned mid-season trip to Las Vegas.

He has claimed almost every individual honour there is in the AFL, but the highest goal continues to drive the Geelong star even during this uncertain 2020 season — a maiden premiership victory.

Sporting organisations can afford to join the national redress scheme for institutional child sexual abuse but have chosen not to, according to government documents obtained by the ABC.

Your Zoom or Skype meetings don't have to look like hostage videos. Here's what some experts advise.

Matt Wolf's latest documentary, "Spaceship Earth," is a layered and absorbing account of a widely dismissed but remarkable scientific study.

The Philippines is promising better pay for its nurses to lure them to the front lines against COVID-19, but a legacy of exploitation and poor working conditions in the nation's hospitals has dampened the enthusiasm to answer the call.

Since March, many ports are refusing to allow crew changes or shore leave.

Jason Hehir speaks to the BBC about interviewing Michael Jordan and why the documentary series has had such an impact.

A global services provider, helping companies power their business with mobile, social and cloud technology from salesforce.com, Google, Workday and CSOD

Sharing third-party AWS workflow options that can be integrated to increase your operation's effectiveness and productivity when working in the cloud. 

Keep on reading: Automating the Cloud: AWS Tools and Tips

The current pandemic is revealing the level of commitment needed from multiple sectors to deliver innovative solutions to tackle severe shortages of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and raw materials. Researchers at the Prakash lab at Stanford University are no stranger to taking up extreme challenges, and they have kept up their reputation by coming up […]

Thermoformed packaging company Lacerta has managed to ship over three million Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) face shields to healthcare and frontline workers, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Greenlight Guru, a Medical Device Quality Management Software (MDQMS) platform, has teamed up with Emergo by UL, a consulting firm specialising in global medical device regulatory compliance.

3D printing company Formlab​s has received emergency use authorisation (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to print bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) adapters designed by Northwell Health, a New York healthcare provider.

Experts discuss recent cancellation of first-in-class drug

Biotechnology/Chemical/Pharmaceutical Customer Partnership   Wednesday, June 8, 2011 Meeting  Madison Auditorium   Starting Time of 10:00 AM  United States Patent and Trademark Office Alexandria, Virginia  600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA,  Accessing the event: Double click on the link below (or copy it into your internet browser) https://uspto.connectsolutions.com/r80345544/ Click here   for detailed login instructions in MS Word.   […]

Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health and Oversight and Investigations subcommittees today held a bipartisan teleconference forum with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat, M.D., to discuss racial disparities in health outcomes for COVID-19 patients. Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Brett Guthrie (R-KY) released a joint statement following the call: “Today, bipartisan members of our two subcommittees discussed the deeply troubling racial disparities in health outcomes for COVID-19 patients with CDC’s Principal Deputy Director Schuchat.  During the call, members received an update on CDC’s COVID-19 response, current data collection efforts, and reiterated the need for more accurate and timely demographic data.  “Congress stands ready to work with the CDC to secure comprehensive demographic data to help us direct resources and support to close this gap in these health outcomes.” ###

Lyra Therapeutics, a biotech company developing a new way to treat your persistently runny nose, has raised $56 million in its public markets debut. Late Thursday, Lyra offered 3.5 million shares priced at $16 apiece, which was the high end of its projected $14 to $16 price range. Those shares are expected to begin trading […]

Kura Oncology is discontinuing development of one of its three clinical-stage cancer drug candidates amid pandemic-related impacts to its clinical trial plans. The decision to end work on the drug, KO-947, comes after San Diego-based Kura (NASDAQ: KURA) was successful in lifting a partial clinical hold placed on a Phase 1 trial of the drug […]

Ayala Pharmaceuticals has two clinical-stage cancer drugs licensed from Bristol Myers Squibb. Now it has $55 million to take those drugs further than the pharmaceutical giant did. On Thursday evening, Ayala priced its IPO, which consisted of 3.7 million shares sold for $15 each. That price was the midpoint of the targeted $14 to $16 […]

Biogen have announced updates to it senior leadership team with Alfred Sandrock being named Executive Vice President of Research and Development in addition to his responsibilities as Chief Medical Officer. Additionally Alphonse Galdes has been appointed as Executive Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations and Technology.

In a statement, Michel Vounatsos, Chief Executive Officer at Biogen, said: “Both AI and Alphonse are seasoned and respected leaders at Biogen. Their accomplishment in the scientific community is well-recognised.

read more

Ipsen has named Dr Steven Hildemann as its new Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Head of Global Medical Affairs and Pharmacovigilance.

In his new role, which begins on 1 March 2020 and will be based in Paris, he will report directly to Ipsen CEO Aymeric Le Chatelier. His remit will include the provision of medical strategy to the company’s scientific, clinical and business teams, while also working in tandem with its R&D operations to design and direct clinical trials efforts to generation of post-launch data.

read more

Immigrant communities, along with communities of color and people experiencing existing health inequities, are expected to face disproportionate effects.

The post COVID-19 is a Perfect Storm of Hardship for US Immigrant Communities appeared first on Bill of Health.

First, let me say thank you to all of the healthcare workers who are putting themselves at risk during this crisis.

As I noted last week, many of the crucial issues for our healthcare system will remain after we all get through this challenging period. In that regard, here’s a look at some noteworthy news from the past month:

• Sanofi discloses new data about insulin prices

• Excellent new academic research on list vs. net drug prices

• Three notable researchers overturn their earlier research on drug costs

• Amazon switches PBM vendors for some of its employees

Plus, we unveil the teaser trailer for Drug Channels Video!

P.S. Join the more than 9,000 followers of my daily links to neat stuff at @DrugChannels on Twitter. My recent tweets have highlighted such topics as:

• How GoodRx shares patients’ prescription data
• 2019 drug trend at Prime Therapeutics
• Controversy about the independent pharmacy market
• A new $5 generic mail order program, Medicare Part D reform
• Retail pharmacy’s future
• Job openings at Amazon 
• Frozen cookie dough
• And much more!

I have also been tweeting many under-the-radar stories about how the coronavirus affects drug channels.
Read more »

This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts while I prepare for this Friday’s video webinar: Industry Update and COVID-19 Impact: PBMs & Payers.

I suspect this deal will remain profitable for the participating companies even as COVID-19 alters the US. prescription payer mix. Click here to see the original post and comments from January 2020. National market shares for the largest PBMs in 2019 appears as Exhibit 88 of our 2020 Economic Report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers.

P.S. Sorry that today's meme is one day too late for Star Wars day.

---

Just before the holidays, Cigna’s Express Scripts business announced a market-changing deal with Prime Therapeutics. Click here to read the press release.

There's been very little written about this transaction, though it has potentially major implications. Below, I share my thoughts on the following topics arising from the deal:

• Implications for manufacturers and pharmacies

• The role of the secretive Ascent Health Services

• What this all means for Walgreens

• Why the Federal Trade Commission won’t challenge the deal

A few weeks ago, I explained why integrated insurer / PBM / specialty pharmacy / provider organizations are poised to restructure U.S. drug channels. The Express Scripts / Prime deal signals that the channel will continue its amazing pace of reinvention.

The scale, scope, and interconnectedness of today’s market participants make the system increasingly resistant to massive disruption from either external players like Amazon or a government takeover. Like it or not, the channel will continue to gain power and extract profit. Read on and see if you agree.
Read more »

This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts while I prepare for this Friday’s video webinar: Industry Update and COVID-19 Impact: PBMs & Payers.

Today's rerun highlights one of the most effective tactics that PBMs have developed to extract deeper discounts from brand-name drug makers. COVID-19 seems likely shift the U.S. payer mix away from commercial health plans. Expect even tighter formulary management and more restrictions as PBMs work even harder to cut costs for their plan sponsor clients.

Click here to see the original post and comments from January 2020.

---

For 2020, the two largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—Express Scripts and the Caremark business of CVS Health—have again increased the number of drugs they have excluded from their standard formularies. The 2020 formulary exclusion lists are available below for your downloading pleasure.

Below, I highlight my key takeaways from the 2020 lists:

• The number of exclusions

• Management of specialty drugs

• Indication-based formularies

• The slow adoption of biosimilars

• The PBMs’ patient-unfriendly exclusions in the hepatitis C category

Formulary exclusions have emerged as a powerful tool for PBMs to gain additional negotiating leverage against manufacturers. The prospect of exclusion leads manufacturers to offer deeper rebates to avoid being cut from the formulary. Exclusions are therefore a key factor behind falling brand-name net drug prices.

Read on for a look at this year’s exclusions along with some closing thoughts on what exclusions mean for patients.
Read more »

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) applauds Research!America for a recently released survey on the public’s perception of clinical trials....

The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) is pleased to announce the expansion of its membership to include ERT, Oracle and Veeva. These new ACRO member companies, with their focus on digital technologies that enable global clinical trials, characterize the ongoing innovation and evolution of contemporary clinical research. ACRO now has 12 member companies.

Pharmacists will be allowed to give out medication to patients who have already been receiving it

Pharmacists are to be allowed to hand out a range of super-strength medicines, including the heroin substitute methadone, without prescription during the Covid-19 crisis, under emergency measures that official drug policy advisers have warned could trigger a spike in drug misuse.

The Advisory Council for Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), which makes recommendations to the government on the control of dangerous drugs, was asked by the home secretary to consider the risks of lifting restrictions on certain substances controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Continue reading...

Eight new medicines recommended for approval

India continues to be on the 'Priority Watch List' of the US Trade Representative (USTR) for lack of…

A new collaboration targeting rare heart diseases has been formed between California’s BioMarin Pharmaceutical…