Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) announced today that it agreed to acquire the remaining stake in Verb Surgical, following a successful strategic collaboration with Alphabet (NSDQ:GOOGL) life sciences unit Verily. Verb Surgical’s robotics and data science capabilities were the driving force behind Johnson & Johnson’s decision to combine with the company as it seeks to advance medical interventions, making […]
Digital Health
Roche wins CE Mark for blood glucose reading smartphone app
Roche (SWX: RO, ROG) today announced that it has obtained a CE Mark for its Accu-Chek SugarView app, which allows a person to read a blood glucose test strip without a meter. The smartphone app, which will be first available on certain phone models via the Google Play Store, instead uses the phone’s camera to […]
Proteus Digital Health restructuring amid reported funding woes
Proteus Digital Health said today that it is restructuring, reportedly because it failed to close a $100 million funding round. A report by CNBC said the Redwood City, Calif.-based company missed the funding target. Once valued at $1.5 billion, the company previously raised $420 million from investors including Novartis Venture Fund and Kaiser Permanente Ventures, […]
Mobile ECG management? There’s a new app in the works
CardioComm Solutions (Toronto) announced today that it is working with startup Zana Technologies (Karlsruhe, Germany) to package CardioComm’s ECG reviewing and monitor technology into Zana’s mobile app and patient engagement platform. The goal is for Zana users to be able to download a single smartphone app over which they can receive ECG recordings and clinical […]
Sanofi, Aetion collaborate to advance regulatory submissions
Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) announced today that it entered into a collaboration with Aetion to integrate its Darwin data platform with the Aetion Evidence platform to try and advance the efficiency of real-world evidence. The collaboration between the two companies will set out to facilitate regulatory-grade studies with deep transparency while opening access to new real-world data, according […]
Digital therapeutics company Jogo Health raises $2 million
Jogo Health (Bridgewater, N.J.) — a startup with a prescription digital therapeutics approach to train the brain to restore muscle function — has raised more than $2 million. The company has raised about $2.1 million of the $2.5 million it sought in the offering, with 26 investors involved, according to a Form D filed with […]
Fresenius Medical Care North America launches connected health platform
Fresenius (NYSE:FMS) recently announced that its Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) business has launched a connected health platform called TheHub. TheHub includes three integrated applications meant to enable people on dialysis, their care teams, and health providers to better collaborate. Fresenius officials see the system enhancing remote monitoring for people on home dialysis. The Trump administration […]
Google to pay more than $2B for Fitbit
Fitbit (NYSE:FIT) today confirmed the rumor of an acquisition by Google parent Alphabet (NSDQ:GOOG), revealing that it accepted a $7.35-per-share cash offer worth about $2.1 billion. “More than 12 years ago, we set an audacious company vision – to make everyone in the world healthier. Today, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved towards reaching that goal. We […]
Partners Healthcare launches $80m life science funds
Partners HealthCare said yesterday that it launched two new investment funds with $80 million geared toward advancing therapeutics and digital solutions. The Boston-based company said the funds address the lack of funding in pre-clinical life sciences, artificial intelligence and digital technology development. Partners added that the funds can support the development of new drugs and […]
How Medtronic could help change healthcare for the better
Medtronic officials want the world’s largest medtech company to do more than just make medical devices: They want to help manage chronic diseases. Here are thoughts from the VP helping to lead the shift. Medtronic executive Sheri Dodd had a cousin — one of only four — die from Type 2 diabetes complications at the age […]
HHS proposes regulatory changes to promote value-based payment arrangements
UPDATED Oct. 9, 2019, with comments from press briefing in Minneapolis. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today proposed what it’s describing as a modernization of the physician self-referral law in order to promote value-based healthcare. The proposed regulatory changes, which are heading into a 75-day public comment period, say the physician self-referral […]