Here’s a roundup of recent clinical trial news:
News Well
Personnel moves: Former FDA commissioner Eschenbach elected to Viamet board
Here’s the latest personnel changes from medical device, diagnostics and life science companies around the nation.
Funding roundup: Calypso drums up $6.4 million
Calypso Medical Technologies Inc. raised $6.4 million from what it hopes will be a $7.5 million funding round.
Twenty-seven unnamed investors have participated in the debt and options-based round thus far. The first sale of securites occured on Jan. 6, according to a Securities & Exchange Commission filing.
Rethinking the confidence game
This month, two seemingly disparate events converged: the Archives of Surgery released a special report on suicidal thought rates among surgeons, and I began reading Better, the 2008 book by Atul Gawande, a general surgeon at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, bestselling author and writer for The New Yorker.
The Archives special report shared the disturbing news that surgeons have suicidal thoughts more than twice as often as the general population. Gawande’s book, which is subtitled A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance, adds insight to why this might be so.
Surveys suggest doctors warming up to EHRs
Three recent surveys showed that the adoption of electronic health record systems amongst U.S. physicians and hospitals is increasing.
A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics found that the number of primary care physicians who have started using EHRs has increased from 19.8 in 2008 to 29.6 in 2010, a 49 percent jump.
Medical device tax repeal effort trying to find new life in congress
Fresh off a vote to repeal healthcare reform, Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) is circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter to colleagues in the House of Representatives, trying to cobble support to resurrect his bill to repeal the medical device tax (called the Defend Medical Innovation Act).
Wellclicks looks to raise $225,000 ahead of new product launch
Wellclicks, which matches patients with doctors via the web, is gearing up for a beta version of its product in April.
The Waconia, Minn.-based company in 2009 released a direct-to-consumer website that matches patients with doctors according to a long list of preferences, including language spoken and time and type of appointments.
Consumers use the service for free, while providers pay a monthly fee for the listing that allows patients to schedule appointments directly through the Wellclicks site.
Hospitals need Leonardo da Vincis
By Keeley Wray
What would Leonardo da Vinci devote his energy to if he were alive today? I am pretty sure that he would be at a hospital. He would take advantage of data of all types — genetic, vital signs, symptoms — all streaming from patients like notes on sheet music, to seek a better understanding of the human person. He would likely present this information in a way that appeals to the senses — drawing us to examine the information landscape and revealing the action steps we need to take to improve human health.
AHA complains to congress that DOJ abuses False Claims Act
The American Hospital Association says that overbearing regulation and an overly aggressive Dept. of Justice is hurting the hospital industry.
In a Jan. 14 letter written to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the new chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, AHA president Rich Umbdenstock wrote that, “existing and proposed regulations that have negatively impacted the hospital field. Regulatory relief is of great importance to our members and one of our major legislative priorities this year.”
In particular, Umbdenstock wrote that anti-kickback provisions had “been stretched to cover any financial relationship between hospitals and doctors.”
Intuitive Surgical beats Wall Street with strong da Vinci robot sales
Intuitive Surgical Inc. (NSDQ:ISRG) reported another stellar year, posting a 64 percent increase in profits on the back of continued strong sales of the company’s da Vinci Surgical Systems.
Minnesota angel investors to get their own social network
An online portal will soon help Minnesota angel investors and entrepreneurs connect with one another.
The Minnesota Angel Network, scheduled to launch this July, is an attempt to increase the activity from early-stage investors nationwide into Minnesota-based companies. The website would also serve startups by connecting the businesses with mentors to help fine tune their companies.