FDA science chair says agency not risk-averse. Dr. William Maisel, a cardiologist at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is the chair of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health’s new Center Science Council. He recently told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that Food & Drug Administration staff don’t feel that the agency is risk-averse, and wants to make decisions that promote public health. “[A] good decision doesn’t mean that there’s no risk,” he said.
Univ. Of Wash. sues GE over patent infringement. The University of Washington is suing General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE) and its subsidiary GE Healthcare for allegedly infringing a patent for a method to integrate both two-dimensional and three-dimensional images in magnetic resonance and ultrasound devices, according to Science Business.
Sagent Pharma plans $100M IPO. Sagent Holding Co., the Schaumburg, Illinois, company that is developing generic injectable pharmaceuticals, has filed for a $100 million initial public offering just as a host of drug companies tap public capital markets, with many seeking to raise proceeds for research, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Health IT attracts private equity. Healthcare insiders — especially savvy venture capitalists — know there’s more true reform in the $27 billion electronic medical record subsidy program than in the so-called “healthcare reform” legislation passed this year that mostly throws more money down the same volume-based fee-for-service rat hole, according to FierceHealthIT.
Pfizer’s Kindler out because of inaction. Jeffrey Kindler’s refusal to name an operations chief in response to a push from senior managers cost him his job as chief executive officer of Pfizer Inc., according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
Minnesota hospitals renege, nurses say. An internal Minnesota Hospital Association memo recently obtained by the Minnesota Nurses Association reveals that Minnesota hospital executives have no intention of honoring their pledge to work hand-in-hand with nurses to solve the unsafe staffing crisis highlighted this summer, the nurses association said.
Americans divided over health reform. While 40 percent of Americans want to repeal all or most of last year’s health care reform bill, 31 percent want all or most of the reforms, according to a Harris Interactive Poll conducted with HealthDay, Mass High Tech reports.
Hospitals’ future brightening? Five reasons for hospitals to be optimistic in 2011, brought to you by Becker’s Hospital Review.
Material from MedCity News was used in this report.
