Amazon's new Halo health wearable.
This week, Amazon entered the health wearable space by launching Halo, a non-screen device that can track your sleep, interpret the tone of your voice to determine your mood, scan your body and estimate body weight, and more.
- I personally find it interesting that Amazon opted for the non-screen route when most of its competitors (Fitbit, Apple, Whoop) all have screens. Even more interesting - Halo will be able to share data directly with Cerner, a major EMR platform.
- Read this Twitter thread from Whoop's founder criticizing the health wearable.
S-1’s from GoodRx and Amwell.
Two big names in healthcare are going public soon. Amwell, a large telehealth firm, displayed impressive growth in 2020 (what telehealth company didn’t?) at the expense of negative profitability. They’re also receiving a $100 million investment from Google as a part of the deal. Read its S-1 here.
- In stark contrast to Amwell’s extreme unprofitability, GoodRx filed its S-1 with impressive profits. Tucked in between pharmacy benefit managers, drug-makers, and insurance companies, GoodRx has saved consumers billions of dollars in prescription drug costs since its inception. Read its S-1 here.
- Relevant reading from Drug Channels: How GoodRx profits from our broken pharmacy system. Note that the author's tone is more opinionated in nature.
Don’t forget about portable dialysis company Outset Medical. As the dialysis industry potentially shifts from outpatient centers to at-home settings, its Tablo device shows major promise. Read its S-1 here.
Substance abuse hits highest rate in 16 years.
- A report published this week found that positive drug tests among U.S. workers have reached a 16-year high. The report is most likely indicative of changed substance abuse behavior during the pandemic. Yikes.
Republican convention healthcare highlights.
Last week, we covered highlights from the Democratic national convention. Here are the healthcare highlights from the Republican convention:
- Repealing and replacing the ACA
- Bringing down drug prices
- Defending Trump's coronavirus response
Here's a great write-up from Health Affairs we've linked previously that summarizes the Republican healthcare platform headed into 2020.
Coronavirus updates.
- The CDC received flak this week after announcing that asymptomatic individuals didn't need to be tested. After an outcry from medical experts and media, the CDC replaced guidance stating that asymptomatic people should pursue testing.
- The FDA approved a new antigen test from Abbott Labs. It’s reportedly 97% accurate and gives results within 15 minutes for $5. So safe to say, this test could be a game changer. The U.S. has already invested $760 million in the tests to distribute nationwide.
- HHS announced this week that all hospitals must report COVID-19 data or face losing Medicare/Medicaid payments. The rule affects about 6% of hospitals not currently reporting to HHS, but HHS sure isn't playing around.
- Read all about the FDA's convalescent plasma approval and subsequent controversy. I feel bad for the FDA - they're under a ton of pressure.
Biz Hits
- Florida-based Baptist Health announced a $100 million investment as it begins its digital transformation.
- Verily, an insurance firm backed by Alphabet, is launching a medical stop loss insurance plan.
- 8 of the top 10 best performing healthcare IPOs were in the biotech sector, according to Visual Capitalist.
- Teva Pharmaceuticals was once again charged with generic drug price fixing, a case ongoing for years. The firm plans to fight against its charges.
Policy Hits
- Drugmakers finally delivered a counteroffer to Trump's international pricing plan.
- The Trump administration delayed its final Anti-kickback rule until August 2021.
Other Hits
- Lies, Damn lies, and Statistics – the Blood Plasma debacle
- Turns out honey really is a miracle substance. According to studies it may ease major symptoms of cold & flu illnesses as well as traditional medicines.
Thought-Provoking Editorials
- Read this Commonwealth blog piece about what the future of telemedicine should look like from a regulatory and payment perspective.
Thanks for reading - as always I'm open to feedback on these and you can find an archive of past healthcare news weeks here.
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