This Week’s Top Headlines
Final Versions of EU MDR, IVDR Released
Posted 3/01/2017
After five years, the European council has released its final versions of Medical Device Regulations (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostics Regulations (IVDR). The texts, which were officially released last week, detail agreements reached by European Parliament in May 2016 in each European Union language, as to clearly define regulations. The texts will be put to a vote on March 7, 2017, and if passed will be formally published and enforced in May or June of 2017. Read the full article here.
Healthcare Rewards Patient-Physician Cooperation
Posted 3/01/2017
The healthcare industry is beginning to encourage and reward shared decision making between patients and doctors after numerous studies have indicated links between patient involvement and better care outcomes. This involvement is also curbing overall patient costs, as a 2015 study reports that patients with whom care decisions were shared had 5.3% fewer medical costs and 12.5% fewer unplanned emergency hospital admissions. Read the full article here.
Real-Time MRI Device Wins FDA Approval
Posted 3/01/2017
In an effort to further understand radiation therapy’s effect during treatment, scientists at ViewRay have introduced the newest innovation to MRI software. The device combines MRI guidance with linear accelerator radiation to monitor changes to organs and tumors during radiation treatment. This technology is also helping providers locate and distribute exact amounts of radiation to specifically targeted areas of tissue. Read the full article here.
WeGo Health Launches Patient Access Platform
Posted 3/01/2017
Early last month, WeGo Health unveiled plans to launch a patient-matching platform which would help life science companies interact directly with a database of patient leaders. The platform, which announced positive feedback from patients and industry leaders this past week, matches patients with certain illnesses to enterprises, further incorporating the patient perspective, and providing real-time feedback on current therapies. Read the full article here.
Drug Price Increases Fall for Third Consecutive Year
Posted 3/01/2017
After meeting with lawmakers in January, pharmaceutical leaders have again dropped price increases for the third year in a row. In 2017, only 5.5% of drugs rose by more than 10%, a 5% decrease from 2016 and a 10% decrease from 2015. These decreases have stalled drug prices as leaders look towards innovative cost-cutting strategies. Lowered costs are a direct result of the pharmaceutical industry dedicating itself to lowered costs and full cost transparency. Read the full article here.
