WORKWEEK

1) Alphabet’s Verily raises $1 billion to expand precision health business

Verily raised $1 billion to expand its precision healthcare initiatives. This will include real-world evidence generation, healthcare data platforms, research and care and its underlying technology. Overall, Verily aims to use their technological capabilities combined with data to advance precision health across clinical research and care delivery including chronic condition management and value-based care initiatives.

2) Emerging healthcare business models and the new vendors they need

Nikhil covered in Out of Pocket emerging and trending business models. He touches on small-employers shifting to self-funded arrangements and health at home. I’m bullish on the health at home trend. Remember, several decades ago, medicine was practiced in patients’ homes! It was norm for physicians to show up to your house with their black leather bag filled with instruments to evaluate you. I covered CVS Health’s acquisition of home health company Signify Health last week, check it out here.

3) Pfizer brings mRNA flu vaccine into Phase 3 testing

Pfizer began Phase 3 trial of its quadrivalent mRNA flu vaccine. The current flu vaccine is around 40% effective at preventing infection. Pfizer aims to produce a more effective flu vaccine that they can turnaround quickly based on the dominate flu strain in a given year. Recall, mRNA technology can scale vaccines more quickly than traditional vaccines.

4) West Virginia becomes 2nd state to pass strict abortion ban post-Roe

West Virginia lawmakers signed a law barring abortion from implantation with narrow exceptions to save the pregnant person’s life or in cases of rape or incest—as the victim reports the crime. There are now concerns among some lawmakers that such a strict abortion ban with grave penalties for physicians will force obstetricians out of the state, despite many regions in West Virginia facing an obstetrician shortage.

5) The Future of Work—A Healthcare Perspective

CBRE released a white paper discussing what the future of work looks like from the healthcare perspective. The paper touches on the approach to returning to office, redesigning the office space, motivating employees to return to office, reengaging employees with company cultures, and reviewing real estate portfolios based on office utilization.