The Bio Report

What’s in Store for the Biotech Industry in 2015

As the biotech industry ramps up for the JPMorgan Healthcare conference, we continue our conversation with TheStreet.com’s Adam Feuerstein. In part two of our conversation, we look ahead to what’s in store for the biotech industry in 2015. We get Feuerstein’s thoughts on who and what to watch in the new year, what Big Pharma company may be the target of a takeover, and whether fights over drug pricing will put an end to biotech’s bull market.

A Look at the Year That Was in Biotech

The year 2014 was one for the record books for the biotech industry. In part one of a two-part podcast, we take a look back at the year that was with Adam Feuerstein, senior columnist for TheStreet.com. Feuerstein discusses the growing controversy over drug pricing, the newsmakers of 2014, and lessons from the Dendreon bankruptcy.

Why Privacy Concerns May Limit Big Data’s Payoff

Two-thirds of Americans say they are willing to anonymously share their health information with researchers, but only about 1 in 5 is willing to provide their purchase history or social media activity, according to a recent Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health Poll. The findings suggests that while there is growing comfort with electronic health records, privacy concerns may hinder the ability of Big Data to deliver on its full promise to improve the health of individuals. We spoke to Michael Taylor, chief medical officer of Truven Health Analytics, about the survey, the level of theft and misuse of health data, and who people trust the most with their information.

Calculating the Cost of Drug Development and What it Means

The cost of drug development, a metric that underlies discussions ranging from investment in startups to drug pricing, is a matter of great interest and controversy within the pharmaceutical industry. The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development recently completed a new estimate of the cost of developing a new prescription drug and raised it to $2.6 billion, up from $802 million in 2003. We spoke to Joe DiMasi, director of economic analysis at the Tufts center for the Study of Drug Development and principal investigator for the study, about the findings, why there’s been dramatic growth in cost despite efforts to reinvent drug development, and whether there’s reason to think the trend will reverse itself anytime soon.

How New Funding Models Are Accelerating Drug Development

News last month of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s $3.3 billion sale of royalty rights to Kalydeco and other Vertex Pharmaceuticals drugs it helped fund served as a bold statement to the growing prominence and power of venture philanthropy. We spoke to Margaret Anderson, executive director of FasterCures, about the transaction, the role new funding and collaboration models are playing in accelerating drug development, and what traditional investors and disease groups are learning from each other.

Telemedicine Grows, but Reimbursement Remains an Obstacle

While many may think of telemedicine as an example of digital health technologies that will reshape the future landscape of medicine, a new survey from the law firm Foley & Lardner shows it is very much part of healthcare’s here and now. We spoke to Monica Chmielewski, special counsel to Foley & Lardner, about the survey’s findings, how the Affordable Care Act is fueling growing use of telemedicine, and why reimbursement concerns remain the biggest barrier to wider adoption.

The Power of IBM’s Watson Is Coming to an App Near You

IBM’s Watson Group recently announced an investment in Pathway Genomics, part of a $100 million initiative by the computing giant to spur innovation in entrepreneurial companies that seek to leverage its cognitive computing platform Watson. Pathway Genomics will develop an app that will use Watson to provide health and wellness guidance customized to a user’s genetics. We spoke to Lauri Saft, director of IBM Watson Partner Programs, about the agreement, the things Watson can do better than doctors, and how this cognitive wonder promises to transform healthcare.

Brittany Maynard and the Debate over the Right to Die

Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old woman with terminal brain cancer who chose to end her own life with a lethal dose of medication, sparked a renewed discussion of so-called death with dignity laws. Maynard had become visible on social and traditional media in her final weeks as she campaigned for legislation now pending in several states. We spoke to Alan Meisel, professor of law and bioethics at the University of Pittsburgh and founder and director of the university's Center for Bioethics and Health Law, about the Maynard case, the state of existing and pending legislation, and whether Americans are becoming more willing to discuss the need to balance technological interventions with quality of life issues when considering their own deaths.