KEY IDEA: Seventy million Americans have a medical device implanted within their body. “When it comes to medical devices, we built a system that doesn’t work,” David Kessler, the former FDA commissioner, said in The Bleeding Edge. The disturbing truth is that, despite so many people relying on such implants, the medical device industry is very weakly regulated. Continue reading
KEY TAKEAWAY: In 2016 America spent $10,348 per person on health care, roughly twice as much as the average for comparable rich countries , according to the Kaiser Foundation. That is 17.9% of GDP, compared with 10.7% elsewhere. The average health-insurance deductible for individuals with employer-provided coverage reached $1,505 last year, compared with just $303 in 2006. Meanwhile the 25 largest drug companies enjoyed annual average profit margins of 15% to 20%, compared with average profit margins of 4% to 9% for the largest non-drug companies Continue reading
KEY TAKEAWAY: The pharma industry has helped a lot of people live longer, more productive lives, but the industry also has a lot of self caused problems from high drug prices and outrageous CEO pay to a blazing lack of transparency. Rather than acknowledge and write about these issues the trade press seems to only praise and write articles from press releases. Continue reading
KEY TAKEAWAY: Cosentyx is using Cyndi Lauper, and patients to talk about plaque psoriasis. The strategy features a website on Tumblr as well as full integration with Ms Lauper on their branded website.
KEY TAKEAWAY: “How can a pharma company try to sell me a product when they don’t understand what I’m going through?”
KEY TAKEAWAY: Research suggests that emerging technologies are shifting the composition of the care team. Consumers are increasingly using digital technologies to manage their own health, they are adopting virtual care, and they see the advantages of harnessing the collective power of humans and machines. (Source: Accenture) Continue reading
