Here’s an interesting new factoid about obesity: The world’s population has 17 million tons worth of extra fat. And almost one-third of that is from the U.S. alone, despite the fact that it only holds 5 percent of the population. That’s according to a new report published in BMC Public Health about obesity’s threat to the food supply. That’s fueling a vibrant obesity treatment market, which is seeing an increasing number of new startups emerge, especially in the minimally invasive surgery and mobile health arenas.
Who’s the biggest of the big? By 2018, Novartis will edge out competitors Pfizer and Sanofi to become the top-selling drug company, predicts a new EvaluatePharma report. Gilead Sciences will be the Top 20’s biggest mover, the report says, due to its strong HIV franchise and its hepatitis C candidate acquired through its Pharmasset acquisition.
Today’s mobile phones meet no more than 40 percent of HIPAA and Meaningful Use security standards straight from the box, according to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology as reported by mobihealthnews. The iPhone and BlackBerry can achieve about 60 percent of standards after being manually configured. These figures will come into play as the ONC prepares guidance to help providers secure mobile devices used to process health data.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
Check out the Surgical Theater, a system to help surgeons prepare for operations by enabling them to simulate the surgery on a virtual model created from real patient data obtained from medical images.
HealthNest is a new digital health incubator based in Hangzhou, China. Founded by Louisiana Business Incubation Association, it’s the second U.S.-China tech accelerator launched this year (the first was InnoSpring in Silicon Valley) and is a reflection of the booming medtech industry in China.
