Each week we highlight five things affecting the life sciences industry. Here’s the latest.
CAR-T therapy for lupus gains attention
- CAR-T cell therapy shows significant potential in treating lupus—as discussed at ACR 2024–with early trials indicating improved patient outcomes and reduced disease activity, reports BioSpace.
- Researchers are optimistic about expanding CAR-T applications beyond cancer, potentially revolutionizing autoimmune disease treatments.
Weight-loss drug coverage expands
- A Mercer survey found that 44% of U.S. employers with 500 or more employees, and 64% of those with over 20,000 employees will cover weight-loss drugs in 2024, an increase from 2023.
- Rising costs of obesity drugs have led employers to implement authorization requirements and expand health plan options to manage expenses, with the annual cost for a single employee rising 5% to $16,501 in 2024, reports Reuters.
FDA to address generative AI in medtech
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is focusing on creating guidelines to address the unique regulatory challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence technologies in medical devices, reports Medical Design and Outsourcing.
- The Digital Health Advisory Committee is convening this month to discuss how to balance fostering innovation with maintaining safety standards.
Oura valued at $5 billion following deal
- Oura Health has reached a valuation of $5 billion after partnering with medical device company Dexcom to integrate continuous glucose monitoring with its smart rings, reports TechCrunch.
- This collaboration aims to enhance health monitoring capabilities, providing users with more comprehensive insights into their health metrics.
Rare disease players fund R&D
- With declining interest from big pharmaceutical companies, rare disease biotech firms are exploring alternative funding strategies, such as venture philanthropy and public-private partnerships.
- According to BioSpace, these innovative approaches aim to sustain research and development efforts, ensuring continued progress in finding treatments for rare diseases.
For more insights in life sciences, check out RSM’s industry outlook.
Note: We’ll pause “Life Sciences 5 things” next week due to the holiday. We’ll resume publication the following week.
