The Federal Trade Commission’s new acting chair, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, has initiated a review of the agency's processes for approving pharma mergers. This is expected to result in a tougher road for these mergers, as we explain below. We also look at the top drugs losing their exclusivity this year, artificial intelligence-powered hearing aids and the use ... READ MORE >
health care
An evolution of the economy: Living, and adapting, with COVID-19
Over the past year, leaders around the globe have held their breath as the pandemic unfolded and drastic measures were tested, from safety mitigation and scientific developments to unprecedented fiscal stimulus. And now, as we emerge from the cloud of 2020, it is likely the current pandemic will soon pass to become an endemic. Even with this transition, the ... READ MORE >
Pandemic recovery signals new ways health care can serve and grow
Health care services are poised to lead the services recovery for the next two years, according to analysis from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Not only will providers benefit from the return of pre-pandemic volumes, but the increasing likelihood of an endemic virus may present new ways for providers to serve their patients and communities. The ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Lagging employment in education and health care
Even as the economy begins to recover and jobs return, employment remains well below pre-pandemic levels in many key sectors. Two of these areas are education and health care, according to data recently released by the Labor Department. Overall, there are 1.3 million fewer educational and medical personnel on payrolls compared to a year ago. But as the ... READ MORE >
Building the new normal in health care
As the health care industry works toward a new normal—a time of recovery and eventual re-emergence from the pandemic—providers are taking a hard look at their physical infrastructure and rethinking what they will need in the future. This rethinking has been prompted in no small part by the explosion of telemedicine during the pandemic and the ... READ MORE >
Pandemic highlights the need for better use of data among health care providers
The coronavirus pandemic has presented a host of challenges for health care providers as they have dealt with a significant downturn in their business. But now, as a vaccine is rolled out and providers prepare for the new normal of life after the pandemic, there are opportunities as well. One way to capitalize on these opportunities is through better ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: State disparity in mental health preparedness
We may be dealing with the mental health after-effects of the pandemic long after we’ve reached herd immunity. According to the United States Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, the average share of adults reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression increased to 41.1% in January. That is a nearly fourfold increase from the 11% observed over the ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Health care sector rides the SPAC wave
Amid the recent gyrations in the equity markets, special purpose acquisition companies, better known as SPACs, have continued to gain favor, particularly among retail investors flush with savings. And in the middle of this frenzy is the health care sector. Also known as blank-check companies, SPACs essentially flip the traditional initial public offering ... READ MORE >
This year may be the busiest ever for health care and life sciences deal volume
The annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference kicks off virtually this week. In years past, the event has heralded announcements of large partnerships, joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. This year, the health care sector could not even wait until the second full week of January to kick off an acquisition announcement spree. The quick start is an early ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: As vaccination begins, health care remains underemployed
The pandemic brought about a rare reduction in health care jobs at a time when they are most needed, for both patient care and for the effort to vaccinate millions of Americans against COVID-19. Hospitals reduced headcount by 126,200 jobs last April, which was the largest reduction since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the figure in 1989. The ... READ MORE >