1. More than three dozen companies are trying to lower their healthcare spending by forming an alliance. They plan to use group contracts to purchase drugs through PBMs owned by CVS Health and UnitedHealth Group, create a specialized network of doctors, and use IBM Watson to analyze healthcare data. (WSJ)
2. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said doctors should exercise caution when switching patients from an established brand product to a biosimilar version of the same drug. The EMA has approved two dozen biosimilars. (Reuters)
3. Johnson & Johnson and Celltrion may settle a patent dispute over Celltrion’s biosimilar version of J&J’s rheumatoid arthritis drug, Remicade, according to an analyst. Celltrion may be required to pay J&J if its biosimilar, Inflectra, is found to have infringed on patents covering Remicade. (Bloomberg)
4. Stratasys began enrollment for a study that uses patient-specific 3D printed models in preoperative planning for children undergoing heart surgery. The company will print these models with the aim of improving outcomes for children born with heart defects. (Medical Design & Outsourcing)
5. Adriana Karaboutis, Biogen’s EVP of technology, business solutions, and corporate affairs, has left the company. The company’s CEO George Scangos stepped down at the end of 2016 and was replaced by Michel Vounatsos. (Boston Business Journal)
