1. Google, in partnership with Novartis, is investing in late-stage biotech companies in Europe through a $300 million fund led by life sciences investor Medicxi. (Endpoints News)
2. Hospitals that restrict visits and gifts from pharma representatives are more likely to prescribe cheaper generic drugs, while physicians who accept these gifts are more likely to prescribe more expensive branded ones. (WaPo)
3. Search programs utilizing artificial intelligence reduced the number of articles researchers had to review by up to 83% for three conditions, including gout, low bone density and osteoarthritis of the knee, the Annals of Internal Medicine found. (Reuters)
4. A group of Republican lawmakers are reportedly moving towards maintaining some taxes in the healthcare bill to delay further cuts on programs such as Medicaid. (Reuters)
5. China is emerging as a biotech stronghold, with drugmakers such as Merck, Eli Lilly, and Tesaro investing millions of dollars on cancer immunotherapies and other novel drugs being developed in the country. (Stat)
