1. Gilead Sciences’ hepatitis-C drugs Harvoni and Sovaldi received FDA approval to treat patients aged 12 years and older. There are an estimated 23,000 to 46,000 pediatric patients with hepatitis C in the U.S.
2. OncoMed Pharmaceuticals will end clinical trials for its experimental drug, demcizumab, as a treatment for pancreatic cancer. The drug failed to slow disease progression, compared to the standard of care. In a separate announcement, Bayer said Monday that it will not license two of OncoMed’s other experimental drugs, vantictumab and ipafricept. (Reuters)
3. Facial recognition software such as Face2Gene, developed by startup FDNA, can help clinicians diagnose genetic disorders, researchers at the National Institutes of Health found. (Stat)
4. Wellcare Health Plans is developing AI systems for clinicians and patients to analyze data such as a patient’s symptoms, demographic, and medical history to come up with possible treatments and interventions. (WSJ)
5. Kaiser Permanente launched a new campaign featuring Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors point guard. The campaign seeks to raise awareness about mental health wellness. (AdAge)
