Photo credit: IBM Research
1. IBM developed new lab-on-a-chip technology that can filter particles at the nanoscale to detect cancer and other diseases before the symptoms surface. The company said prototypes will likely be ready in three to five years. (Fast Company)
2. Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes presented plans to develop new technologies such as a “minilab” at a conference. It was her first public appearance since the CMS revoked the company’s federal license for its blood-testing methods. (Reuters)
3. Aetna and Humana announced a provisional agreement to sell $117 million in assets to Molina Healthcare if antitrust regulators approve their $37 billion merger. The deal, along with a proposed deal between Anthem and Cigna, would consolidate the five largest health insurers in the U.S. into three companies. (Bloomberg)
4. Pfizer acquired gene therapy firm Bamboo Therapeutics for $150 million. The biotechnology company is developing treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and giant axonal neuropathy, a nerve-cell disorder. (Bloomberg)
5. Republican nominee Donald Trump said building a wall on the Mexican border will end the heroin and painkiller epidemic in the U.S., which kills tens of thousands of Americans each year. Americans are increasingly using synthetic opioid fentanyl that is shipped into the U.S. by Chinese suppliers. (Stat)
