Pharma

Pfizer announced today that it is receiving applications for its Pfizer Healthcare Hub: London competitive grant.

Walmart is reportedly in talks to acquire PillPack, a New England-based virtual pharmacy with around $100 million in funding.

Platinum Equity, a Los Angeles-based global investment firm focused on mergers, acquisitions, and operations, has made a binding offer to acquire Johnson & Johnsons' Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania and Zug, Switzerland-based LifeScan business, which sells the OneTouch line of connected and non-connected glucometers.

Digital therapeutics may be up and coming, but they also have a long way to go before their mainstream treatment options, according to experts who spoke at the digital therapeutics deep dive at HIMSS18.

Artificial intelligence has been working its way into the field of research.

Pear Therapeutics has inked a deal with pharma company Novartis to work together on the development of two digital therapeutics for multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia.

Its not uncommon to see customers paying for coffee or boarding a flight using a QR code from their smartphone, but some researchers are now looking to create an edible medication QR code.

BJ-HC spoke to representatives from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and its charity, CW+, about digital health innovation success and the importance of frontline clinician support.

San Francisco-based MyHealthTeams has added its 28th disease-specific social network, and is working with Belgian pharmaceutical company UCB on an educational inititative related to the platform.

There is no doubt: 2018 is a year to watch for digital healthcare, and keep an eye out for the second part of this feature due to be published next week.