New Healthcare-related Products, Services, and Companies
Featured Briefs:
WebMD Launches Interactive Tools to Navigate Healthcare Reform UPS Launches Healthcare Insurance and Risk Management Solution WorldCare Clinical Introduces New Service for Oncology Imaging Studies TransCelerate BioPharma Establishes Clinical Trial Around the Globe Comparator Network MicroMass Applies Behavioral Science to Precommercial Strategy CRO Solutions Opens New Division TrendIng Now: Health resource offers personalized information for Americans preparing to make decisions in the health insurance marketplace. WebMD Health Corp. has launched its Health Care Reform Center (webmd.com/myhealthcare) for consumers and the ACA Resource Center for physicians (medscape.com/resource/aca) to educate consumers and physicians and to provide actionable guidance about the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Health Care Reform Center includes a series of live chats with experts, offering consumers personalized information to prepare for future health insurance decisions, and navigate the health insurance marketplace at any stage of their journey — from young Americans who were previously uninsured to older Americans. WebMD users can access step-by-step guides to understand health insurance costs and the most critical information needed to compare and purchase a health insurance plan. To optimize user experience and access, the content is available across WebMD’s multi-screen platform and channels, from tablet and mobile devices to desktop, WebMD magazine and WebMD’s Facebook page. “WebMD has more than a decade of expertise in providing health insurance information, services, and proven tools to consumers on behalf of the country’s leading health insurers and employers," says David Schlanger, interim CEO, WebMD. “The Health Care Reform Center builds on this expertise at a time where there is an immense need for trusted, objective information about complex legislation." The resources and programs offered on the WebMD Health Care Reform Center include: » A Health Insurance Cost Calculator that provides a straightforward, simplified health insurance subsidy calculator, showing both subsidized and non-subsidized premiums given a user’s income bracket. The calculator allows users to see their monthly and annual premiums adjusted to income, age, family size, ZIP code, and historical medical claims filed by patients like them, versus the penalty cost if they choose not to purchase insurance. Users can also find out if they are eligible for newly expanded Medicaid coverage based on their state of residence. » State-level resources for each state launching a health insurance marketplace. Localized information will walk users through the basics of purchasing health insurance, the enrollment process, and important considerations for evaluating health insurance options in their home state. » Easy-to-understand content beginning with a Quick Start Guide to customize the information provided, focusing on relevant content to individual users and their healthcare reform choices. Interactive elements, such as quizzes, videos, infographics, and opt-in emails to receive personalized news, keep users engaged. » Live events that give consumers an opportunity to ask questions about the ACA and get personalized answers from WebMD and third-party experts. The chats will focus on specific facets of healthcare reform, including preexisting conditions, preventive care services, state marketplaces, subsidies, and comparing plans. Questions can be pre-submitted to [email protected], and the live chat is available at webmd.com/myhealthcare-events. » WebMD Answers, a 24/7 opportunity for users to pose questions and receive answers from peers and experts. WebMD Answers has been a regular WebMD feature since October 2012, and the healthcare reform section is available on the desktop and mobile website and via the WebMD Facebook page. WebMD worked with the nonpartisan Alliance for Health Reform to select its expert review panel. The panel is composed of experts from the government, including representatives of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the private sector, as well as health policy journalists. In pulling through educational efforts to the medical community, Medscape, WebMD’s resource for healthcare professionals, launched an ACA Resource Center to help healthcare providers understand how new ACA requirements will affect their practice. The center also includes patient education resources as well as videos, journal articles, slideshows, and expert video commentaries to help healthcare professionals navigate the changes expected with healthcare reform. After Oct. 1, 2013, the milestone for opening the health insurance marketplace, WebMD will continue to evolve its content and tools. One of these is the Health Insurance Advisor, allowing consumers to explore different health insurance coverage scenarios and identify what type of insurance plan is best suited for their health needs. Tools like this are critical, given a recent poll showing 85% of Americans don’t know how new health plans will differ from one another. The WebMD Health Care Reform Center can be accessed at webmd.com/myhealthcare, and the Medscape ACA Resource Center is available for physicians at medscape.com/resource/aca. UPS Launches Healthcare Insurance and Risk Management Solution UPS has launched Proactive Response Secure, a insurance service and holistic risk management solution for time- and/or temperature-sensitive and high-value products. The solution combines Flexible Parcel Insurance offered by UPS Capital Insurance Agency with UPS Proactive Response. It covers products up to the selling price when unexpected events occur, including weather delays, and covers expedited shipping services. The service will be offered in the United States and outbound to Europe. “This is the highest level of service we offer," says Bill Hook, VP of UPS global healthcare strategy. “By leveraging our proprietary technology, UPS can identify shipments that will be impacted by a delay. With the addition of UPS Proactive Response Secure, we are giving customers an additional solution only available through UPS." { For more information, visit ups.com. WorldCare Clinical Introduces New Service for Oncology Imaging Studies WorldCare Clinical is offering a new service that enables efficient capture and analysis of both standard tumor assessment, such as RECIST (response evaluation criteria in solid tumors), and the newer immune-related response criteria (irRC) simultaneously. Developed in collaboration with leading academic researchers, WCC’s method has been validated and is being used to evaluate new immune-related treatments. The new service was designed for sponsors developing immunotherapeutic agents that want to analyze performance using irRC. “Employing a combined approach to tumor assessment allows for time savings when performing the imaging interpretation, resulting in a significant cost savings to the sponsor," says Richard Walovitch, Ph.D., president of WorldCare Clinical. “Using our combination CRF, we’re able to programmatically calculate the response using the criteria of both methods." { For more information, visit wcclinical.com. TransCelerate BioPharma Establishes Clinical Trial Comparator Network Formed to establish reliable, rapid sourcing of quality drug products for use in clinical trials, the TransCelerate BioPharma Comparator Network enables accelerated clinical trial timelines and enhanced patient safety. Currently, the mechanisms to acquire clinical trial comparator drugs and co-therapy drugs are inefficient and unpredictable. Unless a specific agreement is in place between biopharmaceutical companies, clinical trial sponsor companies frequently are unable to secure comparators and co-therapies directly from each other, and therefore must purchase on the open market. This leads to uncertainties regarding the ability to obtain an adequate and timely supply of necessary comparators and can result in supply disruptions. “With the activation of our Comparator Network the participating TransCelerate companies will be able to source these comparator drugs directly from each other, be able to secure supply when they need it in the quantities they need, have access to drug data and totally mitigate the risk of counterfeit drugs in that clinical trial," says Dalvir Gill, Ph.D., CEO of TransCelerate. { For more information, visit transceleratebiopharmainc.com. MicroMass Applies Behavioral Science to Precommercial Strategy MicroMass Communications has created a new business unit to help life-sciences companies maximize product success in an environment where patients, payers, and regulatory bodies increasingly affect commercial performance. The new division, MicroMass Medical Communications Group, challenges traditional approaches to scientific outreach, recognizing that there are multiple drivers of product success that go beyond traditional clinical data. These include patient and physician knowledge and attitudes, prior experience with similar drugs, and outside influences such as treatment guidelines, institutional protocols, and coverage by payers. “Human health behavior is the leading determinant of health outcomes, and outcomes are the new currency in healthcare," says Rob Peters, senior VP of strategy, who has been appointed to lead the new group. “Engaging early and strategically with patients allows companies to understand and respond to behaviors that affect outcomes." { For more information, visit micromass.com. CRO Solutions Opens New Division CRO Solutions has launched VxP Pharma as a wholly owned subsidiary. VxP Pharma is comprised of the combined services of the independently owned and operated niche CROs of the parent company, offering pharmaceutical development services, as well as technical support, for the development and production of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and drug/device combination products from discovery through Phase IIb. The majority of VxP Pharma’s labs are located in the United States, although VxP also has facilities in Europe and Asia. { For more information, visit crosolutions.com. Clintrak Launches New Digital Label Service Clintrak has introduced The DigiPly, a new digital label service whose benefits include enhanced turnaround times, quality control, and flexible label options. This service is the clinical supply chain industry’s first digitally produced booklet label service. The service provides the ability to add or delete countries within days instead of weeks, thus avoiding costly delays. The DigiPly service was designed to mitigate risk through proprietary, quality-driven technology and production processes. { For more information, visit clintrak.com. INC Research has opened two new locations in Tokyo as well as establishing Japanese business operations. The two offices initially feature a core group of highly qualified, English-speaking management, regulatory, and therapeutic staff. The establishment of Japanese business operations builds on INC Research’s long-term experience in Japan, where it has partnered with local CROs to conduct numerous trials across a variety of therapeutic areas. In addition to the two offices in Japan, INC Research now has 20 offices in key locations across the Asia/Pacific region. Symphony Health Solutions has opened a London office to target the European market and better serve its growing roster of global market research clients. Situated in central London, the new office is led by Hilary Worton, a veteran of the healthcare research business who will lead the effort of making Symphony Health a viable source of market research data and insight beyond the United States.
