Covid And Thanksgiving Travel; Plus, America’s Largest Private Companies

InnovationRx is your weekly digest of healthcare information. To get it in your inbox, subscribe right here.

We’re publishing a day early at present as we head into the Thanksgiving lengthy weekend. I’ve but to do my grocery buying however am mentally getting ready for greater costs on the checkout. My colleague Chloe Sorvino reviews the common price of 2021’s Thanksgiving meal is $53.31, in accordance with the American Farm Bureau, up 14% in comparison with 2020.   

Forbes launched its annual rankings of America’s largest non-public corporations at present. Medical provide firm Medline Industries was the highest healthcare firm on the record coming in at #16 with $17.5 billion in income, Forbes’ Andrea Murphy reviews. Medline bought to a gaggle of personal fairness companies this 12 months for a reported $34 billion in one of many largest ever leveraged buyouts. With revenues of $3.3 billion, well being IT firm Epic Methods was #136. Different healthcare corporations on the record included #171 expert nursing and rehab supplier Life Care Facilities of America (Income: $2.7 billion), #177 medical gadget producer Arthrex (Income: $2.6 billion), and #178 nursing house operator Golden Dwelling (Income: $2.6 billion).

Rally Well being Founder’s New Startup Is Targeted On Synthetic Intelligence

Grant Verstandig’s latest firm, ZephyrAI, goals to make use of AI for higher drug discovery and customized healthcare. The corporate’s first discovery was the potential for antibiotic azithromycin for potential use as a lung most cancers therapy, which was published within the journal Oncogene in Might. Verstandig says ZephyrAI, which emerged from stealth this week, has recognized round 100 novel drug targets in addition to a number of dozen potential methods to repurpose current medication. Zephyr AI primarily plans to work with pharmaceutical corporations for growing them however doesn’t rule out the chance that it could work on a drug itself. Learn extra right here.

Noteworthy

Greater than 1.6 million individuals in 33 states have enrolled in Obamacare plans since open enrollment began on November 1. 

A research from UT Southwestern Medical Middle suggests new imaging methods might assist to foretell an individual’s response to various kinds of antidepressant medicine.

A federal jury dominated pharmacies run by CVS, Walgreens and Walmart helped gas opioid abuse in two Ohio counties, the primary verdict involving pharmacy chains amongst 1000’s of nationwide lawsuits over the opioid dependancy disaster.

Coronavirus Updates

It’s Thanksgiving week, and new polling finds that extra Individuals plan to journey for the vacation than did final 12 months, even within the midst of circumstances rising nationwide. Thirty-eight p.c of these polled stated they supposed to journey, and two-thirds stated they’d be attending gatherings with family and friends exterior their households. Public well being consultants like Dr. Anthony Fauci have given the inexperienced gentle to Individuals celebrating the vacations with household and mates this 12 months—notably in the event that they’re vaccinated—however nonetheless encourage methods to decrease danger similar to getting a booster shot or avoiding crowded areas. For these Individuals who’re touring, they shouldn’t have to fret about any delays associated to the Federal vaccine mandate—the TSA informed Forbes that over 93% of its staff have been absolutely vaccinated. 

Talking of Thanksgiving, a fast notice to subscribers of the every day Covid replace e-newsletter: we’ll be on hiatus the remainder of the week for the vacation however can be again in your inbox on Monday.

Biden Asks Appeals Courtroom To Reinstate Employer Vaccine-Or-Take a look at Mandate—Right here’s What May Occur Subsequent

The Biden administration requested the sixth Circuit Courtroom of Appeals Tuesday to place its vaccine-or-test requirement for big employers again into impact after it was blocked earlier this month—right here’s the place the controversial coverage stands now and what to anticipate subsequent because the appeals court docket deliberates. Learn extra right here.

Different Coronavirus Information

Two-thirds of Individuals say that passengers ought to present proof of Covid vaccination earlier than flying a airplane, however Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says a mandate is unlikely.

Right this moment, India reported its smallest rise in every day Covid-19 circumstances in practically 18 months, regardless of being in the midst of a busy competition season.

Vice-President Kamala Harris introduced that an funding from the Covid aid package deal will go to a number of federal applications coping with healthcare workforce shortages and disparities.

Actor Steve Burton stated he was fired from Common Hospital after refusing to get vaccinated towards Covid-19, simply two weeks after his fellow solid member Ingo Rademacher was reportedly let go for a similar factor.

Throughout Forbes

Is Biotech The Answer To Cleansing Up The $765 Billion Greenback Chemical Business?

‘Armageddon’ Come True? When And The place To Watch Tonight As SpaceX Launches A NASA Spacecraft To Smash Into An Asteroid

Uncommon Einstein Papers Containing Early Relativity Calculations Fetch $13 Million At Public sale

What Else We’re Studying

Russian Anti-Vaccine Disinformation Campaign Backfires (Voice of America)

Covid antivirals could be pandemic game-changers. But Americans might struggle to access them (Stat)

H&F, Bain Capital tap into health tech boom with $17 bln Athenahealth deal (Reuters)