Science Business News

Yesterday, the American College of Rheumatology met with US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar for a productive discussion about the rheumatology community's concerns with a new policy that will allow Medicare Advantage plans to utilize step therapy in Medicare Part B.

An open-access virtual training -- The Introductory Reviewer Developmental Workshop -- hosted by the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and the Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA) has been announced to take place on August 22nd. The workshop is designed to help social scientists improve their peer-review skills. Participants will have an opportunity to obtain certification upon completing the training.

Increasing out-of-pocket expenses can limit access for patients, putting them at risk. Improving affordability requires a multi-faceted approach from across the health care system, including health insurers, drug and biologic manufacturers, and pharmacy benefit managers. The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) urges policymakers and stakeholders to improve the affordability of drugs using five principles.

The National Science Foundation announced that the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will operate a new center to provide seafloor seismographs and technical support to the U.S. academic community beginning in Aug. 1, 2018. The new Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Center (OBSIC) will be housed at WHOI under a 5-year cooperative agreement, with John Collins serving as Director.

CartiHeal, developer of Agili-C, a proprietary implant for the treatment of joint surface lesions, and two LSU Health New Orleans orthopaedic surgeons announced today the successful enrollment of the first two US patients in the Agili-C IDE pivotal study. The US cases were performed by Principle Investigator Dr. Vinod Dasa, Associate Professor and Director of Orthopaedic Research, and Dr. Michael Hartman, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and Saint Louis University are pleased to announce that Allison Miller, Ph.D., professor of biology at Saint Louis University (SLU) and research associate at the Missouri Botanical Garden, will be appointed to a joint faculty position between the Danforth Center and SLU.

Months after forming an alliance with internationally renowned paleoanthropologist Professor Lee Berger, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas has signed a MOU with the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, providing the groundwork for future collaborations including research, exhibits, traveling exhibitions, and various projects in paleoanthropology, humanities and other academic areas. The partnership stems from the Museum's new strategic focus called the Center for the Exploration of the Human Journey.

The Office of Naval Research, Naval Research Laboratory and Carnegie Mellon University have entered into an Education Partnership Agreement (EPA) to encourage and strengthen studies in the scientific disciplines. The agreement, signed July 31, 2018, recognizes the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) -- including the role of artificial intelligence (AI) -- to the US Navy and the nation.