Boston Scientific nabs Medicare reimbursement for Exalt duodenoscope

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has signed off on a transitional pass-through (TPT) payment category for single-use endoscopes, including Boston Scientific’s (NYSE:BSX) EXALT Model D Single-Use Duodenoscope (a lighted tube that allows a doctor to visually inspect the small intestine). The code will be effective July 1.

The intent of TPT payment allows for reimbursement, while cost data are collected for the inclusion of the device in the procedure Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) rate.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3581014-boston-scientific-nabs-medicare-reimbursement-for-exalt-duodenoscope

Bavarian Nordic encephalitis vaccine shows positive effect in early-stage study

Bavarian Nordic A/S (OTCPK:BVNKF) announces topline results from a Phase 1 study evaluating MVA-BN WEV, a prophylactic vaccine candidate against three equine encephalitis viruses, in 45 healthy adult volunteers.

The vaccine was well-tolerated with neutralizing antibody responses observed across all dose groups. Peak levels were reached after the second vaccination.

The most common adverse event was injection site pain.

The company is in the process of securing additional funding to advance development.

Last year there were 38 cases in the U.S. that resulted in 15 fatalities. There are usually ~seven cases each year in America, most in the Northeast where mosquitoes have been found to be the vector.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3581042-bavarian-nordic-encephalitis-vaccine-shows-positve-effect-in-early-stage-study

AstraZeneca’s Calquence shows positive effect in hospitalized COVID patients

AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) announces positive preliminary data from a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating BTK inhibitor Calquence (acalabrutinib) in 19 hospitalized severely ill COVID-19 patients. The results were recently published in Science Immunology.

11 patients were receiving supplemental oxygen and eight were on mechanical ventilation. All had increasing oxygen requirements at baseline.

Over a 10-14-day treatment period, oxygenation improved in the majority of patients with no discernable toxicity. Measures of inflammation normalized rapidly, including lymphopenia (low levels of a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes). 72.7% (n=8/11) of patients in the supplemental oxygen cohort were discharged on room air. 50% (n=4/8) of patients in the mechanical ventilation group were successfully extubated (breathing tube removed) and 25% (n=2/8) were discharged on room air.

Phase 2 studies are in process.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3581055-astrazenecas-calquence-shows-positive-effect-in-hospitalized-covid-patients

Veeva gets Street-high price target

Noting Veeva’s (NYSE:VEEV) “enviable financial model,” Citi analyst Tyler Radke starts the company with a Buy rating and a $265 price target, a 31% upside.

Radke notes the 20-30% Y/Y revenue growth and strong profitability, which should help drive strong returns for Veeva.

The analyst mentions that Veeva’s SaaS suite targets the “lucrative” life sciences market.

Radke compares Veeva to Salesforce’s growth story, but he sees stronger profits for Veeva.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3581061-veeva-gets-street-high-price-target

Enochian Biosciences up big on advancement of potential HIV cure

Thinly traded micro cap Enochian Biosciences (NASDAQ:ENOB) rockets 292% premarket on robust volume in reaction to its announcement that it has completed a meeting with the FDA during which there was “strong alignment” between its planned development strategy for ENOB-HV-01 and comments from agency reviewers.

It plans to file an IND next year.

The company says ENOB-HV-01 is a novel approach to autologous stem cell transplantation that may be able to cure HIV via increasing engraftment of gene-modified cells that are resistant to HIV infection.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3581065-enochian-biosciences-up-big-on-advancement-of-potential-hiv-cure

Post looting, Chicago to spend $1.2M on private security to protect businesses

The city of Chicago will spend up to $1.2 million to hire three private security firms to help prevent a repeat of last weekend’s chaotic civil unrest and looting that erupted amid protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office said.

The city has hired Illinois Security Professionals, AGB Investigative Services and Monterrey Security “to supply more than 100 private security guards to protect the local retail shops, grocery stores and pharmacies that community members rely on every single day.”

“The new guards are unarmed and solely in place to monitor activity on commercial corridors and notify the Chicago Police Department if any illegal activity occurs,” Lightfoot’s office said in a statement. “None of the security guards have policing powers, but are another set of eyes and ears to support efforts to deter looters. All security officers will wear visible identification.”

In addition to the private security, Chicago will deploy additional police patrols along commercial and retail corridors on the South and West sides, Lightfoot’s office said.

Protests spread nationwide after video emerged of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he said, “I can’t breathe.” In Chicago, peaceful protests erupted into violence last weekend as individuals began looting stores throughout downtown. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Last weekend. Lightfoot ordered bridges into the Loop lifted on Saturday, imposed a 9 p.m. curfew and cut off most access to downtown with law enforcement and city vehicles, but looting spread to the city’s South and West sides — overshadowing peaceful protests.

Lightfoot’s decision to hire private security across the city raised concerns from some aldermen, particularly freshmen progressives who said they’re worried about Chicago’s liability if something goes wrong and said private security workers aren’t subject to the same accountability structure faced by police.

One of the companies hired by Lightfoot, Monterrey Security, is politically connected and has faced a series of controversies, including being fired by two NFL teams.

The Tribune in 2018 wrote extensively about the lack of effective government oversight over private security.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-chicago-hires-private-security-firms-20200606-6d75fp7srzaz3hiltdnaqrko6u-story.html

Gottlieb: Sure to see transmission of coronavirus coming out of protests

Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Sunday that some transmission of the novel coronavirus likely occurred at the protests that have swept the nation over the killing of George Floyd.
“We’re certainly going to see transmissions coming out of these gatherings, there’s no question about that,” Gottlieb said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” noting that the prevalence of infection in the U.S. was currently about one in 200 people.
“I think the idea of reducing the risk from these protests is a shared responsibility. There’s steps these protesters can take and you see many of them wearing masks in these protests and understanding the risks,” Gottlieb said.
He added law enforcement should also take steps to reduce transmission risk by de-escalating wherever possible.
Gottlieb said that the closest parallel for which there is available scientific data is a German study of transmission at a large outdoor festival.
“The science showed there was about a two-and-half-times increase in the rate of transmission as a result of bringing people together in large gatherings,” Gottlieb said. “So we have some scientific basis to understand that these kinds of settings do create risk.”
“It’s hard to judge just how much right now and it’s going to take a couple of weeks,” he added. “We’re probably going to have to get a few transmission cycles out to really judge what the impact was.”
Gottlieb said the demonstrators should “try to take precautions, wear masks, distance where they can, and try to avoid things like getting in contact with elderly people and people who are vulnerable after attending these protests.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/501542-gottlieb-were-certainly-going-to-see-transmission-of-coronavirus