Trending News Today: Judge Rules Remicade Patent is Invalid

Although the use genetic testing to determine who is at risk for hereditary diseases is increasing, a new study suggests that the accuracy of the results may depend on an individual’s ethnicity, reported Kaiser Health News. The study revealed on Wednesday that the level of risk for certain diseases may be skewed, because studies have traditionally had low numbers of black participants. Study authors noted that the findings suggest the need for diversity in genomic research to interpret ethnic differences.

Insurance giant Aetna has changed tactics, warning that it would cut Obamacare if the Humana merger deal is blocked, reported The New York Times. Aetna’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini stated that it would have to cut back, because it would take time for the company to recoup the investment it had made in this market over the past 2 and a half years. “Our ability to withstand these losses is dependent on our achieving anticipated synergies in the Humana acquisition,” Bertolini wrote in the article.

A federal judge has ruled that a key patent on Johnson & Johnson’s rheumatoid arthritis drug Remicade is invalid. According to The New York Times, a cheaper version of Remicade could be available 2 years earlier in the United States. On Wednesday, Johnson & Johnson stated that they planned to appeal a summary judgment issued by the District of Massachusetts federal court in a high-stakes patient fight with their rival Pfizer Inc, reported the Times. This appeal process could take a year or more.