Regulations & Guidelines
UK: ICO Releases Updated Guidance On Data Protection Fines
On March 18, 2024, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) unveiled its new Data Protection Fining Guidance. This guidance outlines the methods used by the ICO to issue penalty notices and assess fines in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018).
Online Genetic Testing: The CNIL Advises Caution
The CNIL is raising awareness about the popularity of online genetic testing kits, especially those used for genealogical purposes. While these tests are often marketed as "recreational," they pose significant risks due to the reliability of the results and a lack of transparency regarding the use of collected sensitive personal data.
US Senate Legislation Advances, Focusing on China's BGI and WuXi AppTec Under Privacy Enhancing Technology Initiative
Senators Bill Hagerty and Gary Peters celebrated the advancement of the bipartisan "Prohibiting Foreign Access to American Genetic Information Act of 2024," which seeks to cut U.S. federal support for biotech companies connected to adversaries like China, specifically naming BGI Group and WuXi AppTec for their security risks. Companion legislation has also been introduced in the House by Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi.
The Widening Definition of "Sensitive Data" in State-Level Privacy Laws in the US
The landscape of US privacy legislation is evolving. With no comprehensive federal law to regulate the collection, processing, and sharing of personal data by businesses, states are filling the gap by creating foundational privacy rights and safeguards. Since 2018, fourteen states have enacted 'comprehensive' privacy laws aimed at providing fundamental protections for personal data of individuals.
Artificial Intelligence
The European Parliament Approves the World's First Comprehensive AI Legislation
On March 13, 2024, during its plenary session, the European Parliament approved the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Establishing Harmonised Rules on Artificial Intelligence (AI Act). This approval came after the AI Act was signed by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) on February 2, 2024, and received backing from both the Internal Market (IMCO) and the Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committees on February 13, 2024.
Eric Topol's Major Advances In Medical AI
Eric Topol highlighted significant progress in March on his Substack feed, referencing Nature's recent editorial titled "How to support the transition to AI-powered healthcare." Topol reflects on the editorial, pondering that the key to achieving AI-powered healthcare in the future lies in conducting the necessary clinical research that remains outstanding.
Guidelines For Responsible Use of Generative AI
The European Research Area Forum, in collaboration with the Commission, countries within the European Research Area, and various stakeholders, has introduced guidelines aimed at guiding the European research community towards the responsible utilization of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
Health AI: Latest Google's Announcements
In March, Google revealed its newest advancements in AI for Healthcare. Following the introduction of Med-PaLM 2, its healthcare-optimized large language model (LLM), Google has advanced its efforts in multimodal AI through MedLM for Chest X-rays and refined its Gemini Model specifically for medical applications. Additionally, Google announced its latest collaboration with Fitbit to create a personalized health-focused LLM.
NVIDIA's All-In AI In Healthcare
NVIDIA revealed collaborations with four companies to create drug discovery platforms, aligning with its 2024 GTC AI conference held in San Jose, California, from March 18 to 21. In conjunction with these partnerships, NVIDIA also launched a new set of healthcare microservices, featuring a range of models for drug discovery and the NVIDIA NIM inference model.
Biotech & Healthtech
Doctors Can Now Edit the Genes Inside Your Body
The Wall Street Journal is shining a spotlight on in vivo gene editing, a method that contrasts with others by editing cells directly inside patients' bodies. This innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize medicine. Currently, therapies utilizing this technology are largely concentrated on cardiovascular diseases.
Digital Twins For Health : A Scoping Review
The advent of AI and Big Data, accounting for more than 30% of data production in the healthcare industry, has enabled the creation of Digital Twins for Health (DT4H). A publication in Nature explores the scope of this innovation and the various applications for DT4H.
The EU To Unveil A ‘Biotech And Biomanufacturing Initiative’
It is reported that the EU Commission is developing new initiatives aimed at simplifying the approval process for biomanufacturing, having identified Biotech and Health Biotech as key areas of focus. Among the eight initiatives revealed in a leaked document, the establishment of a Biotech Hub intended to streamline the regulatory approval process stands out as a critical measure.
Healthcare
Los Angeles Hospital To Roll Out Nabla's AI Assistant
Nabla, an AI innovator based in Paris specializing in assistants for clinicians, has formed a partnership with the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. This technology enables the reduction of electronic health record (EHR) data by documenting conversations between patients and doctors.
HHS Releases New Guidelines On Online Tracking Technologies for HIPAA Entities
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued new guidelines on March 18, 2024, regarding the deployment of online tracking technologies by entities covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and their business associates.
NHS' Shift To Third Party Vendors For Patients Appointments
Techcrunch' latest article offers an insightful overview of contemporary healthcare practices, highlighting the utilization of health data for triage and scheduling appointments by the UK NHS.
Data Breach & Cybersecurity
Change Healthcare Hackers Receive $22 Million Ransom
The ransomware strike on Change Healthcare, severely disrupting US pharmacies and hospital drug deliveries for over 10 days, marks a significant crisis. Amidst ongoing chaos, an internal conflict among criminals has surfaced a crucial detail: The hacker group AlphV, also known as BlackCat, appears to have secured a $22 million payment, strongly indicating a hefty ransom settlement.
And Also ...
- Executive Order : Preventing Access to Americans' Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern
National Archives - French startup Nijta hopes to protect voice privacy in AI use cases
TechCrunch - Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why
MIT Review - The quest to legitimize longevity medicine
MIT Review - Jurgi Camblong Of SOPHiA GENETICS on the Future of Artificial Intelligence
Medium - A New Headset Aims to Treat Alzheimer’s With Light and Sound
Wired
Podcasts & Books
🎙Podcasts
Data Protection: Addressing Noise, Speech, and Voice Concerns
Self-Supervised Learning for Histopathology with Jean-Baptiste Schiratti from Owkin
Generative AI for Life Sciences with Simon Arkell from Ryght
Regulating AI in the UK : A discussion with Lord Holmes
📕 Books
Why We Die : The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for Immortality
The Genome Odyssey: Medical Mysteries and the Incredible Quest to Solve Them
iliomad's News
We Will Be At Medi'Nov in Lyon - April 3 - 4 2024
Our co-founder, Pierre Malvoisin, will be taking part in the 2024 Medi'Nov Medtech Congress in Lyon. Don't miss out on the AI discussion that Pierre will be moderating!
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We like to keep our readers up to date on complex regulatory issues, the latest industry trends and updated guidelines to help you to solve a problem or make an informed decision.
Newsletter #19
In October, key developments in data privacy, AI, and cybersecurity emerged, including new GDPR accountability guidance for controllers, the introduction of the UK’s Data Bill 2024, and the FDA's call for coordinated AI regulation in healthcare. High-profile data breaches also highlighted vulnerabilities in health data, underscoring the need for stronger, globally aligned privacy standards.
Newsletter #18
Get up to speed with the latest in data protection regulations and healthtech innovations, including updates from Brazil, the UK, and California, along with advancements in AI-driven healthcare solutions. Plus, explore major privacy enforcement actions and key developments shaping the future of digital health.
Newsletter #17
August was a busy month for data protection in the life sciences—here's your summer recap!
