Over the past few years, a new wave culture of fitness and clean eating has grown exponentially in the United States. Many attribute this focus on health awareness to its presence on social media, while others consider the lifestyle fitness apparel trend to be a driving factor. Smartphone apps for at-home fitness such as SworkIt and MyFitnessPal are topping the charts. Whatever the cause, quinoa, kale, and exercise tracking are trending. To match the growing demand for personal tracking devices, popular companies such as Under Armour and Garmin have taken their step-counting wearables to a whole new level. The 2016 CES Conference hosted in Las Vegas showcased a variety of types, ranging from smart hearing aids to infrared technology that is designed for pain relief. Goodbye traditional pedometers, and hello to a new era of highly intelligent wearables.

To read more about wearable technologies featured at CES 2016 as reviewed by Kelly Sheridan from InformationWeek, click here.

Nowadays, it is nearly impossible to walk down the street without seeing somebody sporting a healthcare wearable. With sales surging at an annual growth rate of 25%, and an impressive $5.1 billion market value, it appears that the healthcare wearable industry is stronger than ever. However, these statics fail to recognize that such wearables are tossed aside by consumers within six months of purchasing. This lack of long-term value can be attributed to a variety of causes, many of which revolve around companies over-complicating their design, ultimately leaving consumers feeling overwhelmed. Further, the clash between fitness trackers and medical wearables is of major concern. In attempt to avoid strict FDA regulations and present shareholders with expedited revenues, companies are dubbing their products as consumer devices used solely for personal tracking. Although this cranks out sales figures more quickly, there is a strong market for medically approved devices, which in turn will lead to long-term use and profitability.

Interested in learning more about the healthcare wearables market? To read Reenita Das’ article from Forbes, click here.

Considered by many the Woodstock of pharmaceutical conferences, the 34^th Annual J.P. Morgan Conference held in San Francisco January 11-13^th lived up to its nickname. It was three days of non-stop presentations, meetings, business development opportunities, and endless potential for new partnerships. Among the attendees was a convergence of hedge fund investors, bankers, and pharmaceutical executives. Cara Therapeutics, a small public biotech company based in Shelton, Connecticut sparked particular interest, as they released their data for their new abuse-deterrent formulation peptide. Currently deep into phase II of clinical development, CR845 is groundbreaking in the world of analgesic painkillers, as it does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier; making it virtually impossible to abuse. Looking towards 2016, President and CEO Derek Chalmers was quoted as saying, “based on these encouraging findings, we plan to conduct a larger double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b trial in 2016.” The company is hopeful that by early 2018, CR845 will be approved for the market and forever alter the use of opioid formulations.

For the official press release from Cara Therapeutics, click here.