Meet Blackstone’s life-science dealmakers

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:

• Insider's finance team spoke with the dealmaker's behind Blackstone's life-sciences deal spree;
• People are pulling their IUDs out at home after doctors refuse to take them out;
• Everything you need to know about the fraud trial for Theranos founder Elizabeth Homes that starts today.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at [email protected] or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it…

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Meet 5 Blackstone life-sciences dealmakers powering a $4 billion investing spree in groundbreaking treatments

• Blackstone has been ramping up life-sciences investing.
• Its life sciences group raised $4.6 billion for its first fund in 2020, the largest of its kind.

Insider spoke to the group's head and four investors to hear how they think through deals>>

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Doctors are refusing to take out IUDs, so people are pulling them out at home – and posting how-to videos on TikTok and YouTube

• IUDs are a form of long-acting, reversible birth control that OB-GYNs tout as the gold standard.
• Insertion is free, but removal can be costly, and patients can face pushback from doctors.
• Some people are removing their own IUDs at home and posting tutorials to help others.

Get the full story from Andréa Becker and Kathleen Broussard, who are sociology Ph.D. candidates studying at-home IUD removal>>

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Embattled Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is about to go on trial for fraud. Here's everything you need to know.

• The fraud trial for Elizabeth Holmes, founder of blood-testing startup Theranos, begins today.
• Holmes and former COO Ramesh Balwani are accused of defrauding investors, doctors, and patients.
• If she's convicted, Holmes faces up to 20 years in prison, $2.75 million in fines, and restitution.

Catch up here>>

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More stories we're reading:

• Getting sick with the Delta variant doubles hospitalization risk compared with Alpha, a large study of mostly unvaccinated people shows (Insider)
• Pharmacies including CVS and Walgreens are betting people will want to see a therapist in their stores (The Wall Street Journal)
• COVID-19 test manufacturers rushing to produce more tests after cutting production and even destroying stock (Insider)
• Flagship Pioneering's latest company raised $440 million for new treatments that use circular RNA (Bloomberg)

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- Lydia