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Kite Pharma, one of the hottest biotech start-ups on Wall Street, hopes to revolutionize the treatment of a common, deadly lymphatic cancer — with a novel mix of highly trained lab techs and high-speed air travel. The Santa Monica company's treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma reprograms a patient's T-cells — the kind that are supposed to fight disease — to seek and destroy only abnormal, cancerous lymph cells, not the healthy ones crucial for human life. But in order to do so, blood must be drawn from a patient, refrigerated and flown to Kite's headquarters, where the cells are modified, frozen and then flown back to doctors who re-inject them into patients. (Pfiefer, 10/17)

Welcome to Oscar Insurance Corp., a Silicon Valley-backed start-up promising big changes to the cumbersome healthcare industry through its sleek mobile app. The New York-based insurer, a new player in the Southern California market, plans to offer insurance next month in the individual market on the Covered California exchange, where the four largest companies control 94% of the individual market. (Khouri, 10/18)

As U.S. health insurers chart an unprecedented consolidation of the industry, hospitals across the country are taking a fresh look at becoming insurers themselves to keep more of their patients’ health care dollars in house. Among the country’s largest insurers, Aetna Inc. struck a deal to buy Humana Inc., while Anthem Inc. agreed to acquire Cigna Corp. Both transactions are expected to draw months of scrutiny by U.S. antitrust regulators and Congress. (Kelly, 10/16)