Know What's Happening in Healthcare
Know What's Happening in Healthcare
FDA approves KRESLADI, first CIRM‑backed gene‑editing therapy
The FDA cleared KRESLADI, a gene‑editing treatment from Rocket Pharmaceuticals for severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency‑I in children, eliminating the need for a bone‑marrow donor. It is the first product directly funded by California’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine to receive approval.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Syneron Bio raises $150M Series B
Evernorth, Cigna’s health‑services arm, has confirmed it now fully owns CarepathRx after completing the acquisition last year. CarepathRx provides home and ambulatory infusion solutions to roughly 10% of U.S. hospitals, strengthening Evernorth’s specialty pharmacy footprint. The deal builds on a 2023 partnership and investment in Carepath Health System Solutions, which already serves over 600 hospitals and health systems. Evernorth will integrate CarepathRx’s capabilities with its existing specialty and care expertise to expand patient‑management technology and infusion services.
I used to teach that "aging is just wear-and-tear." A new Nature paper used 7 days of wrist-wearable data from ~62,000 adults and found your circadian rhythm patterns (amplitude + stability) and MVPA predict inflammation-linked biological aging. Low rhythm amplitude and poor...
The article explains how repeated failed quit attempts create learned helplessness among smokers, undermining their belief that effort matters. It contrasts this with self‑efficacy, a task‑specific confidence that predicts successful cessation. Pharmacotherapy combined with structured counseling can double quit rates,...
The United States recorded 2,280 measles cases in 2025, the highest tally since 1991, and early 2026 has already seen 910 additional cases, concentrated in South Carolina, Utah and Florida. Low MMR vaccination coverage—just 64% for a single dose—has been...
ShopRite, part of Wakefern Food Corp., has introduced a limited‑time "Wellness Your Way" starter kit for customers beginning GLP‑1 therapy. The kit bundles medication samples, coupons and a dietitian‑crafted wellness guide, explicitly tying the chain’s pharmacy and grocery divisions. The...
Precise Bio successfully implanted PB-001, the world’s first 3D‑bioprinted, cell‑based corneal graft, in a legally blind patient during a phase‑1 trial. The implant combines human endothelial cells with a transparent collagen scaffold, replicating the properties of donor tissue. By using...
Cure Parkinson’s has expanded its Research Committee by adding eight new members from leading UK and European institutions, spanning neurology, bioinformatics, pharmacology and more. The charity also welcomed three early‑career researchers as interns, extending the programme beyond the UK to...
A randomized trial of 642 first‑time mothers showed that Baby2Home, a technology‑enabled postpartum service, significantly lowered stress, depression and anxiety scores while boosting overall health, relationship satisfaction and self‑efficacy. The digital platform combined educational content, infant‑care trackers, symptom monitoring and...
Theranica published a peer‑reviewed study confirming that its Nerivio Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) wearable can be used concurrently with leading continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems without compromising data accuracy. The trial involved 21 adults with diabetes, testing Abbott FreeStyle Libre...
Telehealth surged from 15% to 86% of physicians between 2019 and 2021, and a 2024 survey shows 94% of patients would repeat virtual visits. This shift has turned remote care into a baseline expectation. AI is now poised to deepen...
Handl Health announced a $14.2 million Series A round led by Arthur Ventures, aimed at scaling its unified health‑plan platform for brokers, carriers, and TPAs. The solution aggregates pricing, utilization, benefit, and quality data to let employers model and continuously...
Genetic Alliance UK’s equity report warns the NHS is falling short for the 3.5 million Britons living with rare diseases. A quarter of patients wait three years for a diagnosis, only 5 % of conditions have approved treatments, and just 10 % of...
Anesthesiologist Jim Ellwood explains that ketamine, like propofol and fentanyl, is safe when administered by trained professionals but becomes dangerous in unregulated settings. He contrasts high‑profile overdose headlines with the controlled, low‑dose protocols used for anesthesia and emerging mental‑health treatments....
Kobe University researchers have created an AI model that diagnoses acromegaly from photographs of the back of the hand and a clenched fist, achieving higher sensitivity and specificity than seasoned endocrinologists. The system was trained on over 11,000 images contributed...
First Databank’s cloud‑native ePrescribing network, FDB Vela, has integrated with Photon Health’s digital prescription marketplace. The partnership combines FDB Vela’s HITRUST‑certified, redundant cloud infrastructure with Photon’s consumer‑focused platform that lets patients compare pharmacy options by price, location and availability before...
The American Hospital Association’s Next Generation Leaders Fellowship has launched its 2025‑2026 cohort, selecting 34 emerging health‑care leaders from across the nation. The 12‑month program pairs each fellow with an executive mentor and culminates in a capstone project aimed at...
Dramatic increase in autism program utilization in Minnesota. Is this a true increase in autism rates or some other reporting/diagnosis factor or just fraud? Are other states seeing this? (This is not a political question).
An important study just came out that is the first to evaluate patient safety when it comes to ChatGPT Health. Millions of people are using LLMs every week to triage health conditions, but this new study has found concerning inconsistencies. https://t.co/etjthA2olM
CEREC crown technology lets Cary, NC dental offices design, mill, and place a custom ceramic crown in a single visit using digital scans and CAD/CAM software. The workflow eliminates traditional impressions, reduces chair time, and delivers a precise, aesthetic restoration....
AI is helping to make the diagnosis of rare diseases. A new multicenter study in Japan showed smartphone AI diagnosis of acromegaly via hands was better than experienced endocrinologists https://t.co/qBiazetToV https://t.co/dSZpJ2us84
Former surgeon general: The Senate must not approve an SG who can’t practice medicine https://t.co/TfgRw59xFd
A year-long trastuzumab emtansine (T‑DM1) regimen showed 98% three‑year invasive‑disease‑free survival in early‑stage HER2‑positive breast cancer, comparable to standard paclitaxel‑plus‑trastuzumab. The ATEMPT trial of nearly 500 patients found similar overall survival but markedly lower neuropathy and hair loss with T‑DM1,...
Here's the link to watch yesterday's webinar on venture capital, a companion to this year's top 100 biotech VCs list with @ChrisDoko Lots of positive feedback here. Post your thoughts. https://t.co/c16y04mFsD
Elizabeth Cairns' piece on $Novo is reminiscent of Bristol Myers' strategic fail against Merck and Keytruda. They were focused on the wrong things, made bad trial design decisions and got stuck in the mud of their own making. Everyone should...
The FDA granted accelerated approval to Boehringer Ingelheim’s oral HER2 kinase inhibitor Hernexeos six weeks after the company filed its application, marking the second approval under the new Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) program. The decision expands Hernexeos use to...
How does obesity catalyze neurodegeneration? Our paper just out @NatMetabolism https://t.co/kx25urgpJx free access https://t.co/aL1FBN9MyI Phenomenal work by @chen_bandy pulling this together
“You can’t stand there after the fact and blame the open-label design,” he said. “You designed it. You designed a noninferiority margin. You picked the patients. And then the trial doesn’t work.” https://t.co/acS5i5s5NU
A University of Otago pilot gave 26 Māori and Pacific participants e‑bikes, training and support, revealing notable improvements in mental wellbeing and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma. Interviews conducted over 12 months showed participants valued...
Great to see our former National School of Tropical Medicine @BCM_TropMed trainee Dr. Leroy Versteeg at my Brown Molecular Medicine talk at @UTHealthHouston in our @TXMedCenter https://t.co/F9IGkVNkfM
Today’s brief highlights four pre‑clinical advances: Paratus Sciences unveiled PS‑1001, a pan‑inflammasome blocker targeting IL‑1β and IL‑18 for hidradenitis suppurativa; researchers identified the SCAN circuit as a core pathway disrupted in Parkinson’s disease; RX‑10616 demonstrated enhanced radiotherapy response in head‑and‑neck...
Prospect Therapeutics announced the identification of a new series of small‑molecule inhibitors targeting Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) and tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2). The lead compounds demonstrate nanomolar potency and selectivity in biochemical assays and effectively suppress cytokine signaling in cellular...
In 1972 Wilson Greatbatch introduced lithium‑iodide batteries for implantable pacemakers, extending device life from one‑to‑two years to over a decade. This chemistry replaced unreliable mercury‑zinc cells, enabling consistent voltage output and dramatically reducing replacement surgeries. The longer power window enabled...
Employers are feeling heightened pressure from medical inflation, specialty‑drug spend and regulatory complexity, prompting a shift toward cost control as the top benefits priority, according to MetLife’s 2026 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study. Controlling benefit costs has become the number‑one...
The San Francisco Tech Council launched a state‑funded program that teaches low‑income, limited‑English‑proficiency patients how to use online medical portals. Participants received a 45‑minute hands‑on session with a digital navigator, enabling them to schedule appointments, view results, and request prescriptions. Feedback...
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 bans pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from receiving compensation tied to drug list prices and mandates 100% rebate pass‑through to plan sponsors by August 2028. The law also allocates roughly $190 million to the Centers for...
While every medical specialty will benefit from digital health and AI, some will especially thrive thanks to these innovations. Here, I listed the top medical specialties with the biggest potential for development in the future. Read on: https://t.co/KhId1Okqf2 https://t.co/rgvsDAjS1q
Private equity firms are intensifying focus on hospice care platforms, with five notable deals reported this quarter. Kinderhook, Renovus and Revelstoke are among the investors leading the charge, targeting fragmented providers to build scalable platforms. The surge reflects broader demographic...
The FDA’s Drug Trials Snapshots program publishes concise, consumer‑focused summaries of the demographic makeup and outcomes of pivotal clinical trials for newly approved drugs. Launched in 2015, the tool covers only New Molecular Entities and original biologics approved after that...
Ionis Pharmaceuticals received FDA acceptance of its supplemental NDA for olezarsen and a priority‑review designation, with a PDUFA action date of June 30, 2026. The decision is backed by two Phase III CORE studies—CORE (n=617) and CORE2 (n=446)—that evaluated once‑monthly subcutaneous...
The American Heart Association’s new scientific statement projects that nearly six in ten U.S. women will live with cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 2050, driven by rising hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. By 2050, high blood pressure could affect almost 60% of...
GSK’s depemokimab, marketed as EXDENSUR, received FDA approval on December 16, 2025 as a six‑month subcutaneous add‑on for severe eosinophilic asthma in patients aged 12 and older. Approval was based on two 52‑week, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled trials (SWIFT‑1 and SWIFT‑2) that...
In this episode of CareTalk, Dr. Zeke Emanuel critiques the $1‑2 trillion wellness industry, arguing that it exploits the wealthy with dubious supplements, tests, and diets while neglecting timeless health fundamentals. He emphasizes that genuine wellness hinges on social connections—citing Aristotle,...
BrightSpring Health Services reported a strong fourth‑quarter and full‑year 2025, with net revenue climbing 28% to $12.9 billion and adjusted EBITDA rising 34% to $618 million. The company turned a net loss in 2024 into a $104.8 million profit for the year and...
UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital received $328,133 from the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) Foundation to launch a four‑year study using PacBio HiFi long‑read sequencing as a first‑line test. The project will sequence 200 child‑parent trios to uncover...
The FDA issued a suite of new guidance documents in early 2026 aimed at easing development of therapies for rare diseases, including the Rare Disease Evidence Pathway, Plausible Mechanism Pathway, and innovative trial designs for cellular and gene therapies. The...
Eli Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 small‑molecule orforglipron demonstrated greater A1C reduction and weight loss than oral semaglutide, while offering flexible dosing without fasting. GSK announced a $950 million acquisition of 35Pharma, securing HS235, an activin‑signaling inhibitor aimed at pulmonary hypertension. The deal taps...
Quotient Sciences has extended its commercial partnership with Ipsen to manufacture Sohonos (Palovarotene), the approved therapy for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), an ultra‑rare disease affecting fewer than 1,000 people worldwide. The deal includes Ipsen's investment in a pneumatic closed‑transfer system...
ENDRA Life Sciences announced that its Taeus Liver device achieved high measurement consistency in a MASLD study, recording an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.89 and a standard error of measurement of 3.3%. The trial involved 14 participants and 56 data...
Eli Lilly disclosed Phase III ACHIEVE‑3 results showing its oral GLP‑1 agonist orforglipron outperformed oral semaglutide in lowering A1C and inducing weight loss. The 52‑week, open‑label trial enrolled 1,698 patients across six countries and compared two doses of each drug. Orforglipron also...
Cowellnex Co., Ltd. and Metagen, Inc. will begin joint research in February 2026 to create new gut‑microbiota test items and a personalized food‑recommendation algorithm using Cowellnex’s three‑year shotgun metagenomic dataset. The partnership leverages Cowellnex’s high‑precision Japanese microbiome data and Metagen’s...
