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
Sabra Health Care REIT sold seven skilled‑nursing properties for $51 million in Q4, signaling a sharp pullback in nursing‑home M&A for 2026. The REIT’s pipeline will focus almost entirely on senior housing, which represents roughly 95% of its investment opportunities and includes $150 million of recent acquisitions. While funds‑from‑operations beat expectations, normalized FFO missed forecasts, and the company projects 2026 earnings of 60‑64 cents per share. CEO Rick Matros noted Medicaid rate growth is tapering, but long‑term Medicaid cuts under the OBBBA could pressure the sector.
Toronto‑based health‑tech startup Mesosil has secured FDA 510(k) clearance for its antimicrobial dental additive, allowing U.S. dental manufacturers to embed the technology in products such as composites and cements. The clearance follows a four‑year development program and validates the company’s...
WVU Medicine’s virtual ICU program, piloted at Potomac Valley Hospital, used daily remote rounds to connect critical‑care physicians with local staff, preventing patient transfers and boosting occupancy. The low‑cost model required roughly $5,400 in startup expenses and quickly raised daily...
Neil Huber founded Pulse Radiology Education in 2015 to give working radiologic technologists a flexible path to advanced certification. The company now operates two arms—Pulse Radiology Education and Pulse Radiology Institute—offering ARRT‑approved coursework, clinical placement, and an MRI associate degree....
University of Minnesota Physicians has appointed Dr. Greg Beilman, a critical‑care surgeon and retired Army Reserve colonel, as its permanent chief executive officer. Beilman, who served as interim CEO since July, will oversee the 4,500‑strong clinical enterprise and guide it...
Obesity has shifted from a behavioral label to a high‑growth biopharma arena, driven by breakthrough GLP‑1 drugs and emerging oral formulations. Stephen Hansen of BioCentury highlights how these agents mirror Type II diabetes treatments, creating a lucrative market and reshaping clinical...
Nektar Therapeutics announced robust Phase II results for its IL‑2R modulator rezpegaldesleukin in atopic dermatitis, propelling its stock 51% higher. Leveraging the momentum, the company closed an upsized $400 million PIPE financing consisting of common stock and pre‑funded warrants. Evommune also secured...
Researchers funded by the NIH discovered that satellite glial cells (SGCs) deliver mitochondria to sensory neurons through tunneling nanotubes, a process essential for neuronal energy supply. In mouse models of diabetes and chemotherapy‑induced neuropathy, this mitochondrial transfer is impaired, leading...
Researchers at NIH and Emory have performed the world’s first minimally invasive coronary artery bypass, called VECTOR, without opening the chest. The technique reroutes blood flow by creating a new coronary ostium using catheter‑based tools introduced through the femoral vessels....
The National Institutes of Health halted the low‑dose rivaroxaban arm of the CAPTIVA trial after the Data Safety and Monitoring Board identified a rise in adverse events and concluded the treatment was unlikely to be beneficial. CAPTIVA, a double‑blind, three‑arm...
The National Institutes of Health has inaugurated the East Palestine Health Research Program Office, a five‑year, $10 million initiative to study the long‑term health impacts of the 2023 train derailment in Ohio. The office will coordinate community‑focused studies, enroll residents in...
A new NIH‑funded study provides the strongest evidence linking severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) to dementia risk. Analyzing 614 donated brains without Alzheimer’s or other common neurodegenerative diseases, researchers found stage IV CTE patients were 4.5 times more likely to have...
NIH researchers have built the first subcellular‑resolution digital twin of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, using 3‑D imaging of 1.3 million cells and an AI algorithm called POLARIS. The model maps polarity, organelle size and volume across developmental stages, creating...
The National Institutes of Health announced a Request for Information aimed at identifying biotechnologies that can replace human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in research. NIH is temporarily pausing the review and approval of new hESC lines, leaving the existing 503...
Oklahoma’s insurance commissioner announced that the state will abandon the federal health‑insurance marketplace and launch a decentralized, state‑run exchange beginning in the 2028 plan year. The new platform will rely on web‑based brokers to handle enrollment, giving the state greater...
The FDA rejected bitopertin, Disc Medicine’s experimental therapy for acute hepatic porphyria, marking the first drug reviewed under Commissioner Marty Makary’s fast‑track voucher program. The agency cited uncertainties about the link between the trial’s blood‑based biomarker and actual clinical benefit....
South Carolina’s measles outbreak has surged to 933 confirmed cases as of Feb 10, according to the state Department of Public Health. Unvaccinated individuals account for 859 of those infections, underscoring a vaccination gap. The outbreak follows a steady climb from...
A Canadian study of 343 patients with moderate or severe aortic stenosis found that automated prompts in echocardiography reports and EMRs only modestly improved specialist referrals. About 60% of severe AS patients and just over 20% of moderate cases were...
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a request for information on a proposed 340B rebate model pilot, inviting comments through March 19. The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Office of Pharmacy Affairs will use stakeholder feedback to decide...
In February 2026 the American College of Physicians (ACP) released a policy paper in Annals of Internal Medicine urging that doctors be called physicians, not “providers.” The ACP argues the term provider, rooted in 1965 Medicare language, dilutes medical professionalism...
The episode explains InterSystems' new Payer Connector, clarifying that it is not a rival to Epic's Payer Platform but a complementary integration layer that helps payers connect Epic's standardized edge to their fragmented internal systems. It highlights the challenges payers...
On February 12, a U.S. District Court in Texas vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s final rule that altered pre‑merger notification requirements under the Hart‑Scott‑Rodino Act. The rule had expanded the HSR filing form and imposed additional reporting obligations on merging firms....
Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act closed in February, revealing the first impact of the December 31, 2025 expiration of enhanced premium subsidies. While total sign‑ups exceeded some analysts' forecasts, enrollment was still 1.2 million lower than the same period...
A new report from the Center for Innovation & Value Research quantifies caregiver stress as a massive economic driver, estimating $14.1 trillion in annual U.S. costs. Interviews with 55 workshop participants reveal that chronic stress leads to work disruption, higher household...
A randomized trial of 347 adult survivors of childhood cancer found that early cardiovascular (CV) risk screening alone was as effective as screening plus one‑on‑one counseling. Both groups showed improvements in blood pressure and lipid measures, with the counseling arm...
In a HealthLeaders podcast, Muhammed Chebli, NextGen Healthcare’s vice president of product, interoperability, explains how health systems can convert data exchange initiatives into measurable business value. He outlines concrete methods for linking interoperability to revenue‑cycle efficiency, claim‑denial reduction, and faster...
The FDA outlines its compounding program, which permits licensed pharmacists or physicians to mix, combine, or alter drug ingredients to meet individual patient needs. Compounded medications are not FDA‑approved, meaning they bypass pre‑market safety and efficacy review. The agency’s oversight...
The episode reviews recent CDC press releases, highlighting a series of Salmonella outbreaks tied to moringa leaf powder and other dietary supplements, as well as raw oysters. It also notes the launch of the nation’s largest National Firefighter Registry for...
On February 17, 2026, HIMSS will host a 30‑minute panel featuring IBM Consulting’s Cathy Reese and Snowflake’s Jesse Cugliotta to explore the intersection of interoperability and artificial intelligence in healthcare. The discussion will assess current AI maturity, outline best practices for constructing...
The FDA issued a warning letter to MKS Enterprise, LLC after laboratory analysis revealed that its product Vital Honey contained the prescription drug tadalafil, an undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredient. The agency determined the honey is both a prohibited food adulterated...
VENUS Safety & Health Pvt. Ltd., a Mumbai‑based PPE and air‑filtration manufacturer, announced an expansion of its product portfolio and upcoming launches to back India’s Make‑in‑India drive. The firm now operates seven facilities with a daily capacity of 1.5 million units,...
India’s PFRDA is piloting pension plans that bundle health insurance, allowing up to 30% of the retirement corpus to be earmarked for medical expenses. ICICI, Axis and Tata‑backed funds are testing the “Swasthya” product, which could leverage pooled investors to...
Telehealth and wellness brand Hims & Hers Health announced it will enter the multi‑cancer early‑detection market. The move comes as the company’s GLP‑1 weight‑loss segment slows and it seeks new growth avenues. Hims is leveraging the current regulatory gap for...
In this fireside chat, Sami Inkinen, CEO and founder of Virta Health, explains how his personal pre‑diabetes diagnosis inspired the creation of a company that uses nutrition, technology and AI to reverse type‑2 diabetes and obesity. He describes Virta’s massive...
Akron Children’s Hospital leveraged its Epic EHR and real‑time analytics to dramatically cut waste anesthesia gases, a source of 5‑10% of its greenhouse‑gas emissions. By introducing low‑flow reminders in Epic and on anesthesia machines, the team achieved an initial 5%...
Eli Lilly has filed a notice of appeal challenging the FDA’s classification of its experimental obesity injection, retatrutide. The agency labeled the product as a new molecular entity, granting it a 12‑year data exclusivity period. Lilly argues the classification is incorrect...
Longevity Global is launching the inaugural Longevity Innovation Forum in San Diego on March 11‑12, 2026, gathering leading scientists, clinicians, biotech founders and investors to accelerate healthy‑aging research. The two‑day summit features high‑profile speakers such as Mike Snyder, Eric Verdin,...
Georgia’s House of Representatives approved a bill, 155‑7, that would let pharmacists prescribe and administer HIV prevention drugs such as pre‑exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post‑exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The legislation aims to remove the prerequisite of a primary‑care visit, expanding access...
DeVry Anderson, MD, has been appointed chief medical officer of St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, a 465‑bed HCA Healthcare facility in Texas. In his new role, Anderson will oversee clinical operations at both the North Austin Medical Center and the...
FDA’s drug and biologic product centers reported a continued decline in staff during the first quarter of fiscal 2026, extending a year‑long downward trend. The reduction persists even as Commissioner Marty Makary publicly pledged to accelerate hiring. The agency has...
Merkel cell carcinoma log, day #566. Completed my 6th PET scan at Dana-Farber yesterday. The radar, such as it is, doesn’t reflect any Merkel cell carcinoma. Lymph nodes look clean. The more I do PET scans, though, the more I...
This was over two months ago at ASH, so ages, but here's how Disc's CEO said the bitopertin review was going back then. $IRON https://t.co/9SvSML6th8
Scientists at EPFL applied a three‑factor (OSK) partial reprogramming cocktail to memory‑encoding engram neurons in 9‑10‑month‑old mice and Alzheimer’s‑model strains. Using a dual‑AAV system gated by doxycycline, OSK expression was limited to neurons active during a learning event, preserving cell...
FDA rejects rare disease therapy from $IRON Disc Medicine, early recipient of commissioner’s voucher CNPV program falters out of the starting gate... https://t.co/w4ptB2ecRS via @LizzyLaw_ and me
#NIH to deprioritize pandemic preparedness and biodefense research, @nature.com reports, saying director Jay Bhattacharya wants to focus on known diseases, not possible future threats. What could possibly go wrong? https://t.co/6TpLr6pY3B https://t.co/7rVzvkOzkT
BioWorld’s latest brief highlights three emerging biotech advances. Researchers pinpointed the SCAN network as a central circuit disrupted in Parkinson’s disease, offering a new therapeutic target. Astellas presented promising preclinical data on ASP-2246, an mRNA‑encoded NeuroD1 candidate aimed at neural...
A healthy diet, accounting for longevity-related genes, associated with 2-3 more years of life expectancy from >100,000 people followed 10.6 years, max benefit for starting at youngest age (Figure) @uk_biobank @ScienceAdvances https://t.co/Ji7Wlhj9ZA https://t.co/B6UxuE97xG
$IMMX momentum continues >Mizuho analyst initiates $14 PT >Lily acquisition of Orna Therapeutics $2.4 billion >AbbVie acquired Capstan Therapeutics $2.1 billion CAR-T heating up >Next milestone: imminent enrollment completion >Could NXC-201 be an eventual front-line therapy for AL Amyloidosis? >BLA submission projected Q3’26 https://t.co/cPpiiFHQal
On September 30, 2022 the FDA User Fee Reauthorization Act of 2022 re‑authorized the Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (GDUFA) through September 2027, marking the start of GDUFA III. The legislation sets new user‑fee rates for FY 2025 and FY 2026, including a...
