Today's Healthcare Pulse
FDA greenlights durvalumab combo for high‑risk bladder cancer
The FDA approved durvalumab (Imfinzi) combined with Bacillus Calmette‑Guerin for BCG‑naïve, high‑risk non‑muscle invasive bladder cancer. The POTOMAC trial enrolled 1,018 patients and showed a 32% reduction in disease recurrence risk (hazard ratio 0.68, p=0.015). Durvalumab is given at 1,500 mg IV every four weeks for up to 13 cycles.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Apogee Therapeutics raises $1.3B royalty financing
TrivarX Engages Beyond Drug Development to Progress Stabl-Im Safety Trial
TrivarX announced a partnership with specialist CRO Beyond Drug Development to drive the Phase 1 safety trial of its Stabl‑Im oncology imaging platform. Beyond will handle protocol finalisation, regulatory documentation and site selection as TrivarX prepares to dose healthy volunteers in an open‑label, sequential‑cohort study slated for the second half of 2026. Stabl‑Im is an MRI‑based functional imaging technology that visualises proliferating tumour cells using stable isotopes, eliminating the need for radioactive tracers. The trial’s outcome will set the stage for Phase 2 efficacy work and broader commercialisation plans.
Lilly's Retatrutide Shows Early Muscle‑Sparing Weight‑Loss Results
Eli Lilly’s experimental obesity drug retatrutide has produced early trial data indicating up to 33% body‑weight loss with a measurable muscle‑preserving effect. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman highlighted the drug’s triple‑agonist mechanism and warned against unregulated gray‑market sources.
MetroHealth Deploys Artisight AI Platform to 500 Rooms Across Five Hospitals
Cleveland’s MetroHealth system has teamed with AI firm Artisight to install a smart‑hospital platform in roughly 500 rooms across five facilities, starting at the Glick Center. The rollout promises up to a 50% drop in electronic medical record log‑ins and...
Moscow Crime Ring Sentenced for $2 Billion U.S. Healthcare Fraud Scheme
Three members of a Moscow‑based criminal organization were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and ordered to forfeit millions after a federal investigation uncovered a $2 billion scheme that billed private insurers for ghost telemedicine visits and phantom prescriptions....
The BioPharm Brief: Weight Loss, Oncology, Longevity
Merck has moved its antibody‑drug conjugate (ADC) targeting metastatic colorectal cancer into a Phase 3 trial, underscoring the growing confidence in precision oncology. Eli Lilly reported that its multi‑receptor obesity drug retatrutide achieved up to 28.3% weight loss in a pivotal Phase 3...
Eli Lilly’s Retatrutide Cuts Average Body Weight 28% in Pivotal Phase 3 Trial
Eli Lilly announced that its experimental triple‑agonist retatrutide delivered an average 28.3% (≈70 lb) weight loss in the pivotal TRIUMPH‑1 Phase 3 trial, with 45.3% of participants shedding at least 30% of their body weight. The result positions the drug alongside bariatric...
So-Young International Inc (SY) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
So-Young International posted record Q1 2026 revenue of RMB 451 million, a 25% year‑over‑year increase, driven by a 205% surge in aesthetic center revenue to RMB 248 million. The company now operates 49 medical aesthetic centers, with 10 new openings...
20 Phase‑3 Trials Poised to Redefine Cancer Care
In the wake of the #ASCO26 data drop, we reflect on 20 key phase 3 trials which could make a significant impact. Some of these may make their competitors irrelevant if they change the standard of care: https://t.co/EGtw35EsSk https://t.co/CG0Oe4QxDg
Radiation Oncologists Who Maintain Certification More Likely to Deliver Low-Cost Cancer Treatment
Radiation oncologists who voluntarily engage in the American Board of Radiology’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC) adopt newer treatment modalities such as intensity‑modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) more often than their non‑participating peers. The study, published...
Genomics Predict Venetoclax Response in T(
Genomic Determinants of Clinical Outcomes in Multiple Myeloma with t(11;14)(CCND1;IGH) Treated with Venetoclax [Dec 7, 2024] @MKaddouraMD et al. @lbaughn #ASH24 Abst 249 https://t.co/TLon5bCQ3i #mmsm #PrecisionMedicine
New Trial Compares Dara‑Bor‑Dex vs Cy‑Bor‑Dex for Myeloma‑Induced Kidney
EAA241 - Ph 2 RCT Dara-Bor-Dex vs Cy-Bor-Dex in the treatment of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma with Light Chain Cast Nephropathy (LCCN) [Study activated 8/11/25] @keruakous https://t.co/1NgvVZ3fTA #NCT07085728 #mmsm @eaonc
E&C Passes Wheelchair Access, ACO Digital Quality Bills
On May 21, 2026, the House Energy & Commerce Committee unanimously approved two bipartisan bills. One creates new Medicare billing codes specifically for wheelchairs, expanding coverage for patients who need mobility assistance. The second bill streamlines reporting requirements for providers...
Spinal Stimulation Data Reveal Why High-Frequency Pulses May Miss Key Nerve Pathways
A joint study by FAU, the Medical University of Vienna and Washington University combined human electrophysiology with high‑resolution digital‑twin simulations to show that high‑frequency, ultrashort pulses in non‑invasive spinal cord stimulation fail to activate key somatosensory pathways, limiting therapeutic benefit....
New Zealand Invests In Ambulance Workforce, Technology And Hubs To Meet Rising Emergency Demand
New Zealand’s 2026 budget earmarks NZ$35 million (about $21 million USD) over four years to expand ambulance crews, launch an electronic patient clinical record system, and build two new ambulance hubs in Auckland. The funding builds on earlier NZ$77.7 million (≈$46.6 million USD) contributions...
Senators Outline Plan For Medicare Home Care Benefit: What It Would Mean For Providers
A coalition of Democratic senators released a policy framework to add a dedicated home‑care benefit to Medicare and broaden Medicaid’s home‑ and community‑based services (HCBS). The proposal aims to make home care more affordable, improve quality in nursing homes, and...
Where RNs Are Most Concentrated: Rankings by State
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 data shows that while California and Texas employ the most registered nurses overall, their concentration per 1,000 jobs is relatively low. West Virginia tops the list with 33.4 RNs per 1,000 jobs, and Utah...
NIH Director Testifies on Staff Turnover, Funding Cuts Before Senate Committee: 3 Notes
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya testified before a Senate appropriations subcommittee about staffing changes at NIAID and funding challenges. Senators highlighted that eight of the top ten NIAID officials have been reassigned, creating a leadership vacuum amid an Ebola outbreak. An...
20 Trends in Hospital Revenue
Hospitals reported solid revenue gains in Q1 2026, with net operating revenue up 5% and gross operating revenue up 7% year‑over‑year. Outpatient services drove the strongest growth, expanding 8% nationally and outpacing inpatient revenue, which rose only 4%. Regional and...
‘Rural Healthcare Is Under Attack’: California Hospital Turns to Strategic Partnerships to Combat Medicaid Cuts
Mad River Community Hospital in Arcata, California is confronting Medicaid reductions by forming an "insourcing" partnership with Ovation Healthcare to streamline revenue‑cycle operations. About 30 employees will transition to the new structure, while the hospital recently laid off eight to...
Justice Department Can Question Former Elevance Exec in Medicare Advantage Fraud Case, Judge Rules
A federal judge granted the Justice Department permission to depose former Elevance Health executive Peter Haytaian for 3.5 hours, rejecting the insurer’s attempt to limit the scope of questioning. The DOJ alleges Elevance, then Anthem, generated over $100 million annually by...
States Looking to Project ECHO to Meet Rural Health Transformation Goals
States are weaving Project ECHO’s telementoring model into the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to boost specialty access in underserved areas. Oregon has earmarked the network for 12 RHTP projects across chronic disease, substance use, women’s health, gerontology and technology...
Kelun's MRK ADC Shows Promise Over Akeso in Lung Cancer
The #ASCO26 abstracts are live. I wrote a story about the Kelun $MRK ADC sac-TMT, which looks very good in lung cancer, potentially better than Akeso / $SMMT 's ivonescimab https://t.co/exfmgabTLa
Outdated Technology Comes with a Human Cost
Outdated health‑IT systems are generating a growing technical debt that clogs clinician workflows and forces patients to repeat their medical histories. Joel Bond of Bond Consulting highlighted the issue at HIMSS26, noting that fragmented electronic health records and legacy network...
#ASCO26: Merck Partner Kelun Outlines Phase 3 Lung Cancer Success in China Study
Merck’s Chinese partner Kelun‑Biotech reported that its Phase 3 trial of the antibody‑drug conjugate sac‑TMT met its primary endpoints in patients with advanced non‑small cell lung cancer. The study, conducted across multiple sites in China, showed a statistically significant improvement in...
#ASCO26: Key Head and Neck Cancer Readouts From J&J, Corbus, Summit, Akero and Bicara
At ASCO 2026, Johnson & Johnson, Corbus, Summit, Akero and Bicara unveiled pivotal data on next‑generation therapies for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. J&J’s pembrolizumab‑plus‑chemotherapy regimen reduced the risk of death by roughly 20% in first‑line patients. Corbus reported...
#ASCO26: New Data Released for VEGF Bispecifics From BioNTech-BMS, Pfizer-3SBio
At ASCO 2026, BioNTech‑BMS and Pfizer‑3SBio unveiled new Phase 1/2 data on their VEGF‑targeting bispecific antibodies. BioNTech‑BMS reported a 45% overall response rate in heavily pre‑treated solid‑tumor patients, while Pfizer‑3SBio’s candidate achieved disease control in 78% of a similar cohort....
STAT+: Merck-Kelun Lung Cancer Drug Cut Risk of Tumor Progression by 65%, ASCO Abstract Shows
Merck and China‑based Kelun‑Biotech announced that their antibody‑drug conjugate sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac‑TMT) reduced the risk of tumor progression by 65% in a Phase 3 trial of untreated advanced non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study, conducted in China, also showed an...
Hospices Build Digitally Innovative Referral Streams
Hospice providers are turning to a blend of AI‑driven predictive analytics, digital storytelling, and hybrid virtual‑in‑person outreach to accelerate referrals and improve end‑of‑life care. Early identification of patients through machine‑learning models helps avoid late referrals that lead to short hospice...
News 5/22/26
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted clearance to a sepsis warning system co‑developed by Bayesian Health and Johns Hopkins University. The tool uses a Bayesian AI model to flag patients at risk of sepsis earlier than traditional methods. Early...
CVS Health Sued Over Alleged Scheme to Siphon 340B Drug Program Savings
Three major hospital systems sued CVS Health and its affiliates, alleging the company diverted roughly $250 million in savings from the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program between 2020 and 2025. The lawsuits claim CVS Specialty and its PBM unit paid hospitals...
Democrats Scrutinize CMS’ Unintentional Leak Of Provider Social Security Numbers
Top congressional Democrats are pressing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for answers after the agency unintentionally released a batch of National Provider Directory records that included providers' Social Security numbers. The data breach was discovered when the...
FDA Warns Public About Johnson & Johnson Heart Pump Controllers After Patient Death
The FDA issued an early‑alert warning that Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s Automated Impella Controllers (AICs) can unexpectedly restart after at least 80 minutes without residual pulsatility, causing a 35‑second pump pause. The software glitch has been linked to two serious...
Hutchmed, Innovent Win Chinese Approval for Fruquintinib‑Sintilimab Combo in Kidney Cancer
Hutchmed (China) Limited and Innovent Biologics announced that China’s National Medical Products Administration has approved ELUNATE (fruquintinib) combined with TYVYT (sintilimab) for patients with locally advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma who have exhausted prior VEGFR‑TKI therapy. The decision follows...
WTHealth Podcast Explores Senate HELP Future, Ebola, Insurance Denials
New #WTHealth podcast up: @SherylNYT, @AliceOllstein, @JoanneKenen on what's next for the Senate HELP committee, the latest on ebola, and more shakeups at HHS. Also an interview with @mirandayaver on her book on insurance denials. https://t.co/j57hHvfz9Y
Eli Lilly’s Triple Combo Obesity Drug Tops 28% Weight Loss in a Pivotal Trial
Eli Lilly’s experimental obesity drug retatrutide delivered an average 28.3% weight loss – roughly 70 pounds – in its Phase 3 trial, with the highest dose leading the result. The study enrolled 2,339 participants without diabetes and tested three escalating doses, each outperforming...
Eli Lilly Buys Engage Bio for $202M, Adding Non‑Viral DNA Delivery Platform
Eli Lilly agreed to acquire Engage Bio for up to $202 million in cash, securing the startup’s preclinical non‑viral DNA delivery platform, Tethosome. The deal marks Lilly’s seventh acquisition of 2026 and deepens its push into genetic medicines beyond its blockbuster...
AI System Accurately Interprets Cardiac MRI Scans
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Cleveland Clinic unveiled CMR‑CLIP, an AI‑driven system that interprets cardiac MRI scans. Trained on more than 11,000 exams and their reports, the model achieves 88‑98% accuracy across major cardiomyopathies and can detect abnormalities in...
Your Step‑by‑Step Guide to Health Equity Accreditation
Wondering what health equity accreditation really involves? From readiness assessments to data strategy, this guide breaks down the full process. 👉 https://t.co/EGVUOfJbVQ @URAC #HealthEquityData #HITSM
Cytokine‑Armored CAR T Cells Overcome Antigen Heterogeneity in Glioma Model
UCLA researchers have engineered cytokine‑armored CAR‑T cells that secrete IL‑12 and a decoy‑resistant form of IL‑18 (DR‑18) to treat glioblastoma in mouse models. The IL‑12/DR‑18 combination enabled CAR‑T cells to eradicate tumors even when cancer cells lacked the targeted IL‑13Rα2...
New Eye Drop Formulation Shows Promise for Dry Eye Disease
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Okayama University have created a water‑soluble rexinoid eye‑drop, NEt‑3IB, that boosts resident macrophage function and mitigates dry‑eye pathology in mouse models. The formulation significantly lowered ocular inflammation, preserved corneal barrier integrity and goblet...
Vitamin B12 Analog Targets Deadly Brain Cancer Cells
Researchers at Nitric Oxide Services and Cleveland Clinic have demonstrated that nitrosylcobalamin, a nitric‑oxide‑releasing vitamin B12 analog, can penetrate the blood‑brain barrier and preferentially accumulate in glioblastoma tissue in rat models. Pharmacokinetic data show sustained tumor nitrate levels for at...
Site-Centered Startup: Approaching Predictability in an Imperfect System
Study start‑up continues to be hampered by complex protocols, lengthy negotiations, and fragmented communication. ICON’s executive vice president Brian Mallon argues that a site‑centered model—integrating early feasibility with real‑world capacity, sustained momentum, and automation—can transform activation from an imperfect science...
KHL Foundation Launches a Medical Tourism Gene Therapy Program for Older Patients
The KHL Foundation, founded by longevity veterans Ken Scott and Helga Sands, has launched a medical‑tourism program that offers a gene‑therapy cocktail to people over 60. The Rejuvenation Cocktail combines intramuscular follistatin with intranasal klotho and SIRT1, targeting muscle, brain...
Dermatologicals Top Workers Comp Drug Costs: Study
Dermatological agents topped workers‑compensation drug spending in early 2025, representing 23% of prescription payments on average and exceeding 30% in several states. More than 70% of these costs flowed through physician‑dispensing and delivery‑pharmacy channels, which dominated the market in 20...
Targeting Tumor-Specific Inflammatory Process May Prevent Drug Resistance in Colon Cancer
A preclinical study from Weill Cornell Medicine and MD Anderson reveals that colorectal tumors with KRAS mutations develop resistance to KRAS inhibitors primarily through a tumor‑specific inflammatory response rather than additional KRAS mutations. The researchers observed early up‑regulation of inflammatory...
Inside Denmark's New National Digital Healthcare Organisation
Denmark has created a new national digital health agency, led by deputy director Klaus Larsen of Digital Health Denmark, to centralize and accelerate digital transformation across the country’s healthcare system. The organization will standardize electronic health‑record platforms, expand telehealth services,...
Developers: Get Your Medical Mobile App Verified By IEEE
More than 55,000 medical‑grade mobile apps that claim to diagnose or treat conditions have never been evaluated by a neutral body. To address this gap, the IEEE Standards Association introduced the Global Medical Mobile App Assessment and Registry, a publicly...
Biovance 3L Offers Fast Healing, Efficient Surgery
Biovance 3L, a decellularized triple‑layered amniotic membrane from DefEYE, offers a purified scaffold that accelerates ocular wound healing. The product enables glueless, sutureless pterygium surgery, cutting procedure times to 7‑10 minutes versus the typical 14‑minute autograft approach. Dr. Neel Desai highlighted...
Advocacy Group Wants TAVR Changes, Urging Trump Admin to ‘Stop Getting in Between Patients and Their Doctors’
The Alliance for Aging Research is pressuring the Trump administration’s CMS to broaden Medicare coverage of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). A poll of 1,000 U.S. adults showed 77% favor parity with open‑heart surgery coverage and 67% would back candidates...
Enhanced Ebola Airport Screening Begins at Washington-Dulles International Airport
On May 18, 2026 the CDC issued an order barring entry to the United States for foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days. A Federal Register notice...