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
Whereby Report on Virtual Care: Why Patient Engagement, Trust, and Reliability Will Define Telehealth in 2026
The 2025 Whereby "State of Virtual Care" report finds patient engagement the top strategic priority for telehealth in 2026, with 55% of leaders flagging it as their primary focus. Technical reliability remains a pain point, as 91% of respondents experience video‑call disruptions. Trust, security and usability outweigh feature innovation, with 42% prioritizing compliance and 31% valuing ease of use. Regional gaps emerge: limited awareness and digital literacy hinder adoption, while Europe reports twice the trust concerns of North America.
NIH Grant Funding Slashes, Women’s Health Projects Plummet
Elections have consequences.... The number of competitive grants awarded by the NIH is down by more than half compared with the same period last year. Overall, the NIH supported over 2,700 fewer scientific projects in fiscal 2025, about a 15%...
The USC Professor Who Pioneered Socially Assistive Robotics
Maja Matarić, a USC professor of computer science, neuroscience and pediatrics, helped define socially assistive robotics in 2005 and has since built robots that provide therapeutic social interaction. Her work includes the Bandit, Kiwi and Blossom platforms, which support children...
Brain Stimulation Improves PTSD Symptoms
A two‑week, MRI‑guided low‑frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) trial at Emory University showed a marked reduction in right amygdala reactivity and significant alleviation of PTSD symptoms. Forty‑seven participants completed the double‑blind, placebo‑controlled study, with 74% of the active‑TMS group achieving...
First Do No Harm: Hospitals Are Trying to Decarbonize Anesthesia
Hospitals worldwide are eliminating high‑impact anesthetic gases, especially desflurane, to curb their climate footprint. Studies show a 27% drop in anesthetic‑related greenhouse gases after bans, and modeling suggests switching entirely to sevoflurane could slash emissions by 73%. Initiatives such as...
AACR 2026: Cancers of Unknown Primary Identified by DNA Methylation AI Model
Researchers at Kindai University unveiled a machine‑learning model that reads CpG‑based DNA methylation to pinpoint the tissue of origin for cancers of unknown primary (CUP). In a test set the model achieved roughly 95% accuracy, and it maintained 87% accuracy...
Medical Doctor Shares Life Changing Ibogaine Treatment Stories
In this episode, Dr. Fernando Vega, a family physician with 45+ years of practice, discusses his extensive work using psychedelic medicines—especially ibogaine—to treat PTSD, depression, anxiety, and opioid addiction. He shares compelling case stories, including a former alcoholic who regained...
The IPPS FY 27 Proposed Rule, and How the Industry Can Better Care for Women
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled its FY 2027 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule, introducing higher base rates for complex inpatient cases and revising outlier thresholds. The rule also expands payment models for long‑term care and...
CRISPR Advances Outpace Ethics in Germline Editing Debate
In 2018, He Jiankui edited the genomes of two human embryos, brought them to term, and went to prison for it. The babies are now children. We don't know how they're doing. Seven years later, base editing and prime editing can...
Tele-Hospitalists Can Help with More Challenges than Most Realize
Tele‑hospitalists are emerging as a critical extension of inpatient teams during surges, staffing gaps, and after‑hours periods. By evaluating ED patients, placing admission orders, and managing cross‑cover duties, they shorten boarding times and free bedside clinicians to focus on the...
Elisrasib Shows Strong Response Rates in Advanced KRAS‑G12C Lung Cancer
Elisrasib, a next‑generation KRAS‑G12C inhibitor, produced clinical benefit in a 165‑patient cohort of advanced non‑small cell lung cancer at the AACR 2026 meeting. The oral drug, given at a 600 mg daily dose, showed durable responses in patients previously treated with...
India’s Senior Living Real Estate Set to Surge to $158 B by 2031
India’s senior‑living real‑estate market is projected to expand from roughly $5 billion in 2026 to $158 billion by 2031, spurring investor enthusiasm for rental‑focused projects. Policy incentives and a cultural shift toward vibrant community living are accelerating the sector’s growth.
Free Senior Workshop in Canaan Offers Medicare and Medicaid Guidance
NY Connects – Columbia County, a program of The Healthcare Consortium, held a free senior resource workshop on April 24 at Canaan Congregational Church. Speakers, including Rachel Cole, detailed Medicaid, Medicare Savings Program and prescription‑assistance options, aiming to improve senior enrollment...
Teamsters Local 743 Launch Two-Day Practice Picket at UChicago Medical Center Over Contract Dispute
Teamsters Local 743 began a two‑day practice picket at the University of Chicago Medical Center on April 20, demanding higher wages and improved working conditions. The hospital, which generated $3.5 billion in operating revenue last year, faces pressure as the union...
FDA Accepts Ultragenyx BLA for UX111 Gene Therapy Targeting Sanfilippo A
Ultragenyx announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted its resubmitted Biologics License Application for UX111, an AAV9 gene therapy for Sanfilippo syndrome Type A. The agency set a PDUFA action date of September 19, positioning UX111 as...
AI Medical Misinformation Fooled Every Major Chatbot
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg fabricated a fake skin disease called bixonimania and posted two bogus preprints in early 2024. Major AI chatbots—including Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, Perplexity AI and OpenAI’s ChatGPT—mistook the fictitious condition for a real medical disorder and...
St. Luke's Boise Health System Invests in Downtown Campus
St. Luke’s Boise Health System announced a $1.2 billion expansion of its flagship hospital, adding a new patient tower, additional operating rooms, and expanded medical‑office and clinic space. The project, centered on the historic downtown campus, aims to accommodate a growing patient...
British Patients Risking “Fake” Weight Loss Drugs, Despite Safety Concerns, Survey Says
British patients are increasingly turning to unregulated weight‑loss drugs, with a Zava survey revealing that 21% lack a prescription and many purchase them online. One in six respondents bought doses from e‑commerce platforms, while 11.75% sourced drugs through social‑media channels...
What Do Spine Surgery Patients Want, Above All Else?
A new Level I systematic review and meta‑analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials involving 5,657 patients and more than 9,200 return‑to‑work (RTW) data points shows cervical disc replacement (CDR) enables faster work resumption than anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)....
Merck Partner Reveals Bispecific Data; Biogen Pays $100M for Antibody Rights
Merck’s partner Sino Biopharm disclosed first‑in‑human results for its PD‑1×VEGF bispecific antibody, MK‑2010, reporting that six of 11 lung‑cancer patients achieved a response at a low dose. A second cohort showed four responses among nine patients, indicating activity across dosing...
Too Many African Mothers Die in Childbirth From Preventable Causes
Maternal mortality remains a crisis in Africa, where the continent accounts for 70% of global deaths despite having the knowledge and tools to prevent them. A 15‑year‑old girl faces a 1‑in‑57 chance of dying during pregnancy, compared with 1‑in‑21,000 in...
Canadian Medic Ordered to Pay $6K in Discipline for Antisemitic Social Media Posts
Winnipeg paramedic Saru Chahal was reprimanded by the College of Paramedics of Manitoba and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus $5,000 in costs for antisemitic social‑media posts made after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The posts portrayed Hamas fighters positively,...
Boosting Behavioral Health Access Through the Collaborative Care Model
LifeStance partnered with a large primary‑care network to pilot the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) for behavioral health. Over a year, patients in CoCM were 78% likely to attend their initial visit, more than double the 38% rate for standard referrals....
Surgeon's Mesh Surgery Cost £20m in Compensation
A Bristol surgeon, Tony Dixon, was struck off the medical register after performing over 450 unnecessary bowel‑mesh surgeries, many without informed consent. The NHS has so far paid £19.12 million (≈$24.5 million) to 245 claimants, pushing total compensation beyond £20 million (≈$25.6 million). Hundreds...
DOJ’s UnitedHealth-Amedisys Deal Remedy Keeps Healthcare Antitrust in Focus
The U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement with UnitedHealth Group over its proposed acquisition of Amedisys, requiring the sale of substantial assets to address antitrust concerns in home health and hospice markets. The agreement, backed by a coalition of...
STORM-PE: Mechanical Thrombectomy Boosts Walking and Daily Living Gains
The STORM‑PE interim analysis shows that computer‑assisted vacuum thrombectomy (CAVT) markedly improves functional recovery in acute intermediate‑high‑risk pulmonary embolism. At 90 days, patients receiving mechanical thrombectomy walked an average of 479 m versus 368 m for anticoagulation alone, and 97% achieved NYHA class I...
KLAS Finds Health Systems Hyper-Focused on Cost-Reduction Likely Spurring Burnout
KLAS research of 42 CMIOs and CNIOs finds that health systems that prioritize cost reduction experience a 35% clinician burnout rate, compared with 26% where cost is lower on the agenda. The study links aggressive cost‑first strategies to higher turnover,...
What Patients Value in Data Reuse for Oncology Research: A Multi-Stakeholder Qualitative Study to Inform the European Health Data Space...
A new multi‑stakeholder qualitative study examined what oncology patients value when their health data are reused for research. Conducted in Belgium, the research highlights patients’ demand for transparent consent, robust data security, and clear societal benefits. Findings are intended to...
2018 Study Predicts Psilocybin Should Move to Schedule 4
The psychedelic executive order requires government to "initiate and complete review of any product containing a Schedule I substance that has successfully completed Phase 3 clinical trials ... so that rescheduling ... may proceed as quickly as practicable". My 2018...
Long Waits Make for Sicker Patients. Sicker Patients Need More Time in Hospital. Our Health System Needs Urgent Care |...
Australian hospitals are operating at or above full capacity, often exceeding the 85% occupancy level considered safe. Post‑COVID staffing increases have not boosted elective surgery volumes, while clinician burnout has trimmed discretionary effort, extending patient stays. This creates a feedback...
Leaving Clinical Practice for Medical Advocacy and Purpose
Developmental‑behavioral pediatrician Ronald L. Lindsay announced his departure from clinical practice to focus on medical advocacy, launching the Coalition for Dignity in Neurodevelopmental Care. He describes the shift as an unexpected, purpose‑driven acceleration rather than a planned career pivot. The...
Beyond Reporting: Realizing Continuous Safety Surveillance for Medical Devices
Regulators in the EU, UK and US have upgraded post‑market surveillance (PMS) requirements, demanding systematic analysis of device incident data rather than mere reporting. Manufacturers must now adopt analytical, pharma‑style vigilance processes to detect trends, assess risk, and feed findings...
Kelonia Investor Venrock Will Clear a 45-Fold Return on Startup's Sale to Lilly
Venture capital firm Venrock is set to pocket roughly $900 million after its modest $20 million seed investment in Kelonia Therapeutics paid off. Kelonia agreed to an all‑cash acquisition by Eli Lilly valued at $3.25 billion, delivering an upfront payment that triggers the windfall....
Tebentafusp Shows Durable Survival in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma, Immunocore Reports
Immunocore reported five‑year overall survival data from its phase 3 trial of tebentafusp‑tebn (Kimmtrak) in HLA‑A*02:01‑positive metastatic uveal melanoma. The study showed 16% of patients on tebentafusp were alive at five years versus 8% on standard therapy, with a hazard ratio...
Biotech Must Prioritize Collaboration, Not Nationalism, for Patients
After a week in Washington DC at one of the best new annual events by @semafor , I came to China for just 2 nights to meet some of my friends from Washington. I even had to skip this year's...
9+ Ultra‑Processed Servings Daily Spike Heart Risk
As a medical school professor, I want you to count your ultra-processed food servings today. A major new study from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) just presented at ACC.26 followed thousands of Americans for years. The findings are stark: -- 9+ servings...
AACR 2026: Revolution’s Next Prospect, Merck’s Reveal and a Lung Cancer Battle
At AACR 2026, Revolution Medicines reported that its RAS‑G12D inhibitor zoldonrasib produced a 52% response rate and a median 11.1‑month progression‑free survival in heavily pre‑treated non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, hinting at accelerated‑approval potential. Merck presented early data on...
Measles Outbreak Could Cost $7 B, Anti‑Vax Shift
Two Bloomberg measles stories - $7 billion in potential costs and some anti-vaxers coming to their senses: https://t.co/oLkHtaLjmY https://t.co/qXAG8FfXIx
Free Virtual Summit on Multiomics & NGS – Register Now
Join @julemieux1 and as we co-host THE STATE OF MULTIOMICS & NGS @Genbio virtual summit next Wednesday, April 29th: Sponsored by @illumina - registration is free. https://t.co/NJErGGe5qb https://t.co/dJuRqy8Np7
Biotech Has Become a Good News Story. Let the Sun Shine
Biotech is back in the spotlight as Revolution Medicines reported a Phase 3 trial that doubled survival for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, a disease with a historically low five‑year survival rate. In March, Denali Therapeutics earned the first FDA approval...
Blood and Fat Markers Forecast Heart Disease Risk
Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, Bone Marrow, and Visceral Fat Metabolism as Predictors of Future Cardiovascular Disease in an Asymptomatic Healthy Population https://t.co/Oq1a3fH5qa
Combine Meds and Lifestyle for Equitable Hypertension Control
Healthy Lifestyle After Hypertension—A Call to Action 💡Integrate antihypertensive medication use and lifestyle modification to deliver more effective and equitable population-level hypertension management and cardiometabolic disease prevention. https://t.co/wENgycQ8hz
LLY's Second in Vivo CAR‑T Deal via Kelonia Buyout
Kelonia turns #ASH25 late-breaker into buyout, with $LLY's second move into in vivo Car-T. Via @ApexOnco -> https://t.co/NPhdnuhPu3 $AZN $GILD
Oracle Health Joins CMSGov Aligned Networks to Boost Data Access
For decades, the @OracleHealth team has been committed to making sure patients have access to and remain in control of their health data. Our participation in the @CMSGov Aligned Networks underscores this commitment, and will help improve how clinicians and...
Key Overlooked Factors in Clinical Trial Design
New presentation on things we often forget to consider when designing a clinical trial: https://t.co/BVlSCIHdLu #Statistics #clinicaltrials
Deadliest Cancers Receive the Least Federal Funding
The worst cancers with respect to lethality get the least federal funding support https://t.co/uCJXYgpB3c https://t.co/woqbMo1oYp
Inside the $3.25B Eli Lilly Acquisition: Memo and Deck
Read the memo and slide deck that led to th creation of the company Eli Lilly bought for $3.25 billion today https://t.co/cNoTs7M4YM
Nektar Jumps as Alopecia Drug Shows Promise
Nektar surges again as alopecia drug shows new promise in extension study https://t.co/UV0ccY4HiR @ByJonGardner $NKTR + 25% $LLY
First Gut Microbiome Signature Predicts Parkinson’s Risk in Healthy Carriers
We've known the gut-brain axis is a key underpinning of Parkinson's disease. Today, for the 1st time, a gut microbiome signature denoting risk found in healthy individuals with genetic predisposition @NatureMedicine https://t.co/oDTItnis5L
AACR 2026 Unveils Merck Breakthrough and Lung Cancer Hope
AACR 2026: Revolution’s next prospect, Merck’s reveal and a lung cancer battle https://t.co/u2iwCd3DKv #AACR26 $RVMD $MRK $NUVL $NUVB