Today's Healthcare Pulse
Abridge teams with Eli Lilly and Nvidia to expand AI scribe platform
Abridge announced a strategic investment from Eli Lilly and a partnership with Nvidia to build a foundation model for clinical conversations. The collaboration aims to broaden Abridge’s AI‑scribe services across more health systems and integrate with payers. The company already supports over 300 health systems.
Also developing:
Thursday April 23, 2026 — Field Note
Stereotaxis announced a deal to acquire robotic PCI developer Robocath for up to $45 million, including a $20 million cash upfront payment and up to $25 million in milestone‑based earn‑outs tied to regulatory and commercial progress. The acquisition brings Robocath’s R‑One+ platform—currently CE‑marked with 15 systems installed—to complement Stereotaxis’ GenesisX magnetic navigation suite, which is focused on cardiac electrophysiology. The companies aim to create a multi‑procedure robotic platform that can serve both ablation and coronary interventions, though the combined system still lacks U.S. FDA clearance. Stereotaxis projects roughly $2 million of revenue in the first year, targeting breakeven by year three.
Brad Stanfield Rapamycin Trials
Brad Stanfield’s recent clinical study found that participants receiving a placebo performed better than those given rapamycin, a drug touted for its anti‑aging potential. The unexpected outcome was reported within hours of the trial’s completion, prompting immediate scrutiny from the...
Now Here’s a Twist: Senator Bernie Sanders and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Agree Television Ads for Junk Food...
Senator Bernie Sanders and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. found common ground during an April 22 Senate Health Committee hearing, both endorsing a ban on television advertisements for junk food. Kennedy echoed Surgeon General nominee Dr. Casey Means' opposition,...
More Beds for Aged Care
The Australian government is committing roughly AU$3 billion (about US$2 billion) to aged‑care in the May budget, funding the construction of an additional 5,000 beds each year. A further AU$1 billion (≈US$660 million) will reclassify home‑care services such as showering and continence management as...
Metformin Fails to Boost Walking Distance in PAD Patients
Metformin to Improve Walking Performance in Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease: The PERMET Randomized Clinical Trial "Among people with PAD without diabetes, metformin did not improve 6-minute walk distance at 6-month follow-up compared with placebo. These results do not support metformin...
NIH Director Censors Routine Vaccine Study Over Personal Dislike
To be clear: @NIHDirector_Jay reportedly took issue with the study design, which is routine for evaluating vaccines post-market. Podcast Jay, who has no expertise in vaccine trials, decided unilaterally he didn’t like it & thus censored results of studies our...
NeurAxis (NRXS): The Pieces Are Lining Up
NeurAxis (NRXS) released preliminary Q1 data showing the first full quarter under the new Category I CPT code and expanded insurance coverage that took effect at the end of 2025. The results exceeded the analyst’s expectations, prompting a renewed bullish stance...
Bioethicist Vs. Germline Editing Entrepreneur Sparks Uneven Debate
Starting right now. Debate between I. Glenn Cohen (Harvard/reprogenetic bioethics) vs. Cathy Tie, 'serial' human germline editing startup entrepreneur. This should not be an fair fight, but Glenn Cohen is a nice guy...so https://t.co/qfqivoLvhV
Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Oversight in Medicare Advantage, Ensuring Nursing Home Residents’ Care ‘Without Delay, Without Denial’
Lawmakers introduced the bipartisan Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 to tighten oversight of Medicare Advantage plans. The bill seeks to eliminate prior‑authorization delays, increase transparency, penalize non‑compliant insurers, and ban retroactive clawbacks. It also mandates automated administrative systems, prompt...
Future Success Means Treating Revenue Cycle as a Strategic Asset, Not a Support Function
Healthcare finance leaders face mounting margin pressure, administrative complexity, and regulatory change, prompting a strategic reevaluation of the revenue cycle. AI and digital workflows are enabling a shift from fragmented, manual processes to integrated, automated cash‑flow management. The article outlines...
4 Shifts that Define the Revenue Cycle of the Future
The future of healthcare revenue cycle management hinges on four strategic shifts: redesigning work end‑to‑end, pairing humans with AI, creating a unified AI orchestration layer, and establishing trustworthy AI governance. Rather than automating isolated tasks, leaders must rewire operating models...
Acting Attorney General Issues New DEA Order Reclassifying Some Marijuana Products as Schedule III Controlled Substances, Available by Prescription
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a final order on April 23, 2026 that reclassifies FDA‑approved cannabis medicines and state‑licensed medical marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III, making them available by prescription. The order requires state‑licensed dispensaries to register with...
FLAG-Based Regimen Yields Robust Results in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Subtype
A Phase 2 trial at MD Anderson evaluated FLAG‑based chemotherapy combined with either gemtuzumab ozogamicin (FLAG‑GO) or idarubicin (FLAG‑IDA) in 219 newly diagnosed core‑binding factor AML patients. The FLAG‑GO arm delivered an 80% five‑year overall survival rate and a 67% relapse‑free survival...
ESCMID Global 2026: Zelicapavir Demonstrates Benefits for High-Risk Adults with RSV
At ESCMID Global 2026, Enanta Pharmaceuticals presented Phase IIb data for zelicapavir, an oral once‑daily N‑protein inhibitor, in high‑risk adults with RSV. The double‑blind study of 186 participants missed the primary endpoint but demonstrated faster symptom resolution—up to 7 days quicker in...
Mexico Unveils National Youth Mental‑Health Strategy After School Shootings
Mexico's federal government introduced the 'ABC de las emociones' mental‑health strategy for adolescents aged 14‑18, parents, caregivers and teachers. The plan, announced after a spate of school‑related shootings, includes 18 million printed guides, a dedicated hotline and school‑based activities to address...
Eugene Braunwald, ‘Icon’ of Modern Cardiology, Dies at 96
Renowned cardiologist Eugene Braunwald, who died at 96, was a transformative figure in modern cardiovascular medicine. He pioneered the “time is muscle” principle, founded the TIMI Study Group, and authored over 1,600 publications, including the seminal Braunwald’s Heart Disease textbook....
AI in Oncology Takes Off, Tackling HIV and Liver Disease, Pharma’s Recent Gains
The episode recaps highlights from the AACR conference, emphasizing that AI is moving from pre‑clinical research into clinical oncology, but adoption is hampered by low digital pathology uptake (under 10% of U.S. labs), trust issues, and infrastructure costs. It then...
Regeneron Will Offer Rare Disease Therapy Free As Part Of TrumpRx Deal
Regeneron announced it will provide its newly approved gene therapy for a rare pediatric hearing loss at no cost to U.S. patients under the TrumpRx program. The therapy, cleared by the FDA earlier this year, treats an X‑linked condition affecting...
Specialty Pharmacy's Critical Role as Advanced Therapies Move Into the Community: Fran Gregory, PharmD, MBA
Advanced therapies are set to expand dramatically, rising from 61 approved products today to roughly 180 by 2030. The growth includes cell and gene therapies, bispecific antibodies, and next‑generation monoclonal antibodies, many targeting high‑volume diseases such as cardiovascular and metabolic...
First Bispecific-ADC Combo Shows Strong Results in R/R Mantle Cell Lymphoma
A phase‑2 study published in Blood shows that combining the bispecific antibody mosunetuzumab with the antibody‑drug conjugate polatuzumab vedotin yields an 88.1% overall response rate in relapsed or refractory mantle‑cell lymphoma (MCL). The regimen produced a 78.6% complete response rate,...
Why Experiential Consent Is Replacing Traditional Medical Consent Forms
Traditional medical consent forms are written at a 15th‑grade level, creating a comprehension gap that courts increasingly deem ineffective. Recent audits in ophthalmology show over 500 of 3,400 post‑operative reviews cite misunderstanding of visual outcomes. The legal shift to the...
Pan-RAS Inhibitor ADCs Emerge at AACR 2026
At the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research meeting, four biotech companies unveiled antibody‑drug conjugates that deliver pan‑RAS inhibitors directly to tumor cells. Pan‑RAS inhibition has recently delivered unprecedented survival improvements in pancreatic and other RAS‑mutant cancers, but its clinical...
Breast Cancer on the Rise in Women Under 50: Rani Bansal, MD
The American Cancer Society’s 2025 report shows women under 50 now face an 82% higher breast‑cancer risk than men, up from 51% in 2002. Incidence of estrogen‑receptor‑positive tumors is climbing, driven by later child‑bearing, fewer births, reduced breastfeeding, rising obesity...
Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) for Drug Development
The FDA has issued a Request for Information and Comments on the use of Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) in drug and biologic development, with a comment deadline of June 1, 2026. Under PDUFA VII, the agency will publish a DHT framework, establish a...
Harvard Study Finds 12‑Minute Daily Meditation Cuts Stress Hormones in Two Weeks
Harvard Medical School researchers demonstrated that a 12‑minute guided mindfulness session each day for two weeks significantly reduced perceived stress and salivary cortisol in a 210‑person trial. The rapid physiological shift underscores meditation’s potential as a scalable, non‑pharmacologic intervention.
The FDA Gives the Green Light to the First Gene Therapy for Deafness
The FDA has approved the first gene therapy designed to restore hearing in patients born with the rare OTOF‑related form of deafness. Developed by Regeneron, the treatment delivers a functional OTOF gene via adeno‑associated virus directly into the inner ear....
How to Promote an Unproven Cancer Cure
A Florida‑based Wellness Company is financing sponsored posts on conservative websites and X accounts that promote a self‑reported survey claiming its ivermectin‑mebendazole pill treats cancer. The study, which surveyed 197 customers, reported 84.4% clinical benefit and 48.4% tumor reduction, but...
Insurance Denials Meet Their Match in AI-Powered Appeals
AI startups are reshaping the healthcare appeals landscape by automating denied‑claim letters and filing processes. Claimable, founded in 2023, uses a curated large‑language model to generate appeal letters for 28 conditions and 90 treatments, charging $50 per case. The company...
Grace Therapeutics Hits FDA Roadblock on GTx-104, Plans Resubmission
Grace Therapeutics announced that the FDA issued a Complete Response Letter for its GTx-104 NDA, flagging chemistry, manufacturing, and non‑clinical concerns. The company will address the items and seek a Type A meeting before resubmitting, keeping hopes alive for the first...
SELUTION DeNovo: Sirolimus DCB Safe and Effective in ACS Patients
A subanalysis of the SELUTION DeNovo trial presented at SCAI 2026 shows that the sirolimus‑eluting Selution drug‑coated balloon (DCB) is non‑inferior to drug‑eluting stents (DES) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, with 1‑year target vessel failure (TVF) rates of 5.3%...
CMS and FDA Unveil RAPID Pathway to Cut Medicare Device Coverage Time to Two Months
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Food and Drug Administration announced the Regulatory Alignment for Predictable and Immediate Device (RAPID) coverage pathway, a joint program that could deliver Medicare coverage for eligible breakthrough devices within two months...
How to Help Nurses Avoid Technology Over-Reliance
Healthcare leaders are urged to balance digital fluency with core clinical skills to prevent nurses from becoming overly dependent on AI tools, according to NYU informatics professor MaryAnn Connor and FANA CEO Olga Kagan. The experts stress that while AI...
Trump Administration Moves State‑Licensed Medical Marijuana to Schedule III, Offering Tax Breaks
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order shifting state‑licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, unlocking federal tax deductions and easing research rules. The move, hailed by industry groups as the biggest federal cannabis shift in decades, draws sharp...
Trump’s Drug Pricing Deals Underdeliver on Promised Cuts
Trump celebrated closing the first round of 17 drug pricing deals, now looking ahead to many more. But the reality of the deals, so far, have fallen short of grand promises the president made. https://t.co/QmhvZNgNyI
Lunsotogene Parvec Becomes First FDA-Approved Gene Therapy for OTOF-Related Hearing Loss
Regeneron’s lunsotogene parvec‑cwha (Otarmeni) received accelerated FDA approval as the first gene therapy for OTOF‑related hearing loss. The single‑dose AAV vector is indicated for patients with severe‑to‑profound sensorineural loss who have confirmed biallelic OTOF variants and no prior cochlear implant....
Lumira Ventures Secures First $200 Million Close of Fifth Healthcare Fund
Lumira Ventures announced the first closing of its fifth healthcare-focused fund, Lumira Ventures V, LP, at $200 million. The close includes a $52 million Series B investment in a pre‑commercial medical device company and marks a leadership transition with co‑founder Gerry Brunk becoming...
LeonaBio to Host Virtual Key Opinion Leader Event Highlighting Potential of Lasofoxifene in Treatment-Resistant ER+/HER2-, ESR1-Mutated Metastatic Breast Cancer
LeonaBio announced a virtual Key Opinion Leader webcast on April 29, 2026 to discuss lasofoxifene, its novel selective estrogen receptor modulator, for treatment‑resistant ER+/HER2‑, ESR1‑mutated metastatic breast cancer. The company expects to complete enrollment in the Phase 3 ELAINE‑3 trial, which pairs...
Early ALPHA3 Data Could Signal Shift to Frontline Use of CAR T in LBCL
Allogene Therapeutics reported that its off‑the‑shelf CAR‑T product cemacabtagene ansegedleucel (cema‑cel) achieved 58.3% minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity at day 45 versus 16.7% with observation in the interim futility analysis of the phase 2 ALPHA3 trial. The study enrolled LBCL patients who...
AHA Blog Highlights How Paragon Report Gets Hospitals Wrong
The American Hospital Association (AHA) posted a blog on April 23 criticizing a Paragon Health Institute report released the day before. The AHA contends the think‑tank’s analysis rests on distorted, debunked data and recommends cuts that would shrink or shut hospital...
CDC Blocks Release of COVID‑19 Vaccine Effectiveness Study, Halting Key Data
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention halted the publication of a study that found COVID‑19 vaccines cut emergency‑room visits and hospitalizations by roughly 50% during the last winter. The decision, made by acting CDC Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, has...
MedPAC April 2026 Public Meeting Summary
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened its April 2026 public meeting on April 9‑10, 2026. HFMA released a concise summary of the session, noting the Commission’s forward‑looking statements about potential payment reforms. The summary emphasizes that these projections reflect MedPAC’s likely...
OpenAI Unveils Free ‘ChatGPT For Clinicians’ To Aid In Clinical Tasks
OpenAI announced on April 22, 2026 a new version of its large‑language model called ChatGPT for Clinicians. The service is offered at no cost to any U.S.-verified physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or pharmacist. It is designed to help clinicians...
Freeze-Dried Platelets Combat TBI Brain Swelling and Bleeding
Researchers at UCSF have shown that Thrombosomes, a freeze‑dried platelet‑derived product, dramatically reduces bleeding and cerebral edema in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The biologic, originally created for battlefield hemorrhage, can be stored at room temperature for...
Why Paragon Gets Hospitals Wrong: Report Ignores Reality of Care Delivery
Paragon Health Institute released a report that reduces hospitals to abstract cost and pricing models, ignoring the day‑to‑day realities of emergency care, labor‑intensive services, and community needs. The critique argues the institute misidentifies cost drivers, labeling Medicare and Medicaid payments...
All RFK Jr. Hearings Summarized, Plus Fix‑It Discussion
On this week's #WTHealth podcast: we watched ALL the RFKjr hearings so you didn't have to! with @SherylNYT, @AliceOllstein, and @victoriaregisk. Plus "How Would You Fix it?" with David Blumenthal. https://t.co/YpCpbgcSVC
Flu Vaccines Reduced Medical Visits in Children in Recent Seasons
New research published in Pediatrics confirms that seasonal influenza vaccines cut pediatric hospitalizations and outpatient visits between 2021 and 2024. Analyzing data from nearly 20,000 children across seven medical centers, the study found overall vaccine effectiveness of 55%, ranging from...
Trump Administration Reclassifies some Medical Marijuana Products as Less Dangerous
The Justice Department, via Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, issued an order moving FDA‑approved and state‑licensed medical marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III. The change reclassifies these cannabinoids as having a moderate to low potential for dependence, aligning them more...
List of Active Radioactive Drug Research Committee (RDRC) Sites
The Department of Health and Human Services has published an updated roster of active Radioactive Drug Research Committee (RDRC) sites, encompassing more than 40 institutions nationwide. The list includes premier academic medical centers such as Mayo Clinic, Stanford, and the...
TRIDENT: Triple Antihypertensive Pill Cuts Recurrent Stroke in ICH
The TRIDENT trial showed that a single low‑dose triple‑antihypertensive pill (telmisartan, amlodipine, indapamide) added to standard care reduced recurrent stroke in patients with prior intracerebral hemorrhage from 7.4% to 4.6% (HR 0.61). Mean systolic blood pressure during follow‑up was 127 mm Hg in...
Cardiometabolic Intervention: Evaluation of PCSK9 Inhibitors as the Successor to the GLP-1 Phenomenon
The 2026 analysis pits GLP‑1 receptor agonists against PCSK9 inhibitors, showing that the latter now deliver comparable or superior reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events and are expanding into oral formulations. Clinical trials such as VESALIUS‑CV demonstrate primary‑prevention benefits for...