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:
Unmet Health-Related Social Needs Tied to Lower CRC Screening, Especially Among Adults Aged 50 to 64
Adults with unmet health‑related social needs (HRSNs) are significantly less likely to be up to date on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, especially those aged 50‑64. Using 2023 NHIS data on 14,528 respondents, the study found housing instability and transportation barriers reduced screening odds by 18‑29%, and each additional HRSN further lowered likelihood. Overall screening prevalence was 64% for ages 50‑64 versus 81% for ages 65‑75, while 14.6% reported at least one HRSN. Researchers call for integrated social‑care interventions to close these gaps.
B12‑producing Gut Microbes Linked to Colorectal Cancer Progression
Some interesting nuggets in this study which found microbiome subspecies prevalence associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). And one highly associated subspecies makes Vitamin B12. "Interestingly, higher concentrations of B12 are measured in the serum of CRC patients, and these B12 levels...
Since They Won’t Remind You, Here’s What Drs. John Ioannidis, Jay Bhattacharya, and Scott Atlas, Actually Said 6 Years...
In the spring of 2020, Stanford physicians John Ioannidis, Jay Bhattacharya, and Scott Atlas publicly downplayed COVID‑19’s lethality and warned that lockdowns could cause greater societal harm. Ioannidis projected fewer than 40,000 U.S. deaths, Bhattacharya suggested a fatality rate as low as 0.01 %,...
Weight Gain Timing Affects Long-Term Health Outcomes
A new Lund University study of more than 600,000 Swedes tracked weight from age 17 to 60 and linked rapid early‑adult weight gain to a roughly 70 % higher risk of premature death. Participants averaged a 0.4 kg per year increase, and...
Eli Lilly Isn't Replacing Zepbound -- It's Building an Obesity Empire
Eli Lilly is building an obesity empire by adding retatrutide and the oral GLP‑1 pill Foundayo to its Zepbound franchise. Retatrutide delivered a 28.7% mean weight loss in a 68‑week Phase 3 trial, outpacing Zepbound’s 20.2% result. The company is targeting the...
Letrozole Monotherapy Falls Short in Ovarian Cancer Clinical Trial
The phase III NRG GY019 trial showed that letrozole monotherapy did not meet the non‑inferiority endpoint for progression‑free survival compared with the standard paclitaxel‑carboplatin followed by letrozole regimen in newly diagnosed low‑grade serous ovarian carcinoma. At a median 27.3‑month follow‑up, the hazard...
Insulin‑Lowering Diets Show Promise for Metastatic Cancer
Insulin lowering diets and metastatic disease. The results are promising but we need more studies that are adequately powered to evaluate whether insulin-lowering diets improve cancer outcomes. On the other hand, there appears to be little downside. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36079800/
Nanodisc Technology Improves Study of Viral Proteins for Vaccines
Scientists at Scripps Research, in partnership with IAVI, have unveiled a nanodisc‑based platform that embeds viral surface proteins in lipid‑like particles, preserving their native membrane context. Published in Nature Communications, the method was validated with HIV and Ebola glycoproteins, delivering...
Stool Test Detects 90% of Colorectal Cancers
As a medical school professor, I've watched colorectal cancer screening rely on colonoscopies for decades. That era may be ending. Researchers at the University of Geneva just published a breakthrough in Cell Host & Microbe: a simple stool test that detects...
Mezagitamab Shows Promise in Treating Immune Thrombocytopenia Patients
Mezagitamab, an anti‑CD38 antibody originally developed for oncology, achieved a 91% platelet‑response rate in a phase 2 trial of patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). In the 600 mg cohort, 10 of 11 participants reached the predefined platelet count threshold within 16 weeks,...
A Mom and Tech Entrepreneur Building AI Advocate for Rare-Disease Families Like Hers
Citizen Health, founded by tech entrepreneurs Farid Vij and Nasha Fitter, has launched an AI‑powered "AI advocate" to help rare‑disease families manage appointments, insurance appeals, and clinical‑trial connections. The platform, backed by $44 million in venture capital—including a $30 million Series A—now supports...
American Heart Association Issues New Guidelines Urging Shift to Plant‑Based Protein
The American Heart Association released its five‑year dietary update on March 31, urging Americans to replace animal protein with plant‑based sources and cut ultra‑processed foods. The move intensifies a clash with the U.S. federal dietary guidelines, which still endorse moderate animal‑protein...
Texas Children’s Hospital Gets $5 Million Legacy Gift to Expand Pediatric Behavioral Health
Texas Children’s Hospital announced a $5 million estate gift from the late Barbara LeGrange, earmarked for its Behavioral Health Initiative. The donation provides $1 million in immediate support and an endowment to expand pediatric mental‑health services across Greater Houston and Austin, addressing...
CDC Acting Director Delays Release of Study Showing Covid Vaccines Cut Severe Illness by 50%
Acting CDC director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya postponed the March 19 release of a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showing that the 2025‑26 Covid‑19 vaccine reduced severe disease risk by roughly 50% among adults. The delay, justified by methodological concerns, has...
Saturday Report 4/11/26 — When Will the Other Melania Shoe Drop?
The Hartmann Report warns that the Trump administration is moving to make Medicare Advantage the default enrollment for seniors, a shift critics say will increase private profit at taxpayers’ expense. Simultaneously, Iran’s recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz is...
Boston University Test Uses 48‑Gene Panel to Predict Lung Cancer Spread Pre‑Surgery
Researchers at Boston University have validated a 48‑gene signature that predicts vascular invasion in early‑stage lung adenocarcinoma from pre‑operative biopsy samples. The test could give surgeons real‑time risk data, steering patients toward more or less aggressive resections and improving long‑term...
UChicago Medicine President Calls for Back‑to‑Basics Leadership to Harness AI
UChicago Medicine President highlighted that successful AI adoption in health care hinges on fundamental leadership practices. He warned that misinformation and patient‑driven AI use are eroding trust, demanding clearer communication and cultural change across hospitals.
Nanomedicine Advances Offer Targeted Breast Cancer Therapy and Early Detection
Researchers have shown that nanocarrier formulations can increase oral bioavailability by more than 3.5‑fold and double tumor‑inhibition rates in pre‑clinical breast‑cancer models. The advances promise more precise drug delivery, reduced toxicity, and earlier detection, potentially changing standard care for the...
A Healthier Profit
"A Healthier Profit," slated for release by Oxford University Press, examines how commercial activity now drives the majority of preventable disease worldwide. The authors argue that food systems, pollution, and climate change—rooted in profit‑seeking business models—are the primary health threats,...
Iovance Biotherapeutics Seen as Small‑Cap Play for Healthcare Gains
Iovance Biotherapeutics reported $263.5 million in sales for its melanoma therapy Amtagvi, a 61% year‑over‑year increase, and analysts see the small‑cap biotech as a possible route to outsized returns despite steep manufacturing costs and regulatory uncertainty. The stock’s underperformance versus broader...
Gilead Price Target Raised to $175 From $171 at Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley raised its price target for Gilead Sciences (GILD) to $175, up from $171, while keeping an Overweight rating. The adjustment reflects updated valuation models that incorporate recent IQVIA market trends and intra‑quarter data ahead of Gilead’s Q1 earnings...
Your Nose Could Detect Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms Begin
Researchers at Germany's DZNE and LMU discovered that a declining sense of smell can signal Alzheimer’s disease years before memory loss appears. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that microglia mistakenly attack nerve fibers linking the olfactory bulb to...
Brockton Hospital Still Dealing with Aftermath of Ransomware Attack
Brockton Hospital is reverting to paper‑based processes for the next two weeks after a ransomware attack crippled its electronic systems. The incident, attributed to the Anubis ransomware‑as‑a‑service group, forced ambulance diversions, cancelled chemotherapy sessions and halted new prescription orders. Federal...
WHO Webinar Highlights One Health Risks of Ultra‑Processed Foods
The World Health Organization convened a virtual webinar during its One Health Summit to examine ultra‑processed foods as a cross‑sectoral threat to human, animal and environmental health. Experts presented evidence on how these industrial products drive noncommunicable diseases, climate strain...
How Physician Financial Autonomy Cures Physician Burnout
Physician burnout is increasingly linked to hidden financial costs rather than clinical stress alone, argues Dr. Tonya Kuhn. She shows that a typical 2% annual fee on a $1 million portfolio can shave $1.22 million off 20‑year growth, illustrating the wealth transfer...
Mouse Study Links Sucralose and Stevia to Metabolic Changes Across Generations
Researchers at Universidad de Chile found that mice given sucralose or stevia exhibited gut‑microbiome shifts and gene‑expression changes that persisted into two subsequent generations, leading to impaired glucose tolerance. The findings raise fresh questions about the long‑term safety of popular...
Clinicians Must Fight Back Against Broken Healthcare System
You spent years in training so you could justify a prescription to someone who has never seen a patient. Bettina Reed has practiced family medicine for 33 years. She watched the system go from a 45-dollar visit with no middleman...
Blackstone and TPG Finalize $6.3 B Hologic Buyout, Appoint Former Baxter CEO Joe Almeida
Blackstone and TPG have closed a $6.3 billion takeover of medical‑device maker Hologic, taking the company private at up to $79 per share. The firms also installed José (Joe) E. Almeida, former Baxter CEO, as Hologic’s new chief executive, signaling a...
Amneal Sets $3.1B 2026 Revenue Target, Leverages GLP‑1 Manufacturing Partnership
Amneal Pharmaceuticals announced a 2026 revenue outlook of $3.05‑$3.10 billion, anchored by a manufacturing partnership with Pfizer for GLP‑1 therapies and a push toward complex injectables. The plan relies on a 20‑30 product launch cadence, margin discipline and a reduced net...
Medtronic Launches AI‑enabled Care Platform in New Jersey After Ghana Success
Medtronic and Virtua Health have rolled out the AI‑powered SPICE platform in Camden, New Jersey, extending a program that lowered systolic blood pressure by an average 15% and reduced diabetes A1c by 1.2% in Ghana. The expansion targets high‑risk patients...
11th Circuit Rules Florida Violated Civil Rights of Disabled Children in State Institutions
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that Florida’s failure to provide adequate in‑home nursing forced at least 139 severely disabled children into nursing homes and left 1,800 more at risk, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. The decision...
GLP‑1 Drugs Fuel $1 B+ Industry Surge and Spark Patient‑cost Worries
GLP‑1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are generating a multi‑billion‑dollar lift for gyms, beauty brands and grocery chains, even as users spend up to $1,000 a month on ancillary costs. Experts warn the drugs also create relationship stress...
Hong Kong's New 2,400‑Bed Kai Tak Hospital Opens October
Hong Kong’s largest public hospital will open to patients in phases from October, with the new 2,400-bed facility in Kai Tak set to take over the services of Queen Elizabeth Hospital and become a healthcare hub for Kowloon.
Trump Calls on Congress to Preserve State Medical Marijuana Protections in 2027 Budget
President Donald Trump has asked Congress to maintain a budget provision that bars the Justice Department from interfering with state‑run medical marijuana programs. The 2027 budget request keeps the protection in place but omits Nebraska, highlighting a lingering partisan split...
More Pharma Dealmaking; FDA’s Proposed Budget; Takeda Ends Partnership; and More
The pharma sector is seeing a wave of dealmaking, with Q1 2026 M&A volume up roughly 15% as companies chase high‑value oncology assets. The FDA released a proposed $5.6 billion budget that would raise review fees by about 8% and modestly...
Type 2 Diabetes in Youth Has Risen 70% Since 2013
New research in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that type 2 diabetes among U.S. youth surged 70% between 2013 and 2024, climbing from 0.73 to 1.24 cases per 1,000. The rise is most pronounced in older adolescents, females, and...
Progesterone in MHT for Protection Against Endometrial Cancer
Recent analysis of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) highlights a tension between breast‑cancer safety and endometrial risk. Observational data from France’s E3N cohort found that women using oral micronized progesterone for five or more years faced a 2.7‑fold increase in endometrial...
Rovner Recaps Medicaid Cuts’ Impact on Hospitals and Fields Caller Questions on Affordability
Julie Rovner, KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent, recapped the impact of recent Medicaid cuts on American hospitals during WAMU’s 1A interview on April 7. She highlighted how reduced Medicaid reimbursements strain hospital cash flow and could force cuts to uncompensated...
Goodbye Balint, Goodbye Neighbour and Goodbye General Practice ?
The author contends that the traditional general‑practice model—rooted in time‑based observation, simple tools, and communication frameworks from Balint, Neighbour and Pendleton—is being displaced by rapid diagnostic technology and artificial intelligence. Screening programmes, instant imaging and AI‑driven patient research have turned...
20 Future Hungarian HealthTech and MedTech Leaders
Hungary’s health‑tech and med‑tech ecosystem is maturing into a deep‑tech hub, backed by more than €925 million (≈ $1 billion) of venture capital between 2015‑2025. State agencies, university‑owned technology transfer companies and accelerators have built a supportive pipeline that channeled €41.2 million (≈ $44.5 million) in...
How AI Medical Scribe Enhances Patient Care
AI-powered medical scribes are reshaping clinical workflows by automating documentation, cutting physician charting time by up to 50%. The technology translates spoken consultation notes into structured electronic health records, improving data accuracy and reducing manual entry errors. With less paperwork,...
One‑sentence AI Pipeline Transforms Drug Discovery Workflow
What if your next drug discovery pipeline started with one sentence, not 6 months of scripting? In this latest deep dive with @scispace, I saw a shift that feels bigger than incremental AI gains. Upload single-cell data and get clustered cell types,...
Epigenetic Clock Detects Aging and Cancer via Blood Test
This is the future: An epigenetic clock for the simultaneous assessment of biological aging and cancer from a simple, cheap blood test 👏 https://t.co/uzGoZWos9C
20 Future Greek HealthTech and MedTech Leaders
Greece’s health‑tech and med‑tech ecosystem has matured into a $4.2 billion market by 2025, driven by policy frameworks such as the Digital Transformation Bible and the 2024 AI Strategy. Capital inflows surged, with total startup funding exceeding €732 million (about $785 million) and...
Spatial Biology, Single‑cell Profiling, and AI Map T‑cell Immunity
Towards Spatial Medicine for individualized cancer immunotherapy @SciImmunology "The convergence of spatial biology platforms, single-cell immune profiling, and machine learning is positioning the community to decode how T cell immunity is spatially organized in human tissues and to exploit that organization...
Common Bowel Issues: Causes and Simple Solutions
These bowel function issues are remarkably common. Why? How can they be resolved? https://t.co/4t91w8Mnhm https://t.co/Z3pShlF0kA
Stroke Research Stuck: Preclinical Successes Fail Clinically
Translational Block in Stroke: A Constructive and “Out-of-the-Box” Reappraisal 👉"The literature is saturated by >1000 effective preclinical studies in acute stroke research... yet almost none are successfully transferred to the acute clinical routine. This is the well-known translational failure or block...
Government Claims 21% Health Insurance Cost Decline Over Five Years
The most absurd number in CPI? According to the US Government, the cost of health insurance has declined 21% over the last 5 years... https://t.co/l5IYmkeySJ https://t.co/YUTqN8BlGp
China's Biotech Surge Threatens Western Drug Dominance
Big Pharma Is Turning to China for the Newest Drug Ideas—China’s biotechs are faster and have lower costs, and its drug research threatens to soon overtake the West’s @Loftus https://t.co/YszgDfNlwc https://t.co/YszgDfNlwc
IL6R Protects, IL6 Harms: Genetic Proof of Survival Impact
Causal effects of inflammation on long-term mortality: A mendelian randomization study 🔑"The IL6/IL6R axis has a causal impact on human survival through cardiovascular mechanisms: IL6R exerts a protective effect, whereas IL6 is detrimental." https://t.co/0TwQldDrQe