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
BREAKING: UK "Experts" Warn New Cicada CONVID Variant Could Target Children
UK health experts have flagged a new COVID‑19 sub‑variant, BA.3.2 nicknamed “Cicada,” as a potential dominant strain in the United Kingdom. The variant, now identified in 23 countries, carries roughly 75 spike‑protein mutations that could reduce the protective effect of existing vaccines. Researchers warn that children, especially those without prior infection or vaccination, may be disproportionately affected, prompting calls to add COVID‑19 shots to preschool immunisation programmes. Authorities have not disclosed how many cases have been confirmed in the UK yet.
New Leaders Aim to Expand Colorado Health Access, Cut Costs
Thrilled to welcome Stephanie Beasley and Gretchen Hammer to these roles. Their leadership will strengthen Colorado as we expand access and lower costs for physical and mental health care. https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/governor-polis-makes-cabinet-announcement
Real-World Safety of Second-Line Diabetes Drugs in Elderly
A 2026 Nature Communications study examined real‑world safety of second‑line diabetes drugs in patients 65 and older after metformin. Using electronic health records and claims data, the researchers compared sulfonylureas, DPP‑4 inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP‑1 agonists with propensity‑score matching....
Covering Global Health as Billions of Dollars of Aid Are Cut From Programs
U.S. foreign aid is being slashed by billions of dollars, prompting NPR correspondent Fatma Tanis to investigate the fallout in Uganda. On the ground, locals still see American aid symbols, but Chinese-built infrastructure and new “small and beautiful” projects are...
Higher Testosterone Linked to Increased Suicide Risk in Depressed Teenage Boys
Researchers examined 1,227 hospitalized teenage boys with major depressive disorder in Beijing and found that higher serum testosterone levels were significantly associated with suicidal thoughts or behaviors. A validation cohort of 579 similar patients confirmed the same pattern, while no...
SPRY Therapeutics Secures FDA Label Expansion for Needle‑Free Epinephrine Spray
SPRY Therapeutics (ARS Pharmaceuticals) received FDA approval on April 3 to remove age limits on its Neffy 1mg needle‑free epinephrine nasal spray, allowing use by anyone weighing 33 lb or more. The move opens the product to a broader pediatric and...
Why Bariatric Patients Struggle with Protein and How to Fix It
Bariatric patients frequently fall short of protein recommendations, with up to 64% not meeting the minimum 60‑100 g daily intake. This shortfall leads to significant muscle loss—up to 25% of pre‑operative lean mass in the first year—and associated complications such as...
The Hospice Industries Fraud Crisis Just Got a Reckoning: Reading the FY 2027 CMS Proposed Rule Against the Backdrop of...
CMS released a FY 2027 hospice wage index and payment rate update proposing a 2.4% increase that would add roughly $785 million in Medicare payments. The rule arrives days after the Operation Never Say Die arrests, which uncovered a $60 million fraud ring...
Cash‑pay GLP‑1 Clinics: Easy to Copy, Unsafe, Unregulated
By now we have all read the piece in @nytimes about MEDVi's $1B+ business selling GLP-1s online with a ton of marketing, and very little ownership of infrastructure. I asked two friends @josh_tauber and @keatonbedell: - Is there any moat? (no) -...
Monday Morning Update 4/6/26
The Washington Post published a first‑person account of severe liver failure and a subsequent transplant after using a compounded GLP‑1 weight‑loss product. The story highlights the safety risks of off‑label, non‑FDA‑approved formulations that are increasingly marketed alongside AI‑driven GLP‑1 therapies....
California Kids Are Going without Vision Care, and the Problem Is Getting Worse
Vision problems are rising among California children, yet only 16% of Medi‑Cal‑covered school‑age kids received a comprehensive eye exam between 2022 and 2024, down from 19% eight years earlier. The decline is statewide, with rural counties such as Colusa falling...
FDA Initiates Review of New Dietary Ingredients and Precision‑Fermented Supplements
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a formal review of novel dietary ingredients, including precision‑fermented supplements. The move aims to clarify safety standards and labeling rules for products that have surged in popularity. Industry leaders say the review could...
Optimal Vitamin D (50‑70) Boosts Fertility Outcomes
Most doctors will tell you your vitamin D is fine if it is above 30. That is not enough for fertility. Vitamin D receptors are on your ovarian follicles, your uterine lining, and your placenta. Women with levels above 30 ng/mL...
Intermittent Fasting Cuts Crohn’s Disease Activity by 40%
As a medical school professor, I was never taught this: meal timing may be more powerful than medication for gut disease. A new clinical trial in Gastroenterology found that intermittent fasting reduced Crohn's disease activity by 40%. Patients who restricted eating to...
TriZetto Breach Exposes Data of 3.4 Million Patients, Sparking Industry Alarm
Cognizant-owned health‑tech firm TriZetto disclosed a cyberattack that stole personal and medical information of more than 3.4 million patients. The breach, discovered in October 2025, may have lingered since November 2024, underscoring systemic vulnerabilities in health‑technology platforms.
What Are Peptides, Are They Safe and Is There Evidence to Back up the Hype?
Peptides—short chains of amino acids—are gaining popularity for weight loss, anti‑aging, and injury recovery. While prescription drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide are FDA‑approved, most products marketed online are experimental, unregulated compounds such as BPC‑157, TB‑500, and CJC‑1295. Scientific reviews show...
Phase 3 PREVAiLS Trial Begins Testing Pridopidine for ALS
Prilenia Therapeutics and Ferrer have opened enrollment for the PREVAiLS Phase 3 trial of pridopidine, a sigma‑1 receptor agonist, marking the only currently recruiting confirmatory study in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The trial will involve up to 500 participants across 60...
Hong Kong Hospital Authority Apologises for Data Breach Involving 56,000 Patients
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority announced a data breach that exposed the personal and medical records of more than 56,000 patients from hospitals in Kowloon East. The unauthorized retrieval included names, identification numbers, contact details and health information. Hong Kong’s privacy...
Impact of Non-Intubated Spontaneous Breathing Versus Intubated General Anesthesia in Thoracoscopic Surgery on Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism
A retrospective study at Jinhua Central Hospital compared non‑intubated anesthesia with conventional endotracheal intubation in 55 lung‑cancer patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery. The non‑intubated group showed earlier ambulation, more stable postoperative coagulation, and a reduced incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE). No...
Why ABIM’s Use of Medicare Claims Data Violates Physician Autonomy
The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has linked internal‑medicine board exam scores to Medicare claims data in research studies without informing or obtaining consent from the physicians involved. By merging exam performance with National Provider Identifier and claims information,...
AI Tested to Support Battlefield Medical Decisions
UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the US DARPA conducted AI‑enabled battlefield medical triage trials, testing whether AI can be aligned with individual medics' ethical preferences. Simulated mass‑casualty scenarios in October 2025 let participants evaluate AI decisions without knowing...
Diet Sodas Raise Liver Disease Risk as Much as Sugar
As a medical school professor, I need to warn you: "diet" drinks may be just as dangerous as sugary ones for your liver. A major UK Biobank study of 124,000 people found: -- Artificially sweetened drinks raised liver disease risk by 60% --...
Vasectomy Coverage Lags Behind Female Contraception Under ACA
“Despite being one of the safest and most cost-effective permanent contraceptive methods, vasectomy is not guaranteed no-cost coverage under the Affordable Care Act’s preventive services mandate in the same way female contraception is.” Dominick Shattuck digs into vasectomy coverage (an...
Targetable Markers Define Antiprogestin-Resistant Breast Cancer
A new study in the British Journal of Cancer identifies a molecular triad—nuclear fibroblast growth factor‑2 (FGF2), androgen receptor (AR), and Wnt pathway activation—that defines a targetable subset of antiprogestin‑resistant luminal breast cancer. The researchers demonstrated that nuclear FGF2 cooperates...
Suffolk Men's Sports Group Grows to 200, Easing NHS Mental‑Health Load
The Moreton Men Sports Group in Bury St Edmunds has swelled from 15 to over 200 members and now receives informal referrals from the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By adding yoga and other low‑threshold activities, the group is...
Binge Drinking Just Once a Month May Triple Your Risk of Liver Scarring
Researchers at Keck Medicine of USC found that adults with metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) who engage in episodic heavy drinking—four or more drinks for women, five for men at least once a month—are about three times more likely...
Mizuho Lowers Its Price Target on Autolus Therapeutics Plc (AUTL) to $10 From $12
Mizuho Securities lowered its price target for Autolus Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ:AUTL) to $10, down from $12, while keeping an Outperform rating. The adjustment follows Autolus' Q4 earnings, which posted a loss per share of $0.34 versus a $0.43 consensus estimate...
Ore. County EMS Academy Gives Teens a Hands-On Look at Emergency Care
Clatsop County’s Emergency Medical Services Academy launched a free, four‑day summer program for 20 high‑school students, offering hands‑on training in CPR, ride‑alongs, and hospital tours. Funded by the Oregon Health Authority, the pilot immerses teens in ambulance, fire, and air‑medical...
New CMS ACO Model Sparks Debate Over MSSP Improvements
1/ A new @CMSinnovates ACO model was released this week In our interview with @AbeSutton on the #ACOshow I teased him about how every new CMMI director seems to believe the world needs yet another primary care model (instead of improving...
White House FY27 Budget Slashes ARPA-H Funding by Half
At the same time the White House proposed FY27 budget recommends cutting almost half of the ARPA-H budget
Vietnam’s Infectious Diseases: A Progress Paradox Explored
Vietnam has dramatically reduced its infectious disease burden, cutting malaria cases by 78% and dengue hospitalizations by 45% over the past decade. The government pledged roughly $2 billion in U.S. dollars to modernize disease surveillance and expand vaccination programs. Despite these...
AI-Powered Robot Performs Fully Autonomous Blood Draws
World’s First Autonomous Blood-Drawing #Robot Uses #AI to Find Veins and Collect Blood Automatically by @Berci #MedTech #Healthcare #HealthTech #Tech #Technology https://t.co/fQdjp2ubdz
GLP‑1s Linked to Lower Risk of Mental Illness Worsening
GLP-1s appear to reduce the odds of mental illness getting worse. Another unlooked-for benefit. Caveats: 1. This is observational, not an RCT. 2. This is reduction of odds getting worse on each of these measures. Not reduction of existing mental illness....
Evaluation of Large Language Models for Medical Applications: Theoretical Foundations, Empirical Performance and Clinical Implementation Frameworks
The MedHELM framework, built by Stanford’s CRFM, Stanford Healthcare, and Microsoft, introduces a clinician‑validated, 121‑task benchmark that evaluates large language models across the full spectrum of medical work. It replaces USMLE‑style exams with multi‑turn, longitudinal case vignettes covering decision support,...
GLP‑1s Massively Marked up; LLMs Priced Near Cost
One observation here: GLP-1s are priced at maybe 25-50x production cost (not counting R&D). LLM usage is priced at perhaps 1x inference cost (not counting training). In any case, two great innovations that are rapidly catching on.
Cut High‑paid Admins, Not Tech, to Improve Care
If we got rid of hospital administrators paid multimillion dollar salaries that would be a lot better than letting them destroy care with Silicon Valley snake oil. https://t.co/F2gpwYJOPq
K.C. Pharmaceuticals Recalls Over 3.1 Million Eye‑Drop Bottles From CVS, Walgreens and Others
K.C. Pharmaceuticals voluntarily recalled 3,111,072 bottles of over‑the‑counter eye drops sold at CVS, Walgreens, Kroger and other chains after the FDA identified a lack of assurance of sterility. The FDA classified the action as a Class II recall, prompting retailers to...
China Competition Will Accelerate US Pharma, Cut Red Tape
This is great to see. Biotech and pharma competition with China is going to force us to sharpen and accelerate processes in the US, and cut red tape. And we'll get the benefit of Chinese drugs as well. Win/win.
Exercise Mitigates Motor Unit Decline During Bedrest in Seniors
Exercise during 14 days of head down tilt bedrest attenuates motor unit impairments in older humans https://t.co/LOCU5ppBxh @ExpPhysiol https://t.co/0sdUCLOqP7
Vitals Vault Hires Bestselling Author Dr. Robert Lufkin as CMO to Boost AI‑driven Predictive Health
Vitals Vault announced the appointment of Dr. Robert Lufkin, a New York Times bestselling author and former UCLA/USC professor, as chief medical officer. The move is intended to sharpen the company’s AI‑based intelligence engine and expand its imaging services as it scales...
Insurers and AI Firms Secretly Record Therapy to Cut Costs
Yes, health insurer and Silicon Valley owned AI companies are taping therapy sessions and using that data. It's a creepy situation driven by health insurers not wanting to pay for mental health care. https://t.co/zLyh5fcdvr
Five Tech Giants Roll Out AI Health Chatbots, Journalist Tests
This year 5 tech companies have introduced AI chatbots to consumers for health support @AnthropicAI @perplexity_ai @OpenAI @Microsoft @amazon @nicnguyen, a @WSJ journalist, tried some out. gift link https://t.co/vwO261Q6qB https://t.co/VFPyvc1P9O
The Competitive Fiction of a “Best” Obesity Treatment
Novo Nordisk issued a press release claiming its Wegovy (semaglutide) tablets outperform the newly approved orforglipron (Foundayo) tablets, basing the claim on a simulated treatment comparison to be presented at the Obesity Medicine Association meeting. The article warns that such...
Rhizopus Microsporus Linked to COVID-19 Mucormycosis Case
Anyone have access to this paper? Rhizopus microsporus as Causative Agent of Mucormycosis in COVID-19 Patient https://t.co/Ao0uPXhzPY
Key Needs of Ovarian Cancer Survivors Highlighted
The Needs of Women Treated for Ovarian Cancer: Results From a #gyncsm Twitter Chat [Apr 26, 2018] @TLHagan et al. @JPCRR https://t.co/dOHPGvQ9Zy
For Many Patients Leaving the I.C.U., the Struggle Has Only Just Begun
Joseph Masterson, a 63‑year‑old lawyer, survived a cardiac arrest and spent 18 days in the intensive care unit, including 14 on a ventilator. During his stay he developed delirium, required antipsychotics, and lost weight despite tube feeding. After discharge he...
COVID-19 Outcomes Worse for Gynecologic Cancer Patients
COVID-19 in Patients With Gynecologic Cancer: A Report From the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium [Mar 16, 2026] @AlainaJBrown et al. @COVID19nCCC @JCOOA_ASCO https://t.co/lZU3hFiNSS #gyncsm #CCC19 #COVID19nCancer #COVID19 https://t.co/mG18P0SHk3
Recent Cancer Treatments Linked to Worse COVID-19 Outcomes
Association of Clinical Factors & Recent Anti-Cancer Therapy with COVID-19 Severity among Patients with Cancer: A Report from the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium [3/18/21] @PGrivasMDPhD @arkhaki et al. @COVID19nCCC @Annals_Oncology https://t.co/WH5PPJySj6 #CCC19 #COVID19nCancer https://t.co/WN6maEUppn
Value‑based Care: The Healthcare Villain to Scrap
The villain in health care is something called ‘value based care.’ Get rid of it.
Healthcare Needs Humanity Amid Tech Evolution
Sharing Is Caring: #Healthcare Needs Its Own Humanity's Last Exam by @burhansebin @Forbes Learn more: https://t.co/LwritD6vmF #HealthTech #Tech #Technology https://t.co/gmyu9pmFVR