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
Interventional Cardiologist Roxana Mehran Elected ACC President
Roxana Mehran, MD, an interventional cardiologist and professor at Icahn School of Medicine, began her one‑year term as president of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) at the ACC.26 conference in New Orleans. Mehran, a recognized leader in women’s heart health, previously earned the ACC Bahr Award of Excellence (2023) and the ESC Gold Medal (2025). She pledged to strengthen global partnerships and boost member engagement during her tenure. The announcement also noted Mount Sinai’s celebration of her achievement and introduced Hani K. Najm as ACC vice‑president.
MDO Editor’s Picks: Three Technical Talks at DeviceTalks Minnesota
Three Minneapolis‑area medtech startups—Person Health, Vail Scientific, and Peytant Solutions—will present technical talks at DeviceTalks Minnesota on May 4. Person Health is developing graphene‑based nanosensors for a non‑invasive breath test that detects early‑stage lung cancer. Vail Scientific offers a handheld breath...
Pig Liver Xenotransplant Shows Promise, but More Work Remains
Genetically modified pig livers have entered early clinical testing, with a Chinese patient surviving 171 days after transplantation. Researchers in China are exploring pig livers as auxiliary support, while a University of Pennsylvania team is evaluating extracorporeal pig livers as...
Kim Fisher on Why Food as Medicine Is at a Tipping Point — And What It Will Take to Get...
In this episode, Unity Stokes talks with Kim Fisher, Chief Impact Officer of Startup Health’s Food is Medicine Moonshot and Program Director of UC Davis’s Innovation Institute for Food and Health, about the rapid emergence of the food‑as‑medicine movement. Fisher...
New Paramedic Service Fills EMS Gap After Pa. Hospital Closure
The Aston Ambulance Authority launched a 24/7 paramedic service on March 24, covering Aston Township, Lower Chichester, Trainer and Marcus Hook. The new operation employs 17 paramedics, an EMS chief and a medical director, filling the pre‑hospital care void left by the...
Ensemble and Cohere Partner to Build First RCM-Native Large Language Model for Healthcare
Ensemble, a leading revenue cycle management provider, and Cohere are expanding their partnership to create the healthcare industry’s first RCM‑native large language model. Unlike generic LLMs that rely on heavy prompt engineering, the new model is fine‑tuned from scratch on...
What the UK’s Pandemic Preparedness Strategy Means for the MedTech Sector
The UK Department of Health and Social Care released a new Pandemic Preparedness Strategy that shifts pandemic planning from a reactive stance to a standing policy priority. It calls for scalable diagnostic capacity, stronger supplier resilience, and expanded strategic stockpiles,...
Revenue Cycle Elevates to C‑Suite Strategic Priority
Revenue cycle is the invisible backbone of every health system. It's finally getting the attention it deserves. New episode of Lifers this week: I sat down with Terri Meier (Assistant Vice Chancellor for Revenue Cycle at UAMS, 43-year industry veteran) live...
‘Should Never Have Been Prescribed’: Private UK Cannabis Clinics Face Call for Tighter Regulation
Oliver Robinson’s November 2023 suicide prompted a Manchester coroner to conclude that his privately prescribed medicinal cannabis probably contributed to his death. The inquest highlighted failures at Curaleaf Clinic, including reliance on outdated records and lack of coordination with NHS providers....
CDER Leadership Bios
The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) has announced a slate of senior leaders, including Tracy Beth Høeg as Acting Director and Michael Davis as Deputy Center Director. The roster adds specialists overseeing regulatory policy, rare‑disease strategy, substance‑use...
HHS Reverses Biden-Era Tech Reorganization, Returns ONC Name
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has undone a Biden‑era restructuring, restoring the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) to its original name. The chief technology, AI, and data officers are being transferred from ONC...
AZD5004
Elecoglipron (ECC5004/AZD5004), an oral small‑molecule GLP‑1 receptor agonist, completed Phase 2 trials in type 2 diabetes and obesity, meeting primary endpoints in the SOLSTICE and VISTA studies. AstraZeneca licensed global rights from Eccogene for an upfront payment of $185 million and potential milestones...
Lawmaker Looks to Award Grants for Veteran Suicide Prevention AI Models
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R‑PA) is drafting the Data Driven Suicide Prevention and Outreach Act to fund AI‑driven predictive‑model grants for veteran suicide prevention. The bill would award one grant per each of the VA’s 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks, targeting...
Mark Cuban Adds Support to Break Up Big Medicine Act
Mark Cuban has thrown his weight behind the Senate’s Break Up Big Medicine Act, which seeks to separate insurers, pharmacy‑benefit managers and providers that are currently owned by the same conglomerates such as UnitedHealth Group. The legislation would bar parent...
CCT Pledges Net Zero by 2050 as Industry Pressure to Decarbonize Intensifies
Cold Chain Technologies (CCT) announced a formal pledge to achieve net‑zero global emissions by 2050, focusing on Scope 3 emissions that represent roughly 80% of a pharmaceutical company’s carbon footprint. The company has already reduced landfill waste by 147 million lb, surpassing its...
Jimini Health Secures $17M to Scale Clinician-Supervised Behavioral Health AI
Jimini Health, a New York‑based behavioral health startup, announced a $17 million seed round, bringing its total capital to more than $25 million. The funding, led by M13, Town Hall Ventures and Zetta Venture Partners with backing from former CMS Acting Administrator...
ImmunityBio Strengthens Balance Sheet with $100 Million of Financing Transactions Including $75 Million of Non-Dilutive Financing to Support Global Expansion...
ImmunityBio secured $75 million of non‑dilutive financing under its existing royalty‑interest purchase agreement with Oberland Capital, raising total committed capital to $375 million. At the same time, Nant Capital converted $25 million of debt into common stock, reducing the company’s liabilities. The combined...
Annual Income Rises Posttransplantation for Adults with ESKD
Canadian researchers found that adults with end‑stage kidney disease experience a rebound in employment earnings after receiving a kidney transplant. Mean annual income rose from roughly CAD $45,600 (≈ $33,700 USD) in the transplant year to CAD $52,900 (≈ $39,100 USD) three years later, a gain...
Two Thirds of Investors Boosted Their Healthcare Allocation in 2025, CBRE Finds
In 2025, 68% of real‑estate investors increased their healthcare allocation, driving roughly $12.5 bn into the care‑home sector, which represented 79% of all healthcare investment. The surge was anchored by Welltower’s $6.5 bn purchase of Barchester Healthcare and a $1.5 bn acquisition of...
AI, Digital Twins, and Personalized Medicine Lead 2026 HealthTech
The 8 Biggest Healthcare Technology Trends To Watch In 2026 Healthcare is being transformed by AI, digital twins, personalised medicine and advanced diagnostics — all driving more proactive, efficient and patient-centred care. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/e86HpWFZ #Healthcare #HealthTech #AI #BernardMarr
Viral Research Reveals Immune Secrets for Vaccine Design
Here is my talk on how studying viral infections can teach us a lot about the immune system, and how we can use those insights to develop vaccines against viruses. "Night science moments" make science so exciting 🌓 @NightScienceIns @ItaiYanai...
Here’s How Republicans Are Trying to Pay for a War No One Wants
Republicans in the House are proposing to pull roughly $30 billion from federal health‑care subsidies to fund President Trump’s expanded Middle‑East war and a simultaneous ICE expansion. The plan would strip coverage from an estimated 300,000 Americans, bundling three politically sensitive...
FDA Standards Threaten Affordable Academic Gene Therapies
The scientists behind treating Baby KJ say the FDA is imposing standards that could make it too expensive for them — or any academics — to bring such bespoke therapies to approval. https://t.co/OrxMXBVev4
FDA Hurdles Stall Academic Scaling of Custom Gene Editor
Baby KJ scientists hit speed bump in quest to scale custom gene editor. Stringent FDA requirements could prove stumbling block for academics https://t.co/HsaK7lSuh1 via @Jasonmmast
Biogen, with $5.6B Apellis Buy, Builds Out Immunology Offerings
Biogen announced a $5.6 billion cash acquisition of Apellis Pharmaceuticals, paying $41 per share—a 140% premium—and issuing contingent value rights worth up to $4 per share. The deal brings two recently launched products, the eye‑disease therapy Syfovre and the rare‑kidney drug...
Okinawa’s Centenarian Boom Driven by Pre‑WWII Cohorts
The number of 100+ year olds in Okinawa has increased by 4283% from 1975 1975: 29 centenarians 2021 peak: 1271 centenarians Okinawa’s longevity story is generation-specific: people born before WWII had a clear mortality advantage While post-WWII cohorts have had worse mortality than mainland...
US VCs Embed in Chinese Labs, Courting Scientists Early
U.S. venture capital firms are no longer waiting for Chinese biotech assets to surface before investing in them — they’re moving upstream, embedding themselves inside labs and courting scientists before they publish their research https://t.co/7kOlGh0sbu
Healthcare Staff Can Maximize the Value of AI with High Performing Endpoints
Healthcare organizations are evaluating endpoint hardware to unlock AI‑driven efficiencies, weighing thin clients, traditional PCs, and emerging AI‑optimized workstations. Thin clients offer low power consumption, centralized management, and longer refresh cycles, while AI PCs deliver on‑device neural processing at a...
Calcium, Exercise, DXA Scans Prevent Costly GLP‑1 Surgeries
This is a very important study and I'm hearing from clinical experts in my network that the best prevention is calcium, weight bearing exercise and getting regular DXA Scans. Otherwise we're going to see a big increase in high-cost orthopedic...
Medtronic Wins CE Mark for OmniaSecure Defibrillation Lead
Medtronic has secured a CE mark for its OmniaSecure small‑diameter defibrillation lead, expanding the device’s European availability. The lead builds on the long‑standing SelectSecure Model 3830 pacing lead, offering a narrower profile without sacrificing durability. Clinical modeling predicts a 98.2% ten‑year...
AI Med Consult and 4D EMR Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance AI-Driven Patient Engagement and Practice Efficiency
AI Med Consult and 4th Dimension EMR announced a strategic partnership at the AACS Annual Scientific Meeting, integrating AI‑driven patient engagement tools with 4D EMR’s aesthetic‑medicine platform. The combined solution will feed real‑time interaction data into electronic medical records, delivering...
Bristol Myers Squibb Evolves and Expands Standing in the Gaap to Advance More Equitable Care in Multiple Myeloma as Program...
Bristol Myers Squibb announced the evolution of its Standing in the Gaap program, expanding its reach to address equity gaps in multiple myeloma care. The initiative will launch one of the largest U.S. multiple myeloma surveys, targeting more than 1,000...
New Standards Could Allow Patients to Selectively Share Health Info
New health‑IT standards are being rolled out to let patients selectively share portions of their medical records. The framework relies on data segmentation and computable consent, isolating sensitive fields while preserving seamless interoperability. Developed with input from Cambridge Health Alliance’s...
Concussion Protocols: What Providers Should Know to Diagnose, Treat, and Rehabilitate
Millions of Americans sustain concussions each year, yet up to half remain unreported and untreated. Dr. Al Cobb highlights five essential updates for providers: recognizing concussion as a brain‑wide and cervical injury, abandoning prolonged dark‑room rest, integrating graded exercise and...
Voices: Andrew O’Connell, Product Director at Maxwell TEC
Maxwell TEC’s product director Andrew O’Connell discusses how home‑care communication is evolving from simple reminders to AI‑driven, relationship‑based messaging, with SMS as the core channel for older adults. He explains that the company’s nanaCONNECT platform combines automated, context‑aware texts with...
Study Links Diets High in Ultra-Processed Foods to Increased Heart Attack, Stroke Risk
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University analyzed NHANES data from 4,787 U.S. adults and found that individuals in the highest quartile of ultra‑processed food (UPF) consumption faced a 47 percent greater risk of cardiovascular disease, primarily heart attacks and strokes. The study,...
Is AI Ready to Transform COA Development?
Artificial intelligence is reshaping clinical development by augmenting, not replacing, human expertise. AI already accelerates medical imaging, compound discovery and COVID‑19 vaccine modeling, compressing timelines from years to months. In clinical outcome assessment (COA) translation, AI can support draft translation...
What Behavioral Health Startups Get Wrong About Enrolling Therapists With Aetna, BCBS, and United
Behavioral health startups often underestimate payer enrollment for Aetna, BCBS and UnitedHealthcare, causing 60‑150 day delays before therapists can bill in‑network. The article identifies three recurring errors: submitting incomplete provider data, applying to closed panels, and assuming uniform payer timelines...
Clinical AI Platform Avo Secures $10M, Announces EBSCO DynaMed Partnership
Avo, a clinical AI platform that overlays major EHRs, closed a $10 million Series A led by Noro‑Moseley Partners and backed by AlleyCorp. The company announced a strategic partnership with EBSCO’s DynaMed to embed evidence‑based guidelines directly into its AI copilots. Avo’s...
GOP's Vaccine Flip: MAHA's Influence Threatens Republicans
🎙️ Today on Post-Hoc Live at 1230pm: How the GOP flipped on vaccines💉 I'll be talking with former Republican Congressman Dr. @michaelcburgess and our own @maxonwifi. We'll talk about MAHA's takeover of GOP health policy and the risk for Republicans. https://t.co/65bmPKEtHe
Canada Commits $1.4 B to Expand Indigenous Health and Wellness Programs
Canada’s federal government has earmarked nearly $1.4 billion for Indigenous health and wellness, with $168 million for urban programming, $630 million for mental‑health initiatives, and $592.4 million for assisted‑living services. The investment aims to deliver culturally grounded care to over a million urban Indigenous...
Study Links Heart‑Brain Sync to Better Health and Stress Resilience
Researchers have demonstrated that a simple musical intervention during surgery can markedly lower patients' blood pressure, heart rate, and postoperative pain, underscoring the powerful heart‑brain connection. The findings suggest everyday practices that align cardiac and neural rhythms could become a...
Tirzepatide Plus Hormone Therapy Boosts Weight Loss 35% in Post‑Menopausal Women
Mayo Clinic and Wayne State scientists report that post‑menopausal women who combined tirzepatide with hormone therapy lost 35% more body weight than those on tirzepatide alone. The retrospective analysis of 120 women showed an average 19.2% loss versus 14%, prompting...
Henan Lvyuan Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. - 722497 - 03/26/2026
The FDA issued a warning letter to Henan Lvyuan Pharmaceutical after a September 2025 inspection uncovered multiple Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) violations. Inspectors cited severe facility maintenance issues, including corrosion and water leaks that could compromise API potency and...
Microbiological Testing & Consulting, LLC - 720374 - 03/16/2026
The FDA issued Warning Letter 320‑26‑53 to Microbiological Testing & Consulting, LLC after a September 2025 inspection uncovered multiple Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) violations. The firm failed to maintain adequate laboratory controls, documentation, media qualification, and a functional quality‑control unit,...
Health Care Technology And Tactics For Addressing Gaps In Patient Communication
Patient‑provider communication gaps—language barriers, hearing loss, rushed visits, and limited empathy—continue to jeopardize care quality and increase legal exposure. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports that 22% of adults 65‑74 and 55% over 75 suffer disabling...
Ultrasound Stimulation Accelerates Unlearning of Fearful Memories in Humans
Researchers used transcranial ultrasound to stimulate the amygdala during a fear‑conditioning experiment, finding that participants learned fear more slowly and extinguished it faster. The breakthrough suggests a drug‑free tool for anxiety, PTSD and self‑mastery.
Kain Capital Completes Acquisition of White Wilson, Expanding Healthcare Portfolio
Kain Capital has completed its acquisition of White Wilson, a move that adds a new platform company to its healthcare and life sciences holdings. The transaction, whose financial terms were not disclosed, signals continued consolidation in the private‑equity‑driven health sector.
FDA Green List Lets Chinese Firms Dominate GLP‑1 Supply, US Safety at Risk
The FDA’s recent “green list” designation has cleared more than 50% of Chinese manufacturers of GLP‑1 obesity drugs, effectively handing China a dominant role in the U.S. supply chain. Critics warn the move could expose American patients to substandard products...
The Health Care Quality Improvement Act Actually Makes Health Care Worse
The 1986 Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA) was designed to protect peer‑review participants and create a national database to flag incompetent physicians. Decades of hospital consolidation and managed‑care pressures have turned the act’s immunity provisions into tools that silence...