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
NNPC/Seplat JV Executes ‘Eye Can See’ CSI Programme in Imo
The NNPC/Seplat joint venture’s “Eye Can See” corporate social investment program in Imo State has delivered 23,447 free eye screenings, performed 797 cataract surgeries, and distributed over 13,525 glasses since its 2017 launch. The three‑day outreach in Owerri, held March 24‑26, 2026, screened an average of 700 residents per day and also offered blood‑pressure, diabetes checks and counseling. Seplat’s external affairs director highlighted the initiative’s alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and well‑being. The JV stresses that sustained eye‑care services are critical for community welfare and long‑term socioeconomic development.
Liposomal Nanotech Boosts Light‑Powered Cancer Therapy
Researchers led by Prof. Heidi Abrahamse at the University of Johannesburg have unveiled a liposome‑based nanotechnology platform that upgrades photodynamic therapy (PDT). The platform protects photosensitizers in the bloodstream, targets tumors more precisely and releases the drug only where light...
Eli Lilly's Phase 3b Shows Taltz + Zepbound Improves Psoriatic Arthritis, Weight
Eli Lilly reported that its open‑label Phase 3b TOGETHER‑PsA trial met its primary and all key secondary endpoints, demonstrating that adding Zepbound (tirzepatide) to Taltz (ixekizumab) significantly reduced psoriatic arthritis activity and body weight versus Taltz alone. The data, presented...
Kaiser Made $9.3 Billion Last Year. Critics Say It Has Strayed From Its Charitable Mission
Kaiser Permanente reported a $9.3 billion profit on $127 billion revenue, while its cash reserves swelled to $73 billion. The nonprofit settled a $556 million Medicare fraud case and a $30 million mental‑health lawsuit, both without admitting wrongdoing. Rising premiums, staff shortages and a 30,000‑person...
Resurrection of SARS-CoV-2 “Cicada” Variant In Defiance of the Global Vaccine Campaign
A recent blog post dubs the SARS‑CoV‑2 sub‑lineage BA.3.2 the “Cicada” variant, drawing on the insect’s symbolism of rebirth. The author suggests the strain is resurfacing ahead of the CDC’s fall nRNA COVID‑19 booster push, but provides no epidemiological data...
Doctor Multiplies 5‑star Reviews, Triples Patients in 3 Months
"Doctors, every patient checks reviews before visiting. Here’s how one of my clients, A Doctor grew from 12 reviews (4.8 stars) to 712, 5-star reviews—and tripled their patient footfall within 3 months. These are the exact same hacks I’ve shared with...
Robots Assist, Humans Provide Empathy in Healthcare
Robots are starting to enter one of the most sensitive environments we have. Healthcare. Unitree’s systems being used as caregivers and assistants show how robotics is moving beyond factories into real-world human settings. The value is clear: Supporting staff with repetitive tasks Assisting with logistics...
Weekly Reads: Gattaca Stack, Animal Sacks, Custom iPS Cells, ImmunityBio FDA Warning, Mouse Cloning Limit
Weekly reads highlight several frontier biotech developments. The Gattaca Stack, a new database, tracks firms working on embryo models and artificial‑womb technologies. R3 Bio’s stem‑cell “organ sacks” aim to replace animal testing and could evolve into human organ bags, while...
COVID Likely Zoonotic; Prioritize Broad Pandemic Preparedness
Concur that COVID was very likely zoonotic in origin. That's always been the most likely scenario, and the evidence has just grown stronger. (See below.) From a policy standpoint, I don't think it matters much. 1. Some past pandemics have originated...
Powerful Dental Tools: Scalers Curette Set and Extracting Forceps That Make Dentistry Easier
High‑quality scalers curette sets and extracting forceps are essential for modern dental practice. These instruments provide sharp, ergonomic designs that improve plaque removal, precise tooth extractions, and reduce hand fatigue. Their durable stainless‑steel construction extends lifespan, delivering cost savings for...
Valley Fever to Asthma Attacks: How Windy Weather, Blowing Dust Wreak Havoc on Lungs
Recent dust storms in El Paso have triggered a surge in respiratory illnesses, from asthma attacks to severe Valley fever infections. A University of California study found hospitalizations jump fivefold after dust events, while Texas does not require statewide reporting of...
Cartel Arrests Won’t Curb Synthetic Opioid Crisis
The synthetic opioid market: Why cartel arrests do not stop the crisis http://dlvr.it/TRlsbG Conditions #PainManagement
Half of US Spine Surgeries Unnecessary; Exercise Beats Surgery
Over HALF of all spine surgeries performed in the US are unnecessary. We know this because spine surgeons said so. When patients got a second opinion, 60% were told the surgery they were recommended didn’t need to happen. The best non-surgical treatment for...
In the Face of Rising Demand for Mental Health Services, Therapists Explore Solutions to Burnout
Post‑COVID America faces a sustained surge in mental‑health demand, with anxiety, depression and chronic stress cases outpacing pre‑2020 levels. Simultaneously, therapist supply lags, leaving many regions designated as mental‑health professional shortage areas. Clinicians report packed schedules, waiting lists, and increasingly...
Andhra Pradesh CM Launches 'Tholi Mudda' Breakfast Scheme for Anganwadi Children
Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated the Tholi Mudda breakfast scheme, a state‑run program that will deliver a daily nutritious meal to children enrolled in the anganwadi system. The initiative targets roughly 1.5 million beneficiaries and is positioned...
Four Seasons Sale Sparks Private‑Equity Surge in UK Care‑Home Market
Four Seasons Health Care, founded by Robert Kilgour in 1989, grew to 43 homes before being sold to a private‑equity consortium in 1999. The deal launched a wave of PE ownership that has turned elderly residents into cash‑generating assets, prompting...
UK Faces Medicine Shortages Within Weeks if Iran Conflict Persists, Experts Warn
Supply‑chain analysts say the United Kingdom is only weeks away from shortages of essential medicines, from painkillers to cancer therapies, if the Iran war drags on. Disruptions to Gulf air routes and the Strait of Hormuz have forced firms onto...
Trinity Capital Invests $50 Million in Sage Health to Expand Senior Care
Trinity Capital Inc. has pledged $50 million in growth capital to Arkansas‑based Sage Health. The funding will accelerate the provider’s senior‑focused care platform and geographic expansion into medically underserved regions, underscoring the role of investment banks in structuring health‑care growth deals.
System-Wide Algorithm Boosts Blood Pressure Control Across 90,000 Patients
A UC Health‑wide hypertension algorithm was embedded in electronic health records for roughly 90,000 patients, raising the proportion of controlled blood pressure from 68.5% to nearly 74% by mid‑2025. The stepwise, clinician‑guided tool, called the UC Way Hypertension Medication Algorithm,...
Are Gut-Friendly Foods Like Kimchi, Kombucha Affecting Your Heart Health?
The British Heart Foundation warned that popular gut‑friendly foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and fruit smoothies can pose hidden cardiovascular risks due to added salt, sugar, and low fiber. Cardiology dietitian Michelle Routhenstein clarified that while probiotic strains may...
Insurance Should Sue for NP‑only “Doctor Visit” Scams
Insurance companies should sue doctors offices and hospitals that bill them for a “doctor visit” when the patient only sees a Nurse Practitioner. Personally I’m tired of the Nurse Practitioner scam. And it is a scam. They pay them far less...
This New Therapy Turns Off Pain without Opioids or Addiction
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and collaborators have developed a preclinical gene therapy that selectively silences pain‑processing circuits in the brain, mimicking morphine’s analgesic effect without activating reward pathways. Using an AI‑driven system to map morphine‑responsive neurons in mice,...
Alzheimer's Disease Mortality Among Taxi and Ambulance Drivers (2024)
A population‑based analysis of U.S. death certificates from 2020‑2022 examined Alzheimer’s disease mortality across 443 occupations. Taxi drivers (1.03% of deaths) and ambulance drivers (0.91%) showed the lowest adjusted proportions of Alzheimer‑related deaths, well below the overall adjusted rate of...
Grow Therapy Lands $150 Million Series D to Scale Employer Mental‑health Partnerships
Grow Therapy announced a $150 million Series D round led by TCV and Goldman Sachs Alternatives. The capital will be used to deepen partnerships with employers and health systems, accelerating the company’s push to embed mental‑health services in workplace and clinical...
NIMHANS Study Shows Surge in Indian Parents' Worries Over Kids' Screen Time
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) released a study indicating a steep rise in parental concern over children's screen time across India. The findings highlight growing tension between the perceived educational benefits of digital media and emerging...
Eli Lilly’s Retatrutide Shows Strong Weight‑Loss Results, Poised to Disrupt Obesity Market
Eli Lilly’s experimental injectable retatrutide has reported substantial weight‑loss outcomes in a 2023 trial, positioning it as a potential challenger to existing GLP‑1 drugs. The triple‑agonist targets three metabolic receptors, and large Phase 3 studies are now under way, drawing attention...
Enterprise AI Embraces Uncertainty‑Aware Diagnostics in Health Care
Enterprise AI firms are deploying uncertainty‑aware diagnostic platforms, a shift underscored by GitLab founder Sid Sijbrandij’s self‑built health data system. The move promises more trustworthy AI‑driven decisions and could reshape regulatory expectations for medical AI.
Chinese AI Firms Turn Niche Data Play Into Profit, XtalPi Posts $19.5M Gain
Chinese AI companies XtalPi and Blacklake have moved from loss‑making research to sustainable profitability by targeting specialized data‑driven markets. XtalPi reported a 134.6 million‑yuan ($19.5 million) profit in 2025, while Blacklake achieved its first profit in late 2024, underscoring a shift in...
Nektar's Rezpegaldesleukin Shows Strong Gains in Atopic Dermatitis and Alopecia Areata at AAD 2026
Nektar Therapeutics presented Phase 2b data for its regulatory T‑cell agonist rezpegaldesleukin at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology meeting, showing statistically significant EASI improvements in 393 atopic dermatitis patients and a 28.2% mean SALT reduction in severe alopecia areata....
Hib Vaccine Shields Against Meningitis, Pneumonia, Epiglottitis
The Hib vaccine protects against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacteria, which can cause severe illnesses like meningitis, pneumonia, and epiglottitis. Th
Epigenetic Dysregulation Fuels Aging, Offers Therapeutic Target
Systemic epigenetic dysregulation as a driver of ageing and a therapeutic target 👉 “By providing mechanistic clarity on how epigenetic dysregulation drives ageing phenotypes, we aim to enable rational design of therapeutics that target the epigenetic systems that fail during ageing,...
Kardigan Announces Positive Phase 2 Data for Tonlamarsen in Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension Presented as Late-Breaker at ACC.26 and Simultaneously...
Kardigan reported positive Phase 2 data for its antisense drug tonlamarsen in the KARDINAL trial, showing a dose‑dependent 67% reduction in plasma angiotensinogen and a mean 6.7 mmHg drop in office systolic blood pressure after 20 weeks. Both a single 90 mg dose...
Euthanasia for Depression Equals State‑Sponsored Murder
Offering euthanasia to depressed people is state-sponsored murder. There is no ambiguity. It is murder.
MAID Driven by Government Cost Savings, Not Dignity
The purpose of MAID is not to let people die with dignity. The purpose of MAID is to save the government money. They will keep pushing death on everyone they can push it on, in order to save the government...
Very Low LDL Levels Best in Secondary Prevention: Ez-PAVE
New randomized data from the Ez‑PAVE trial in South Korea show that lowering LDL cholesterol to below 55 mg/dL in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease reduces major cardiovascular events by 33% compared with a target of less than 70 mg/dL. The...
PCP Support, Community Outreach Help Close Rural Dermatology Access Gaps
Rural America faces a stark dermatology shortage, with 68% of counties lacking a specialist, leading to long travel distances and delayed skin‑cancer diagnoses. Experts at the 2026 AAD meeting highlighted that teledermatology, primary‑care provider (PCP) support, and mobile clinics are...
#AAD26: Biogen Declares Phase 2 Lupus Success for Anti-BDCA2 Antibody
Biogen announced positive Phase 2 results for litifilimab, its anti‑BDCA2 antibody targeting systemic lupus erythematosus. After 24 weeks, 14.7% of patients achieved complete clearance of skin lesions, meeting the trial’s primary endpoint. The data suggest the drug could become a...
KARDINAL: Monthly Tonlamarsen May Not Enhance BP Lowering in Resistant Hypertension
The phase II KARDINAL trial evaluated monthly versus single‑dose tonlamarsen, an angiotensinogen‑targeted nucleic‑acid therapy, in patients with resistant hypertension on multiple drugs. While monthly injections achieved a 67% reduction in plasma AGT compared with 23% after a single dose, both regimens...
The Synthetic Opioid Market: Why Cartel Arrests Do Not Stop the Crisis
The article argues that cartel arrests, such as the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader “El Mencho,” have limited impact on the U.S. synthetic opioid crisis. Fentanyl’s synthetic nature allows rapid shifts in supply chains, leading to unpredictable adulterants...
IRC Expands Mental‑Health Aid as Lebanon’s Psychological Distress Soars
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is scaling up emergency mental‑health services in Lebanon amid a sharp rise in psychological distress. Hotline calls have doubled, with more than half of callers reporting acute emotional strain, prompting the IRC to expand its...
ACC and AHA Unveil Updated Cholesterol Guidelines Emphasizing Early Intervention and Lp(a) Testing
The American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and nine other medical societies released updated cholesterol guidelines on March 27, 2026. The new recommendations tighten LDL‑cholesterol targets, introduce routine Lp(a) testing and push clinicians to act on borderline lipid...
Merck Buys TERN, CORT Gets FDA Cancer Nod as Trials Split, Anavex Pulls EU Filing
Merck announced a cash deal to acquire TERN, while CORT secured FDA clearance for its cancer therapy. In parallel, INSM reported positive trial data, VALN fell short of expectations, and Anavex withdrew its EU filing for an Alzheimer’s candidate.
Strong Social Ties Boost Health and Longevity
social disconnection is not just painful emotionally, it puts the body under biological stress. It is linked to higher inflammation, worse cardiovascular health, and a higher risk of early death, while stronger social relationships are consistently associated with better survival....
FDA Greenlights Viagra: A Pivotal HealthTech Milestone
#ThisDayInTechHistory. March 27, 1998. The FDA approved Viagra developed by Pfizer. (Untold Story) #HealthTech #JVGpost https://t.co/GJea9vd0v9
FDA Confirms Myocarditis Risk, Validating Parents' COVID Concerns
Great thread and one addition: Increased risk of myocarditis in young boys. The demonization of parents who asked, the denials by healthcare professionals and bureaucrats, and ultimately, the admission and subsequent FDA warning proving parents worst fears correct. It will take...
Psilocybin Emerges as Promising Longevity Therapy
When I started Don't Die in 2021, we evaluated all the scientific evidence for the most powerful anti-aging therapies. Psychedelics were no where to be found. A wild turn of events that they're now front and center for us....
Microbial Phenolics Mediate Oats' Cholesterol‑lowering Power
Cholesterol-lowering effects of oats induced by microbially produced phenolic metabolites in metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial "Here we show that microbial phenolic metabolites are driving factors for the cholesterol-lowering effect of oats.." https://t.co/Y6fmNYStmZ
PCSK9 Inhibitor Cuts Cardiovascular Events in Diabetics
In a randomized trial of a PCSK9 inhibitor [for LDL cholesterol lowering] vs placebo for patients with diabetes and no known heart disease, there was significant reduction of major cardiovascular events including deaths #ACC26 @JAMA_current https://t.co/mzuI79c4IN https://t.co/16Cpxf7IBx
Intensive LDL < 55 Mg/dL Cuts Cardiovascular Events
Validation of aggressive LDL lowering to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events, a randomized trial targeting LDL < 55 mg/dl. In participants with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (secondary prevention) @NEJM #ACC26 https://t.co/oLnkqhawOd
Women Leading the Way at GI Conference
In a field long defined by gender imbalance, it’s refreshing to be in the minority in this picture. Grateful to be part of this moment at the @AmerGastroAssn Women in GI Conference today in Atlanta, where leaders are shaping what comes...