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
Overcoming Barriers to Specialty Medication Adherence With CareTria
CareTria’s CEO Willis Chandler told Pharmaceutical Commerce that 50% of patients abandon specialty drugs due to fragmented support and lengthy benefit verification. The company’s automated platform unifies provider, pharmacy, and payer workflows, slashing the time from prescription to therapy from weeks to days. Chandler also highlighted emerging direct‑to‑patient cash programs and multimodal fulfillment as ways to sidestep payer bottlenecks. These innovations aim to improve adherence, patient outcomes, and pharmaceutical brand performance.
Boston Children's Enhances Care with Clinical Intelligence Platform
Boston Children’s Hospital deployed Etiometry’s AI‑driven clinical intelligence platform to capture continuous high‑frequency physiologic data across its pediatric ICU. The system aggregates and visualizes signals in real time, giving clinicians a shared, longitudinal view of each patient’s trajectory. Early results...
Legacy EHRs Can't Keep Pace with AI‑Native Competition
The SaaS-pocalypse playing out in public stocks reflects a real fear. Legacy SaaS companies, even with their existing distribution and install base, may be unsuccessful in bolting on AI capabilities to their legacy platforms. There is fear that their user...
The Front Door Test
A health system’s new virtual‑care program let a former CIO schedule a same‑day appointment, complete intake via an app, and see a physician in a 15‑minute video visit. The experience showcased rapid, real‑time scheduling and thorough clinical interaction, proving virtual...
AI at the Bedside: Scaling Innovation Without Compromising Patient Safety
Artificial intelligence has moved from pilot projects to core clinical tools, with the FDA authorizing more than 1,400 AI‑enabled medical devices by the end of 2025, most via the fast‑track 510(k) pathway. Radiology dominates usage, but AI is expanding into...
AnaptysBio Spins Out Biotech Operations; Affibody's Data in Hidradenitis Suppurativa
AnaptysBio announced the spin‑out of its biotech operations into a newly formed independent public company, First Tracks Biotherapeutics. The separation isolates AnaptysBio’s early‑stage pipeline, giving First Tracks a focused platform to advance its candidates. The announcement also highlighted promising data...
Avoiding Sun May Double All‑Cause Mortality Risk
Is sun avoidance a risk factor for mortality?☀️ In this 2014 study from Sweden, sun avoidance was associated with nearly a 2x higher rate of all-cause mortality compared to the most active sun exposure habits. They did find increased risk of malignant...
Vida Health Launches Metabolic Control Framework to Manage Obesity, Diabetes, and MASH
Vida Health has introduced a Metabolic Control Framework that shifts from isolated disease programs to a population‑level strategy for obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, MASH, OSA and COPD. The framework relies on a proprietary Metabolic Control Index, which aggregates clinical, biometric...
Drug Trials Snapshots: CARDAMYST
Milestone Pharmaceuticals received FDA approval on December 12, 2025 for CARDAMYST, a 70 mg nasal spray of etripamil designed to rapidly convert acute paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) to sinus rhythm. The pivotal RAPID trial enrolled 255 adults across eight countries, showing...
How to Switch Antidepressants
Long‑time SSRI user Elizabeth, 64, was instructed to stop Celexa abruptly and start Zoloft, triggering severe emotional, sensory, and cardiac symptoms. Her experience illustrates how rapid tapering can lead to protracted withdrawal, a condition often misdiagnosed as a new depressive...
Vendor Notebook: AI Tackles an Evolving Menu of Organizational Needs
Healthcare vendors are rolling out a suite of AI tools aimed at streamlining billing, coding, imaging, and fraud prevention. CentralReach’s AI agents cut revenue‑cycle work by up to 40%, while Innovaccer’s Flow Capture autonomously codes roughly 80% of patient encounters....
Digital Health Tools Must Reflect Stakeholders' Lived Experiences
Digital health developers are being urged to embed nurses, physicians, and patients directly into the design process, a stance championed by Susan Hull, the HIMSS‑ANI Nursing Informatics Changemaker honoree. Hull argues that tools built without real‑world clinical input often miss...
6 Maternity Service Closures in 2026
In 2026, six hospitals across the United States will end or relocate their labor and delivery services, adding to the 29 maternity unit closures reported in 2025. The facilities—spanning West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Iowa, and Arkansas—cited chronic staffing shortages,...
UCLA Health Creates Leadership Role for AI Innovation
UCLA Health has appointed Katherine Andriole, PhD, as the inaugural associate dean for health AI strategy and innovation at the David Geffen School of Medicine, effective March 26. She also assumes directorship of the UCLA Center for AI and SMART Health....
Measles Cases Surge to 1,575, 16 New Outbreaks
#Measles update: #CDC reports the confirmed case total this year to date is 1,575 — or 69% of the number of cases in the entirety of 2025. That's up 88 from last week. 94% of the cases are parts of...
Why Reproducible Analytics Is Critical for AI in Healthcare and Life Sciences
AI adoption in healthcare and life sciences is surging, with physician usage climbing to 66 % and firms investing heavily in machine‑learning platforms. Despite this momentum, a reproducibility crisis looms, as more than 70 % of researchers report difficulty replicating results, jeopardizing...
US Societies Lay Out Requirements for Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Procedures
Major cardiovascular societies, led by the ACC and AHA, released a consensus document outlining requirements for establishing and maintaining transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI) programs in the United States. The guidance sets minimum institutional volumes—such as at least 50 open‑heart...
1st Jesuit Medical School Advances with $2M Gift
Xavier University in Cincinnati will launch the world’s first Jesuit osteopathic medical school in fall 2027 after a $2 million gift from alumni Gary and Connie Sharpe, split with a new nursing program. Ground was broken in 2024 for a 130,000‑square‑foot...
NYC Health + Hospitals Rolls Out AI Tool to Boost Maternal Safety
NYC Health + Hospitals has launched a $2.75 million program deploying PeriWatch Vigilance, an AI‑driven early‑warning and decision‑support system for maternal‑fetal care. The tool, currently active at the North Central Bronx hospital, will be expanded to all 11 system hospitals by...
New Hospice Leaders Emerge
A wave of senior appointments is reshaping hospice leadership across the United States. Montgomery Hospice named longtime hospice operator Sara McKay as COO, while VITAS Healthcare installed Juan Gomez as VP of Finance after a stint in revenue‑cycle management. Three Oaks Hospice...
Does Benadryl Cause Dementia?
Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is an over‑the‑counter antihistamine that also acts as an anticholinergic, causing drowsiness and other side effects, especially in older adults. Observational studies link long‑term high anticholinergic exposure to increased dementia risk, though causation remains unproven. The drug appears...
Blocking TIE2 Protein May Prevent Blood Vessel Defects in the Brain
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania identified the endothelial receptor TIE2 as a pivotal link between the MEKK3‑KLF2/4 and PI3K signaling cascades that drive cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs). In mouse models, oral inhibition of TIE2 with the tyrosine‑kinase inhibitor rebastinib...
Are Nursing Homes Lying About Their Patients To Increase Profits? You Decide
Medicare introduced a lump‑sum per‑patient payment model for skilled nursing facilities, aiming to curb unnecessary therapy billing. Following the reform, SNFs markedly increased the number of diagnoses documented for each resident, creating a sharp rise in coding intensity that was...
Closing Behavioral Care Gaps: Three Ways Providers And Health Plans Can Reimagine Care
Millions of Americans face fragmented physical and behavioral care, driving costly emergency department visits and worsening outcomes. Administrative waste consumes roughly 30% of U.S. healthcare spending, while a projected shortfall of over 100,000 workers intensifies staffing pressures. Behavioral health patients...
FDA Approves Novo Nordisk's Once-Weekly Insulin
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Novo Nordisk’s once‑weekly insulin, the first longer‑acting basal therapy for type‑2 diabetes in the United States. The product, insulin icodec, demonstrated non‑inferior HbA1c reduction and comparable safety to daily basal insulins in...
Democratizing Access: How Community Hospitals Can Drive the Next Wave of Robotic Bronchoscopy
Second‑generation robotic bronchoscopy platforms now embed advanced imaging, delivering higher diagnostic accuracy for peripheral lung lesions while simplifying workflow. Community hospitals can adopt these systems using single‑use bronchoscopes, eliminating reprocessing costs and reducing procedure time. Relocating the service to endoscopy...
In‑vivo CAR‑T Achieves 4/5 MRD‑Negative Remissions
Outstanding piece here from @leilei_wuu on AstraZeneca's in vivo CAR-T for multiple myeloma. There's data on 5 patients, which is pretty lean, but 4 come out MRD negative in two months, which is extraordinary. We're going to see a lot...
Blood Test May Forecast Alzheimer’s Risk Decades Early
Could a simple blood test predict your risk of getting #Alzheimers dementia years, or even decades, before you experience memory loss? https://t.co/oLROODZbFz
EU Regulator Backs Sanofi’s Injectable Version of Blood Cancer Drug
The European Medicines Agency has issued a positive opinion on Sanofi’s subcutaneous version of Sarclisa, a drug for multiple myeloma, citing late‑stage trials that proved non‑inferior efficacy to the intravenous formulation. If the European Commission follows the EMA’s recommendation, the...
Novartis Acquires Excellergy to Secure Xolair Successor
Novartis targets Xolair successor in buyout of startup Excellergy https://t.co/eGYQ2AxTd5 by @gwendolynawu $NVS $RHHBY #startups #biotech
UCLA Health Omits Patient Polygenic Risk Scores From Study
Kudos to @UCLAHealth for assessing genomics of their patient population, published @CellCellPress today. But why weren't the results of increased polygenic risk scores (PGS) provided to the patient participants? https://t.co/F15isJfDQy https://t.co/3AW7peHa1C
Top Companies to Build and Operate Mobile Clinics for Your Organization
Four firms—BusTest Express, Odulair, CGS Premier, and Mission Mobile Medical—offer distinct pathways for organizations to launch mobile health clinics. BusTest Express provides a turnkey lease model that bundles vehicles, drivers, compliance and logistics. Odulair builds modular vans, trucks or containers...
Aging Research Gains Momentum: Collaboration Fuels Therapeutic Breakthroughs
Now at 1M+ views. What struck me most here wasn’t the views. It was the engagement. People are ready to engage seriously with aging biology. Now the opportunity is to turn that energy into stronger collaboration, better translational science, and...
Women Still Underrepresented in GI, Impacting Patient Care
Half of U.S. med students are women. But some specialties still haven’t caught up. Heading to the Women in GI Conference in Atlanta where I’ll serve on the faculty. Honored to be in the minority. Representation isn’t just about fairness. It’s about better...
Webinar: Aligning With the FDA on a Regulatory Pathway To Avoid Decision Day Surprises
A BioSpace webinar highlighted how biotech firms can close the expectation gap with the FDA to avoid last‑minute decision‑day setbacks. Speakers emphasized the FDA’s recent pledge—led by Commissioner Marty Makary and CBER Director Vinay Prasad—to provide regulatory navigation for small companies,...
AstraZeneca Honors Faerie Royalty in COPD Trial Names
Hats off to $AZN for naming its COPD trials after the king and queen of the faeries.
AI Boosts Care but May Raise Healthcare Costs
AI is providing both immense utility to clinicians, but will also drive up costs if the incentives in our current system stay the same. This may be correct billing, but it's also still MORE billing. https://t.co/jmcWQ3q3EK
Oral GLP‑1 Pill Orforglipron Beats Ozempic in Weight‑Loss Trial
Researchers reported that the oral GLP‑1 tablet orforglipron achieved greater weight loss and blood‑sugar reduction than injectable semaglutide (Ozempic) in a 52‑week phase‑3 study. The findings could shift prescribing patterns for obesity and type‑2 diabetes.
Tech Experts Overestimate Their Grasp of Cancer Biology
As someone who has covered cancer drug development for 25 years, one of the few things I am sure of is that the odds of technology folks thinking they understand biology are much higher than the odds they actually do.
Metabolic Disturbances Drive Multimorbidity, Offering Intervention Targets
Shared and specific blood biomarkers for multimorbidity "Metabolic disturbances emerged as a key driver of multimorbidity. If confirmed, these processes could represent targets for interventions to mitigate disease accumulation." https://t.co/3nuctP2eAC https://t.co/yxk5CZHiHV
UCL Study Finds Community Parenting Program Boosts Wellbeing and Narrows Inequality
A five‑year UCL‑led trial published in The Lancet Public Health reports that the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) program, delivered through community organisations, raised parental mental wellbeing and reduced family conflict for 674 disadvantaged families. The findings give policymakers robust...
NIH Foreign‑collab Restrictions Affect 25% of U.S. Scientists
Survey shows the NIH's restrictions on foreign research partnerships significantly impacted 1 in 4 U.S. scientists https://t.co/YVbTQ4tveG
Her Dad's Dementia Inspired Her to Create a Guide for Family Caregivers
Wambūi Karanja turned her father's early‑onset dementia into a catalyst for change, creating a practical guide and training program for family caregivers in Kenya. She highlighted pervasive myths that label dementia as normal aging or a spiritual curse, which delay...
FDA Commissioner Seeks Private Partnerships for Collaboration and Regulation
Couple interesting meetings for FDA Commissioner Makary: met with Arnold Ventures on Mar. 3 about "collaboration opportunities" https://t.co/vEyhDu5xaW and with $MNPR on "establishing a regulatory mechanism" on Mar. 13 https://t.co/DHaD6IlvCS
UT Health San Antonio Launches Precision Rapamycin Trial in 84 Seniors
UT Health San Antonio has started a National Institute on Aging‑funded, randomized trial of rapamycin and everolimus in roughly 84 adults 65 to 90 years old. The six‑week study will assess safety, optimal dosing and biological markers of healthy aging,...
WPI AI Model Predicts Alzheimer’s with 93% Accuracy From MRI Scans
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute unveiled an artificial‑intelligence model that identifies Alzheimer’s disease from MRI scans with 93% accuracy. The breakthrough could shift screening from symptom‑based to image‑based detection, accelerating treatment and trial enrollment.
Hartford HealthCare and KHealth Deploy PatientGPT AI Chatbot to Streamline Care and Underwriting
Hartford HealthCare and KHealth introduced PatientGPT, a generative AI chatbot that plugs into Epic’s MyChart platform and can route patients to clinicians 24/7. The tool arrives as 32% of adults already turn to AI for health advice, raising questions about...
Questioning Rural Medicaid Inclusion in New Initiative
This is a great step and should be applauded. But is anyone on the list who lives in a rural area and qualifies for Medicaid? Love to suggest that for humble consideration.
Health Insurers’ Negative Outlook Remains, as High Medical Costs Erase Margins
Moody’s has kept a negative outlook on the U.S. health‑insurance sector, citing persistent medical‑cost inflation that is crushing profit margins. EBITDA margins have slipped into the low‑single‑digit range as loss ratios climb faster than premium hikes. Insurers are expected to...
Nine Sickened in E. Coli Outbreak Tied to Raw Farm Dairy Products in California
Nine individuals, five of them under five years old, have been infected with E. coli after consuming raw milk and cheddar cheese from Raw Farm in Fresno, California. The CDC has warned consumers to avoid the cheese, while the FDA faces...