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
Is It Safe To Eat Sushi While You’re Pregnant?
Pregnant women face heightened risks when consuming raw or undercooked sushi due to potential Listeria infection, mercury exposure, and parasites. Maternal‑fetal specialist Dr. Cara Dolin advises eliminating raw fish, sashimi, nigiri, and high‑mercury species such as shark and swordfish. Safe options include cooked fish rolls, low‑mercury seafood like salmon, and vegetarian varieties, provided the establishment follows strict hygiene practices. The FDA recommends limiting low‑mercury fish to two to three four‑ounce servings per week for optimal fetal development.
Thyme Care Launches Integrated Social Support (ISS) Model Powered by AI Acuity Engine
Thyme Care has launched an Integrated Social Support (ISS) model that places licensed master‑level social workers as the first point of contact for cancer patients. The model proactively screens 100% of members at enrollment, uncovering that 53% face financial toxicity,...
Spray Shield Adhering to Transplant Organs Could Ease Lifelong Immunosuppressant Burden for Patients
Researchers at POSTECH and Ewha Womans University have created “Immune‑Shield,” a sprayable adhesive microgel that locally delivers immunosuppressive drugs onto transplanted organ surfaces. The mussel‑inspired coating adheres robustly in wet environments, providing sustained release and dramatically increasing graft survival in...
This Nigerian Diaspora Founder Is Using AI to Predict Healthcare Risks in the US
Nigerian‑born entrepreneur Tolu Fagbola, together with his US‑based brother, launched Vimedra to apply voice‑AI and predictive analytics to US healthcare. Their patent‑pending algorithm fuses social determinants with clinical data, creating risk profiles that flag patients likely to generate costly emergency...
Combination GLP-1 Therapy Reduces Fat Mass While Preserving Lean Muscle in Adults with Obesity
A recent double‑blind trial found that a combination of two GLP‑1 receptor agonists cut fat mass significantly while sparing lean muscle in adults with obesity. Over 24 weeks, participants lost an average of 5 % body fat, with lean mass decline...
Don't Bet on One AI Vendor: Claude Beats ChatGPT, Gemini
The AI tool I called “best in class” just got dethroned - in three months. So when health systems go all-in on one AI vendor, is that a BIG mistake? I was loyal to ChatGPT. Then I became Gemini-pilled. Recently my...
Promising Henlus Data Tripped up by Psychedelic Trial Design Dilemma
Helus Pharma reported Phase II data for its psychedelic candidate HLP004, indicating symptom improvement in generalized anxiety disorder patients for up to six months. However, the trial’s low‑dose active control arm showed similar efficacy, making it difficult to isolate the...
Promising Helus Data Tripped up by Psychedelic Trial Design Dilemma
Helus Pharma reported Phase II data for its psychedelic candidate HLP004 in generalized anxiety disorder, showing symptom improvement lasting six months. However, the trial’s active low‑dose control produced outcomes similar to the therapeutic dose, making it difficult to isolate the drug’s...
Glass 4.0 AI Tops NOHARM, Beats Human Physicians
Today, @DrJessePines, writing in @Forbes, covered the NOHARM benchmark — one of the most rigorous evaluations of clinical AI to date. 100 real medical cases across 10 specialties, 12,747 specialist annotations on beneficial and harmful medical actions, and 31 AI systems rigorously...
PBM Critics Overlook Their Owners' Low, Stagnant Margins
So I've read a few long essays on how abusive pharmaceutical benefit managers and group purchasing organizations are, and they all make a strong case. And then I look at the companies that own PBMs, and their margins are a)...
Dr. James Barry
Margaret Ann Bulkley, born in 1789 Ireland, assumed the male identity of Dr. James Barry to pursue a medical career at a time when women were barred from formal practice. Graduating from the University of Edinburgh at seventeen, Barry served...
Advanced Vaccine Manufacturing in Australia to Supply Canada with 15 Million Pandemic Doses
Australian biotech firm CSL Seqirus has secured a contract with Canada’s Public Health Agency to deliver up to 15 million doses of a cell‑based, adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine if the WHO declares a pandemic. The doses will be manufactured at CSL...
PregaNews Film Encourages Conversations Around Postpartum Depression This Women’s Day
India’s leading pregnancy detection brand PregaNews has launched a digital film ahead of International Women’s Day to spark open conversations about postpartum depression. The short film highlights how many new mothers silently endure emotional and physical strain, normalising these challenges...
Genetically Modified Pig Liver Keeps Man Alive Until Human Organ Transplant
A 56‑year‑old Chinese patient became the first living person to be connected to a genetically modified pig liver via extracorporeal perfusion, keeping him alive until a human liver transplant could be performed. The operation, carried out at Xijing Hospital, used...
Uncharted: Understanding Women’s Health Across the Body
Researchers are exposing a century‑long blind spot in biomedical science: the systematic exclusion of women’s bodies from data. Since the NIH’s 2016 mandate to treat sex as a biological variable, large‑scale disaggregation of health datasets has revealed that women live...
Tylenol Orders in Pregnant People Plummeted After Trump Falsely Linked the Medicine to Autism
A Lancet analysis shows that after President Trump falsely linked acetaminophen to autism, emergency‑room orders for Tylenol among pregnant patients fell up to 20%, while prescriptions for the unproven autism treatment leucovorin in children rose 71%. The study examined 88,857...
HL7 Launches FHIR Accelerator Focused on Medical Device Interoperability
HL7 announced the Caliper FHIR Accelerator, a new implementation community focused on standardizing medical device data exchange. The initiative builds on HL7’s 2025 effort and joins existing FHIR accelerators such as Argonaut and CARIN. Founding members Dexcom and GE HealthCare...
Program Launched to Recycle Used Clear Aligners Across Australia and New Zealand
Angelalign Technology has launched a recycling program for used clear aligners in partnership with TerraCycle, covering dental and orthodontic practices across Australia and New Zealand. The initiative uses TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box system to collect multi‑layered plastic aligners, which are...
HHS Says About 50 Medical Schools Will Add Nutrition Training To Curricula
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that about 50 medical schools across 31 states will add at least 40 hours of nutrition training to their four‑year undergraduate curricula starting this fall. The initiative, driven by HHS Secretary...
AI Accelerates Rare Disease Diagnosis, Saving Lives
What good things is AI doing? Here's 10 things my AI agents found here on X that are examples of good things AI has done for humans. +++++ 1. "ChatGPT saved my life" — grocery store conversation about an ultra-rare diagnosis "Doctors...
![[Comment] Pimicotinib: A New Agent for an Orphan Disease](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/5b160e8a2b2821c82aa66047ca629679.webp)
[Comment] Pimicotinib: A New Agent for an Orphan Disease
Tenosynovial giant cell tumour (TGCT) is a rare, locally aggressive neoplasm driven by CSF‑1 over‑expression. The phase 3 MANEUVER trial evaluated pimicotinib, a selective CSF1R kinase inhibitor, against placebo in patients with inoperable or relapsed diffuse‑type TGCT. Results demonstrated statistically significant...
![[Correspondence] Changes in Paracetamol and Leucovorin Use After a White House Briefing](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/59b0c8a4048a3d105c9221755df21495.webp)
[Correspondence] Changes in Paracetamol and Leucovorin Use After a White House Briefing
The White House briefing on Sept 22 2025 linking prenatal acetaminophen to autism and promoting leucovorin was followed by an interrupted‑time‑series analysis of the Epic Cosmos database. Emergency‑department orders for paracetamol among pregnant women fell 10% (OER 0.90) while use among non‑pregnant women showed...
PBM Reforms May Open a New Era for Group Health Plan Sponsors
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 (CAA 2026) introduces sweeping federal regulation of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for employer‑sponsored group health plans. It mandates full 100 percent rebate pass‑through and detailed compensation disclosure, with semi‑annual reporting requirements taking effect for calendar‑year plans...
New Alliance CEO Sheets Puts Spotlight On Home Health Fraud, Waste And Abuse
Jennifer Sheets, the new CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home, is making home‑health program integrity her top priority after CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz highlighted fraud, waste and abuse in the sector. She has urged CMS to form...
Antares Vision Group to Debut Prefilled Syringe Inspection and Leak Detection System at Interphex NYC 2026
Antares Vision Group will showcase its new CY Series automatic visual inspection and leak detection system for prefilled syringes at Interphex NYC 2026. The CY Series can inspect up to 200 syringes per minute, handling glass or plastic containers up...
From Billing to Strategy: Elevating the Patient Financial Experience
Patient financial experience has shifted from a back‑office billing function to a strategic, end‑to‑end service that directly impacts revenue integrity and brand trust. Research shows that transparent cost estimates and digital, omni‑channel payment options improve patient engagement, reduce disputes, and...
Medicare Claims Processing Modernization Gains Urgency at CMS
The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency is pushing CMS to replace the decades‑old COBOL‑based Medicare claims system with a real‑time, cloud‑native platform. CMS issued an RFI in January seeking vendors capable of supporting at least two million members and processing...
Omada Launches Flexible GLP‑1 Care for Employers
When it comes to GLP‑1s, many employers feel stuck between “do nothing” and “all‑in coverage.” That’s not a great set of choices, especially when they want to find a way to say yes. I’m excited that @OmadaHealth is adding a...
Wide Awake At 2 A.M.? Here’s Why Insomnia Peaks During Menopause
Menopausal women experience a sharp rise in insomnia, with up to two‑thirds reporting sleep disturbances during the transition. Hormonal declines—especially estrogen, progesterone, and melatonin—trigger night sweats, cortisol spikes, and heightened anxiety that fragment sleep. Recent studies show cognitive‑behavioral therapy for...
Applications Now Being Accepted for for Imaging for Impact Award
Cassling has opened applications for its 2026 Imaging for Impact Award, a national program recognizing imaging professionals and healthcare teams that improve patient outcomes and expand access to care. Submissions are accepted through April 1, 2026, and the award, now in its...
Your GLP-1 Drugs May Also Have Yet Another Undiscovered Benefit
A new observational study of nearly 22,000 chronic‑migraine patients found that those who started GLP‑1 receptor agonists for diabetes or obesity experienced fewer severe migraine events than peers on the preventive drug topiramide. Over a 12‑month follow‑up, GLP‑1 users had...
AI Startups Are Tying Fees to Completed Tasks. Will Hospitals Buy In?
Healthcare AI startups are moving from traditional SaaS subscriptions to transaction‑based pricing, charging per successfully completed task such as scheduling or intake workflows. Companies like Prosper AI, MedCalls.ai and Intelliclinic tie fees to usage, promising alignment with customer ROI. Investors...
Reducing Licensing Friction to Unlock Clinician Capacity with Dr. Ian Madom, CEO & Co-Founder of Mocingbird
In this episode, Dr. Ian Madome, orthopedic spine surgeon and CEO of Mockingbird, discusses the administrative burdens clinicians face around licensing, CME, and compliance, and how Mockingbird’s SaaS platform automates credential tracking for both individual providers and health system administrators....
Google Cloud to Showcase How Gemini-Powered AI Agents Are Transforming Healthcare at HIMSS26
Google Cloud announced a suite of Gemini‑powered AI agents at HIMSS26, partnering with major health players including Humana, CVS Health, Highmark, Waystar and Quest Diagnostics. The agents target patient engagement, workflow automation, revenue‑cycle management and lab‑result interpretation, leveraging the Vertex...
Baroreflex Activation for Advanced HF Yields Positive Results: Postmarketing Data
Baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) using the Barostim implant demonstrated sustained improvements in left‑ventricular ejection fraction and NYHA functional class in the real‑world REBALANCE registry of 435 advanced HFrEF patients. Six‑month data showed LVEF rising from 26.8 % to 29.9 % and 34 %...
Healthcare's Hidden Fees: Records, Forms, and ER Parking
Things that I think are diabolical: 1) Being charged per page for your *electronic* medical records 2) Being charged for your doctor to complete a necessary form 3) no validation for emergency room parking Yes, there are far more diabolical things...
Sleep Quality Tied to Eating Timing and Duration
Indices of Sleep Health Are Associated With Timing and Duration of Eating in Young Adults - Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics https://t.co/RztLzXUScr
HHS, DOE Announce Nutrition Education Initiative for Medical Schools
On March 5, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education unveiled a joint initiative to embed nutrition education into medical school curricula beginning the 2024‑25 academic year. The program secured commitments from 53 medical schools to deliver at...
Ribosome-Targeted Drugs Redefine Psychiatry and Beyond
Ribosomes as Drug Targets. The Quiet Rewrite of Psychiatry and Beyond. | Ep. 950 https://t.co/gKlWpzO1Ci https://t.co/ImGOmUVrSO
Longevity Conference Calendar Revealed, Forum Starts Next Week
2026 aging/longevity conferences mostly have announced dates now. A few date just announced. Here's what the schedule looks like at the moment. Next up is Longevity Global's Longevity Innovation Forum in San Diego next week. https://t.co/mIDmfQD38H I'll be there & speaking. https://t.co/4mRLXJmGgg
Strength in Numbers: Nonprofit Launches Consortium to Improve Public Health Data and Outcomes
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) announced a new public‑health data consortium, partnering with Veritas Data Research and HealthVerity to create a secure data exchange for state and territorial health agencies. The effort seeks to integrate real‑world...
Resveratrol Eases Neuropathic Pain via Mitochondrial Restoration
Neuropathic pain affects 7-10% of all people globally. New 🐁 study finds resveratrol alleviates neuropathic pain associated with restoration of mitochondrial dynamics 👏 https://t.co/zJ8LvwZ9UP https://t.co/hdCK7UgqBj
Fragmented Workflows Turn Liability as AI Defies Hierarchy
Ambient scribe → codes → claims → payments. AI doesn’t respect org charts. NextGen explains why fragmented workflows are becoming a liability. 👀 🔗 https://t.co/557h8ofHZ0 @NextGen #AmbulatoryEHR #HITSM
AHA Resources Available Ahead of National Hospital Week
On March 5, the American Hospital Association (AHA) unveiled a digital toolkit and a line of merchandise ahead of National Hospital Week, scheduled for May 10‑16. The toolkit provides social‑media graphics, sample messaging, and event ideas, while new apparel and gifts enable...
Americans Trust Federal Scientists More than RFK, Jr., Poll Suggests
A new University of Pennsylvania Annenberg poll of 1,650 U.S. adults finds that 67% trust scientists at federal health agencies while only 43% trust the agencies’ political leaders. Trust in the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association...
FDA Issues RFI on In-Home Opioid Disposal Products
The FDA issued a Request for Information (RFI) on March 5, 2026, asking for public input about new standards for in‑home opioid disposal products. The agency is evaluating whether opioid manufacturers should be required to supply disposal systems directly through dispensers....
High-Sensitivity Troponin Protocol Most Successful at Freestanding EDs
A new RACE‑IT study of 32,609 chest‑pain patients shows that a high‑sensitivity troponin protocol enables far faster discharge in freestanding emergency departments than in hospital EDs. Using an accelerated one‑hour rule‑out pathway, 95 % of low‑risk patients left freestanding sites safely,...
Therapeutic mRNA Reverses Genetic Infertility in Male Mouse Model
Scientists delivered naked Cldn11 messenger RNA directly into the testes of genetically infertile male mice, restoring Sertoli cell function and enabling spermatogenesis. The treatment produced viable sperm that generated healthy offspring via in‑vitro fertilization, without permanent germline alteration. The approach...
Cardiologists Develop New AI Screening Tool for Structural Heart Disease
Columbia University cardiologists unveiled EchoNext, an AI algorithm that analyzes standard electrocardiograms to screen for structural heart disease such as severe aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation and heart failure. In a published JACC case report, the tool flagged an asymptomatic 84‑year‑old...
Activities Report of the Generic Drug Program (FY 2025) – FDARA Title VIII Sections 807 and 805
The FDA’s FY 2025 Generic Drug Program report details progress on abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) under priority review and competitive generic therapy (CGT) designations. By the fourth quarter, pending priority‑review ANDAs fell to 40, while CGT ANDAs awaiting FDA action...