Today's Healthcare Pulse
Abridge teams with Eli Lilly and Nvidia to expand AI scribe platform
Abridge announced a strategic investment from Eli Lilly and a partnership with Nvidia to build a foundation model for clinical conversations. The collaboration aims to broaden Abridge’s AI‑scribe services across more health systems and integrate with payers. The company already supports over 300 health systems.
Also developing:
IV Vitamin Therapy: Does It Work?
IV vitamin therapy is gaining popularity as a wellness service that delivers nutrients directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system. Proponents claim benefits such as improved mental clarity, fatigue reduction, and immune support, while critics point to limited high‑quality research confirming these effects. The FDA and pharmacy boards have issued safety warnings about unregulated compounding practices in many clinics. Prices vary widely, with basic sessions starting around $150 and premium formulations exceeding $1,000.
Pacemakers Vs. Defibrillators: What’s the Difference?
Pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are small, sub‑cutaneous devices that correct abnormal heart rhythms, but they operate differently. Pacemakers deliver mild electrical pulses to keep a slow or irregular heartbeat steady, while ICDs monitor for rapid, life‑threatening arrhythmias and...
60 Seconds With … Kristof De Smedt
Kristof De Smedt, a veteran with over 25 years in pharma logistics, was promoted on October 1 2025 to Global Market Segment Director for Airlines and Logistic Providers at Cold Chain Technologies (CCT) following its acquisitions of Tower Cold Chain and Global...
Add AI Breast Artery Calcification Scan to Mammograms
Mammography should include AI assessment of breast artery calcification, since it provides very useful information about cardiovascular risk https://t.co/yfTbTRrOuY https://t.co/h1C8ZnHepJ
European Survey Highlights Gaps in Care for Women with Hormonal Migraine
A European Migraine and Headache Alliance survey of 5,410 women revealed major gaps in diagnosing and treating hormonally linked migraine. Forty‑two percent of respondents had never received a formal diagnosis, and 35% reported that doctors never discussed their symptoms. While...
Predictive Preventive Care Among 3 New Initiatives Announced to Strengthen Healthcare Affordability in Singapore
Singapore’s Ministry of Health unveiled three new measures to curb rising healthcare costs as the nation becomes a super‑aged society. From 2027, MediSave withdrawal limits will rise to S$700 for basic chronic care and S$1,000 for complex cases, while the...
AI Can Predict Risk of Serious Heart Disease From Mammograms
Researchers at Emory University used artificial intelligence to evaluate arterial calcium visible on routine mammograms, linking it to future cardiovascular events. The study examined 123,762 women without prior heart disease and found that mild, moderate, and severe breast arterial calcification...
AI Won’t Replace Radiologists: Lessons for All Doctors
My latest Substack: Why predictions that radiologists will be replaced by AI (including, famously, by genAI founding father and Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton) have been wildly off base, and what that teaches us about job replacement for doctors. https://t.co/hz2gKz6Ewh https://t.co/waJUY22Qk1
Morning Headlines 3/9/26
Epic Systems has launched a series of lawsuits targeting patent trolls and other entities it deems harmful to the healthcare software ecosystem. The company’s legal offensive seeks injunctions and damages to safeguard its multi‑billion‑dollar portfolio. Simultaneously, industry observers note a...
NHS England Pauses New Prescriptions of Cross-Sex Hormones for Under-18s
NHS England has temporarily stopped new prescriptions of cross‑sex hormones for 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds after an evidence review deemed the existing research on benefits and harms “really weak.” The pause applies only to new cases; current patients will continue treatment...
NHS England Pauses New Prescriptions of Cross-Sex Hormones for Under-18s
NHS England has temporarily stopped issuing new cross‑sex hormone prescriptions to 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds after an independent review deemed the existing evidence on benefits and harms "remarkably weak." The pause applies only to NHS‑funded care; patients already on treatment will...
Why This Rural Health System Is Scaling AI for Point-of-Care Decision Making
Presbyterian Healthcare Services in New Mexico is expanding its use of GW RhythmX’s AI‑powered precision‑care platform, now deployed with 200 primary‑care clinicians across its nine‑hospital system. The tool, embedded in the Epic EHR, surfaces clinical insights and evidence‑based recommendations at...
Digital Summary Integrated in Healthdirect Australia’s Video Calls Nationwide
Healthdirect Australia has launched a Patient Consult Summary (PCS) application within its video‑call platform, which handles more than 150,000 virtual consultations each month. The tool lets clinicians create and share concise, plain‑English summaries instantly via typing, speech‑to‑text, or copy‑paste, and...
Hong Kong, Canada to Create Testbed for Agetech
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Toronto have signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a Joint Research Centre on Healthy Ageing and AgeTech. The centre will conduct cross‑border pilots in hospitals, long‑term care homes and community...
Arq Inc (ARQ) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Arcutis Biotherapeutics reported record Q4 2025 results, with net product revenue of $127.5 million, an 84% year‑over‑year increase, and full‑year revenue up 123% to $372.1 million. Management raised its 2026 net product revenue guidance to $480‑$495 million, citing strong prescription growth, expanded Medicare...
Boundless Bio Inc (BOLD) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Biodesix reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $88.5 million, a 4,124 % year‑over‑year increase driven largely by its lung‑diagnostics business. Gross margins rose to 83 % in Q4 and the company posted its first positive adjusted EBITDA of $530 k. A strengthened balance sheet now...
BETA Technologies Inc (BETA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Beta Bionics reported a 54% jump in 2025 net sales to $100.3 million, with Q4 revenue climbing 57% to $32.1 million. Gross margin improved to 55.4% for the year and 59% in Q4, driven by scale and a growing pharmacy channel that...
Zevra Therapeutics Inc (ZVRA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Zevra Therapeutics reported Q3 2025 net revenue of $26.1 million, driven primarily by $22.4 million from its FDA‑approved NPC therapy MyPlayFa. The company narrowed its net loss to $0.5 million, a dramatic improvement from a $33.2 million loss a year earlier, while cash and...
Editas Medicine Inc (EDIT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Editas Medicine reported Q2 2024 progress on its gene‑edited cell therapy reni‑cel, presenting interim data from the RUBY sickle‑cell and EdiTHAL beta‑thalassemia trials. All 18 RUBY patients were free of vaso‑occlusive events, with hemoglobin levels above 14 g/dL and fetal hemoglobin exceeding...
AND Logic Nanoparticle for Precision Immunotherapy of Metastatic Cancers
Researchers have engineered a dual‑stimuli‑responsive nanoparticle that activates the STING pathway only when both acidic pH and hypoxic NQO1 activity are present, creating an AND‑logic release of the agonist MSA‑2. In preclinical models of lung carcinoma, triple‑negative breast cancer and...
ARS Pharmaceuticals Inc (SPRY) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
ARS Pharmaceuticals reported a pivotal quarter, with U.S. Neffy net product revenue soaring to $31.3 million—a 2.5‑fold quarter‑over‑quarter increase that beat consensus. New prescriber market share reached 10.3% and provider adoption rose 85% since August, while the Get Neffy On...
Seattle Book Launch Tackles Racial Trauma and Healing Costs
Are you looking to be part of a meaningful conversation, Seattle? On April 1, I’ll be at Elliott Bay Book Company for the launch of my book, The Cost of Healing in Silence. We’ll be in conversation about racial trauma, culturally...
Hong Kong: AI-Enhanced Ultrasound for Faster, Safer Diagnostics
University of Hong Kong researchers unveiled SonoMeta, an AI‑powered ultrasound system that uses engineered metamaterials to steer sound waves around rib bones. The meta‑lens design improves imaging depth, allowing clear visualization of cardiac valves up to 10 cm behind the ribcage...
news.com.au Ignites National Menopause Debate with ‘Fire Up’ Campaign
Australian news site news.com.au has launched the four‑week “Fire Up” campaign to spark a national conversation on menopause, partnering with Priceline Pharmacy. The initiative, informed by a survey of over 2,000 Australians, highlights that 37% of respondents know little about...
Recreational Drugs Can More than Double Risk of Stroke, Study Suggests
A large meta‑analysis of 32 studies involving over 100 million people found that recreational drug use significantly raises stroke risk. Amphetamine users face a 122 % higher risk, cocaine users 96 % higher, and cannabis users 37 % higher compared with non‑users. The risk...
ChatGPT Provided Wrong Advice In Over 50% Medical Emergencies Tested
A peer‑reviewed study from Icahn School of Medicine evaluated ChatGPT Health across 60 clinical scenarios and 960 interactions. The model delivered correct advice for just 35.2% of non‑urgent cases and 48.4% of true emergencies, often down‑triaging serious conditions like asthma...
U.S. Healthcare Wastes $450 Billion Annually
Reminder that it’s costing us about $450 BILLION more every year to have this shitty healthcare system https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32061298/
Nurses Beyond Borders: The Philippine Dilemma – Wanted Worldwide, Needed at Home
The article highlights the ongoing exodus of Filipino nurses, driven by low domestic pay, heavy workloads, and better overseas opportunities. While the Philippines supplies 300‑350 k nurses abroad and earns a record $38 billion in remittances, the home health system faces severe...
Why Many Americans Are Discovering a Healthier Life in Italy
Americans are increasingly relocating to Italy, drawn first by the low‑cost, universal health system that eliminates the fear of massive medical bills. Once settled, many discover a healthier lifestyle driven by the Mediterranean diet, walkable neighborhoods, and a slower daily...
Winter Wonder: Sweden’s Helicopter Emergency Medical Services
Sweden’s archipelagos and severe winter weather make helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) exceptionally challenging, requiring pilots to navigate low clouds, ice, and sudden wind shifts. Avincis Sweden operates 13 H145 helicopters from ten bases, handling 124 missions over a three‑day...
Why Hospitals Shouldn’t Own Physician Practices: 6 Key Reasons
Hospital systems have accelerated acquisitions of physician practices, claiming cost savings and better coordination, yet evidence shows the opposite. Ownership reclassifies office visits as hospital outpatient services, adding facility fees that raise patient costs without improving outcomes. It also erodes...
Denial of Brain: How Therapy Can Struggle With Neuroscience
The article argues that many therapists either dismiss neuroscience or weaponize it, creating a "brain denial" that hampers effective treatment. Recent advances in neuromodulation—such as TMS, tDCS, and focused ultrasound—demonstrate that directly altering brain networks can produce rapid, measurable improvements...
What Happened to Boris Johnson's '40 New NHS Hospitals'?
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised 40 new NHS hospitals by 2030, a flagship pledge of the 2019 Conservative manifesto. The ambition stalled as the COVID‑19 pandemic, successive ministerial reshuffles, and fiscal pressures halted the construction pipeline, leaving none of...
The First Payer Jumped
Clover Health announced it is the first payer to go live on a CMS‑aligned health information exchange network, marking a tangible step toward nationwide interoperability. The rollout enables Medicare Advantage members to retrieve claims and clinical data through FHIR‑based APIs,...
Scientific Considerations in Demonstrating Biosimilarity to a Reference Product
The FDA has issued a final guidance titled “Scientific Considerations in Demonstrating Biosimilarity to a Reference Product.” The document outlines the agency’s scientific framework for establishing biosimilarity of therapeutic proteins submitted via the abbreviated licensure pathway. It details expectations for...
Making a 'Digital Twin' Of Yourself Could Revolutionize Future Surgeries, Making Medical Procedures Much More Personal
Dr. John Pandolfino at Northwestern Medicine has created a digital twin of the esophagus to guide myotomy surgery for achalasia patients. The virtual model reproduces pressure and motion, runs millions of simulations, and recommends the optimal surgical cut. A 400‑patient...
Eating Ultra-Processed Foods Is Not Linked to Faster Mental Decline, Study Finds
A ten‑year longitudinal study of 1,371 Dutch adults found that consuming ultra‑processed foods, which made up about 20% of daily diet weight, did not accelerate cognitive decline. Researchers used the NOVA classification to quantify processing levels and applied multiple cognitive...
NSW Health Continues to Use Machine Known to Produce Inaccurate Results to Test Child Blood Lead Levels
New South Wales Health continues to use the LeadCare II point‑of‑care device to screen children’s blood lead levels in Broken Hill despite known accuracy issues and a 2020 TGA removal from the national register. The machine can produce errors of +/- 6 µg/dL,...
Virtual-First Care Shouldn’t Spark an “A-Ha” Moment Anymore
Michael Dalton argues that virtual‑first care has moved beyond a novelty, yet many health‑system leaders still react with surprise when they see fully integrated models. He highlights that true virtual‑first requires deep EHR integration, clinical governance, and seamless handoffs, not...
The Pipes Are Finally Moving: Why Clinical Event Streaming Is the Infrastructure Bet Nobody Took Seriously Enough
The healthcare data landscape is finally moving from three‑decades of batch ETL to event‑driven pipelines powered by Kafka, Flink and modern cloud services. Legacy systems were built around billing cycles, leaving clinicians without real‑time data for urgent decisions. Recent API...
Ivermectin & Fenbendazole - Bridging the Gap - Repurposed Drugs in Naturopathic Oncology
Amanda King ND’s recent post highlights the growing interest in repurposing ivermectin and fenbendazole as adjuncts in naturopathic oncology. She outlines pre‑clinical evidence suggesting anti‑cancer properties for both agents and discusses how they fit into an integrative treatment protocol. The...
Childhood Obesity at a Record High as MAHA Presses for Changes to Kids' Diets
New CDC data shows over one‑in‑five U.S. children were obese between 2021‑2023, a record high and a sharp rise from 5.2% in the 1970s. The surge coincided with pandemic‑related school meal disruptions and cuts to nutrition programs, prompting the Make...
Weekly Reads: Support Brain Tumor Work, Prasad Is Out (Again), Genetic Conditions, Texas AG, Immunotherapy Paper, SCBEM
The newsletter urges donations to support a lab studying lethal childhood glioma, noting NIH grant success rates of only 4‑5%. It reports FDA biologics chief Vinay Prasad’s second departure, a rare leadership turnover that could affect approval stability. Additional highlights...
The Aging of America Could Make HCA Healthcare a Long-Term Winner
HCA Healthcare posted a strong Q4 2025 earnings beat, with EPS rising 29% to $8.01 and adjusted EBITDA up 11% YoY, despite revenue missing estimates by $158 million. The company logged its 19th straight quarter of volume growth and reported roughly 47 million...
Zero Calcium Score Redefines Heart Disease Risk
The Power of Zero - Why CAC Scoring Changes Everything for Heart Disease Risk https://youtu.be/XVNLubDAE-M https://www.innerscopic.com/
Vinay Prasad Mocked for Hosting Controversial HHS/FDA Call
Too funny. @emilyakopp (below) outs Vinay Prasad as the host of Thursday’s HHS/FDA media call to discuss $QURE.
COVID Infection Can Cause Lasting Immune Damage, Masks Essential
A single Covid infection can permanently destroy your immune system, (yes even if you’re fully vaxxed). That’s why it’s so crucial to actually prevent infection by wearing a respirator mask and ventilating the air
Understanding CGM Accuracy and Usage – Join Our Webinar
Learn what CGM sensors measure, how accurate they are and get clear guidance on how to use them. Register to the webinar: https://t.co/ZfMJ6h3ak0 https://t.co/0YCTKzK85x
Key Modifiable Dementia Risks Identified in Norway Seniors
Potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia in Norway (HUNT4 70+): a retrospective cohort study https://t.co/8DUSdzlf4e
Health IT Licensing Must Shift From Seats to Token Usage
Direct implications for Health IT licensing -- as HTI-5 proposes AI/RPA as a first-class means of "access"/"use" of health information.