Today's Healthcare Pulse
FDA greenlights four new oncology products, including AstraZeneca’s Truqap
The FDA approved four oncology products in mid‑June 2026: AstraZeneca’s AKT inhibitor Truqap for PTEN‑deficient metastatic prostate cancer, Roche’s VENTANA PTEN companion diagnostic, Bayer’s low‑dose MRI contrast agent Ambelvist, and MSD’s Keytruda‑Welireg combo for high‑risk renal cell carcinoma. Truqap demonstrated a 19% reduction in disease‑progression risk and added 7.5 months of progression‑free survival. The approvals were reported by Pharmaceutical Technology and PharmaShots.
Also developing:
The Science of Controlling Drug Release in Implants with Ultrasonic Spray Coating
Ultrasonic spray coating is emerging as a core engineering discipline for drug‑eluting implants, with parameters such as drug‑to‑polymer ratio, nitrogen carrier‑gas flow, nozzle height, and spray power dictating coating thickness, profile, and elution behavior. The article explains how variations in these settings change drug release rates, influencing FDA‑required release profiles and patient outcomes. It advocates using fractional factorial design of experiments to define robust process windows, minimizing reliance on intuition. Early mastery of these variables can streamline scale‑up, regulatory submissions, and improve long‑term device performance.
Promoters and Enhancers: Tool Catches Gene-Controlling DNA Sequences Doing Each Other's Jobs
Researchers at Cornell’s Weill Institute introduced QUASARR‑seq, a high‑throughput assay that measures promoter and enhancer activity simultaneously. The study found that most human regulatory elements can function as both promoters and enhancers, following a unified regulatory logic. A bidirectional feedback...
Cybersecurity and AI in the Era of Home-Based Care Logistics
Kenco’s vice‑president of life sciences, Tim McClatchy, detailed how the firm is hardening cybersecurity across its manufacturer‑to‑home delivery network while deploying AI to streamline labor planning and route optimization. He explained the specific encryption and verification steps used at each...
Cyberattacks on Hospitals Cost Lives. Here’s How to Fight Back at Machine Speed.
Morpheus is an AI‑driven platform that ingests alerts from a hospital’s existing security stack—SIEM, EDR, firewalls, NDR, email security, DLP and identity tools—and stitches them into a single ransomware kill‑chain view. By correlating these signals, it can surface an attack...
STAT+: Trump Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Deals End After Three Years for some Companies
President Trump’s "most‑favored nation" (MFN) drug pricing agreements, touted as a safeguard against excessive prescription costs, have been revealed to run for three years for several participants. SEC filings show that 16 pharmaceutical firms have entered these deals, each with...
CMS Eyes AI To Tackle Coding Under ‘CRUSH’ Anti-Fraud Plan
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is evaluating artificial‑intelligence tools to improve the precision of Medicare Advantage coding and hospital billing. The initiative is part of the Trump administration’s proposed CRUSH (Combatting and Reducing Unnecessary Spending and Healthcare...
Life Mirrors Art: Ransomware Hits Hospitals on TV & IRL
The recent episode of HBO’s drama "The Pitt" portrayed a hospital’s IT systems being shut down by ransomware, forcing clinicians to revert to paper‑based processes. Hours later, the University of Mississippi Medical Center confirmed a real ransomware breach that crippled...
Median Technologies to Present at the TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference
Median Technologies announced it will present at TD Cowen’s 46th Annual Health Care Conference in Boston from March 2‑4, 2026. CEO Fredrik Brag will discuss the company’s latest AI‑driven SaMD developments and upcoming milestones on March 4 at 11:10 am ET. The presentation will be...
ViVE 2026: The Federal Policies and Priorities Shaping Healthcare IT
The federal government unveiled a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, allocating $10 billion per year to states for preventive care, workforce development, and technology upgrades. HHS also announced stricter enforcement of information‑blocking rules, creating a portal for patient‑data complaints. Simultaneously, officials...
AHA Shares Recommendations with ASTP/ONC on HTI-5 Proposed Rule
The American Hospital Association (AHA) submitted formal recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and the Office of the National Coordinator (ASTP/ONC) regarding the Health Data, Technology and Interoperability (HTI‑5) proposed rule. The rule seeks to deregulate certification criteria,...
AHA Releases Agenda for New Healthier Together Conference
The American Hospital Association (AHA) unveiled the agenda for its first‑ever Healthier Together Conference, set for May 12‑14 in Dallas. The three‑day event will host more than 40 sessions delivered by nearly 200 speakers representing over 100 organizations from 20 states....
Size-Shifting Nanoparticles Successfully Deliver mRNA Medicine to the Pancreas
Researchers have engineered size‑shifting lipid nanoparticles that grow from ~100 nm to >300 nm after intraperitoneal injection, exploiting a capsule‑filter mechanism that blocks entry into the liver and spleen while allowing passage to the pancreas. The enlarged particles deliver mRNA payloads—including CRISPR‑Cas9...
AI Helps Identify Risk in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease
Survival rates for congenital heart disease (CHD) have risen, creating an estimated 1.4 million adult patients who often require repeat surgeries. At the 2026 Society of Thoracic Surgeons meeting, Mayo Clinic researchers presented a machine‑learning model that isolates 15 key variables...
Pharmaceutical Executive Daily: FDA Approves Hernexeos
The FDA approved Hernexeos through the national priority voucher program, a mechanism that fast‑tracks drugs addressing unmet medical needs. Industry leaders are evaluating direct‑to‑consumer (DTC) models to broaden access to HIV prevention tools, leveraging digital and telehealth channels. Additionally, the...
A Tale of Three Bispecific Cities
Three bispecific antibodies targeting PD‑1 and CTLA‑4—lorigerlimab, volrustomig, and cadonilimab—illustrate divergent engineering strategies. Lorig erlimab relies on a knob‑into‑hole heterodimer, volrustomig adopts a common light chain format, and cadonilimab incorporates Fc‑silencing mutations. Their distinct designs have produced markedly different safety...
AIRS Medical to Showcase SwiftMR™ Live at ECR 2026
AI‑driven imaging firm AIRS Medical will showcase its SwiftMR™ MRI reconstruction platform at the 2026 European Congress of Radiology in Vienna. Attendees can bring anonymized DICOM data to Booth #AI-19 for real‑time reconstruction, demonstrating faster scans and sharper images. The...
CFG Health Launches CareLink™ — A Fully Integrated, 24/7 Telehealth Platform for Correctional Health Care
CFG Health launched CareLink, a proprietary 24/7 telehealth platform designed for correctional facilities. Built on existing security‑issued tablets, the solution delivers emergency triage, primary, behavioral, and specialty care while maintaining HIPAA compliance. The platform combines CFG’s in‑house clinicians with external...
Acupath Laboratories, Inc. Partners with Azer Scientific to Install the First AzerView Digital Pathology Scanner in the United States
Acupath Laboratories has partnered with Azer Scientific to install the first AzerView LH510 digital pathology scanner in the United States. The LH510 offers high‑resolution whole‑slide imaging and streamlined workflow features designed for clinical, academic, and reference labs. The installation marks...
Drug Trials Snapshot: HYRNUO
Bayer's HYRNUO (sevabertinib) received accelerated FDA approval on November 19, 2025 for adult patients with HER2‑mutated, non‑squamous non‑small cell lung cancer who have progressed after prior therapy. The approval is based on the single‑arm SOHO‑01 trial, which enrolled 122 patients across 78...
Sleep Tech Demand Fuels ResMed
ResMed has evolved from a cyclical device maker into a digital‑health platform anchored by sleep‑apnea therapy, cloud‑connected monitoring and recurring software services. The company posted Q2 FY2026 revenue of $1.4 billion, up 11% YoY, while gross margin climbed to 61.8% and...
How PeerSupport.io Is Helping Yukon Docs Send Referrals Using only Their Voice
PeerSupport.io, a Yukon health‑tech startup, launched CoWork, an autonomous AI browser that executes EMR and web‑based tasks through voice commands. In pilot clinics the tool can send referrals, renew prescriptions, and pull charts in under 11 seconds, delivering roughly 10.5...
Multicenter Study Shows High Local Tumor Control After Resection with GammaTile in Newly Diagnosed Brain Metastases
GT Medical Technologies released Phase IV registry data showing that GammaTile brachytherapy, implanted at the time of surgical resection, achieved 92.3% local tumor control in newly diagnosed brain metastases after a median 12.4‑month follow‑up. The study of 51 patients reported a...
New Heart Device for ‘No-Option’ Chest Pain Patients Shows Early Potential
VahatiCor’s A‑Flux Reducer System, a self‑expanding, recapturable coronary sinus device, was implanted in a first‑in‑human cohort of 12 patients with coronary microvascular dysfunction or obstructive CAD. Eleven procedures were completed without any device‑related complications, and patients experienced significant improvements in...
Shining the Light on Shadow Bundles
In February 2024 CMS unveiled “shadow bundles,” a modified BPCI‑A methodology that collects episode cost and quality data for hospitals and specialists without their explicit participation. The information is shared primarily with ACOs, MSSP participants, Medicare Advantage plans, and large...
UNC Health Unveils Rare Disease Coding Tool in Epic
UNC Health has launched the world’s first standardized rare‑disease coding tool by embedding the Mondo Disease Ontology into Epic’s EHR through the February 2026 IMO Core update. The integration adds nearly 5,000 new rare‑disease codes and revises more than 25,000...
Certification Process for Designated Medical Gases
The FDA released a draft guidance titled “Certification Process for Designated Medical Gases,” outlining how manufacturers must obtain certification and meet annual reporting requirements. The document defines qualifying products, required submission content, and FDA’s evaluation criteria. It replaces the 2015...
FAQ: Inflation Reduction Act and Medicare Drug Pricing
The Inflation Reduction Act reshapes Medicare Part D by granting CMS authority to negotiate prices for high‑cost drugs and instituting a $2,100 annual out‑of‑pocket cap for beneficiaries starting this year. The first ten drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, will have negotiated...
Beyond BMI: Why Weight Management Must Look Inside the Body
Recent research highlights that BMI alone misclassifies up to 34% of adults, masking critical changes in muscle mass and fluid balance. Rapid weight loss driven by GLP‑1 therapies can cause substantial muscle and intracellular water loss while extracellular fluid rises,...
Evernorth Confirms Full Ownership of CarepathRx
Evernorth, Cigna’s health‑services arm, has confirmed it now fully owns CarepathRx after completing the acquisition last year. CarepathRx provides home and ambulatory infusion solutions to roughly 10% of U.S. hospitals, strengthening Evernorth’s specialty pharmacy footprint. The deal builds on a...
Wearable Rhythm & Activity Predict Inflammation‑Driven Aging
I used to teach that "aging is just wear-and-tear." A new Nature paper used 7 days of wrist-wearable data from ~62,000 adults and found your circadian rhythm patterns (amplitude + stability) and MVPA predict inflammation-linked biological aging. Low rhythm amplitude and poor...
AI‑Biotech IPO Slumps 23% on Opening Day
A leader of this next wave of AI-focused biotechs has completed its IPO, a milestone tarnished by a brutal first few hours of trading. Day 1 for $GENB: -23% https://t.co/u3WQcDD3jL
Learned Helplessness and Self-Efficacy in Tobacco Treatment
The article explains how repeated failed quit attempts create learned helplessness among smokers, undermining their belief that effort matters. It contrasts this with self‑efficacy, a task‑specific confidence that predicts successful cessation. Pharmacotherapy combined with structured counseling can double quit rates,...
Smart Hospitals Reduce Admin, Bring Clinicians Closer
"Smart” doesn’t mean distant. The smartest hospital ecosystems actually bring clinicians closer to patients by reducing administrative burden. Insights from Jeff Fallon at eVideon: https://t.co/x7o1COnGIe @eVideon @TigerConnect #SmartHospitals #HITsm https://t.co/PVVG70mbKN
Comparing Lorigerlimab, Volrustomig, Cadonilimab: Design Lessons
An intriguing tale of three cities. How do the PD1xCTLA4 bispecific agents lorigerlimab, volrustomig, and cadonilimab stack up when it comes to design and performance? Some useful and pointed lessons here for biotech execs: https://t.co/xaSW15Fvdl https://t.co/dhXbiI3N6v
5 Things to Know About the Emerging Measles Outbreaks in the US
The United States recorded 2,280 measles cases in 2025, the highest tally since 1991, and early 2026 has already seen 910 additional cases, concentrated in South Carolina, Utah and Florida. Low MMR vaccination coverage—just 64% for a single dose—has been...
Atrium Launches to Tackle Rare Heart Diseases with RNA
Atrium spins out of Avidity, aiming to target rare heart diseases with RNA https://t.co/xLp2oQDHGy $RNA $NVS #startups
De Novo Proteins Expected in Clinics Within Two Years
“The era of de novo proteins is coming a lot faster than probably people recognize,” Generate's CEO Mike Nally tells me. “I think within the next year or two you’ll start seeing de novo designs enter the clinic.” https://t.co/u3WQcDD3jL
The Friday Checkout: ShopRite’s Integrated Approach to GLP-1s
ShopRite, part of Wakefern Food Corp., has introduced a limited‑time "Wellness Your Way" starter kit for customers beginning GLP‑1 therapy. The kit bundles medication samples, coupons and a dietitian‑crafted wellness guide, explicitly tying the chain’s pharmacy and grocery divisions. The...
Hospitals Now Demand Deep Integration of Virtual Care
Hospitals aren’t asking IF they need virtual care anymore — they’re asking how deeply it integrates. Insightful take from @_artisight's Jay Lyonett at #ViVE2026. 👉 https://t.co/ckEzNYH8oS
Study Finds Inconsistent Patient Safety in ChatGPT Health
An important study just came out that is the first to evaluate patient safety when it comes to ChatGPT Health. Millions of people are using LLMs every week to triage health conditions, but this new study has found concerning inconsistencies. https://t.co/etjthA2olM
3D Bioprinted Corneal Implants May Ease Donor Tissue Shortage
Precise Bio successfully implanted PB-001, the world’s first 3D‑bioprinted, cell‑based corneal graft, in a legally blind patient during a phase‑1 trial. The implant combines human endothelial cells with a transparent collagen scaffold, replicating the properties of donor tissue. By using...
Smartphone AI Beats Endocrinologists in Acromegaly Diagnosis
AI is helping to make the diagnosis of rare diseases. A new multicenter study in Japan showed smartphone AI diagnosis of acromegaly via hands was better than experienced endocrinologists https://t.co/qBiazetToV https://t.co/dSZpJ2us84
Former Surgeon General Urges Senate Reject Unqualified SG
Former surgeon general: The Senate must not approve an SG who can’t practice medicine https://t.co/TfgRw59xFd
Cure Parkinson’s Expands Its Research Committee and Welcomes New Interns
Cure Parkinson’s has expanded its Research Committee by adding eight new members from leading UK and European institutions, spanning neurology, bioinformatics, pharmacology and more. The charity also welcomed three early‑career researchers as interns, extending the programme beyond the UK to...
Watch Webinar Linking Top 100 Biotech VCs Insights
Here's the link to watch yesterday's webinar on venture capital, a companion to this year's top 100 biotech VCs list with @ChrisDoko Lots of positive feedback here. Post your thoughts. https://t.co/c16y04mFsD
Technology-Enabled Service Improves Maternal Mental Health
A randomized trial of 642 first‑time mothers showed that Baby2Home, a technology‑enabled postpartum service, significantly lowered stress, depression and anxiety scores while boosting overall health, relationship satisfaction and self‑efficacy. The digital platform combined educational content, infant‑care trackers, symptom monitoring and...
Managing Migraines and Diabetes? Theranica Proves Migraine Wearable Is Safe to Use with CGMs
Theranica published a peer‑reviewed study confirming that its Nerivio Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) wearable can be used concurrently with leading continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems without compromising data accuracy. The trial involved 21 adults with diabetes, testing Abbott FreeStyle Libre...
Novo's Missteps Echo Bristol Myers' Strategic Failure
Elizabeth Cairns' piece on $Novo is reminiscent of Bristol Myers' strategic fail against Merck and Keytruda. They were focused on the wrong things, made bad trial design decisions and got stuck in the mud of their own making. Everyone should...
Where the Patient Experience Is Heading – And 3 Ways Healthcare Providers Can Meet That Moment
Telehealth surged from 15% to 86% of physicians between 2019 and 2021, and a 2024 survey shows 94% of patients would repeat virtual visits. This shift has turned remote care into a baseline expectation. AI is now poised to deepen...
Handl Health Raises $14.2M to Optimize Employer-Sponsored Health Plans
Handl Health announced a $14.2 million Series A round led by Arthur Ventures, aimed at scaling its unified health‑plan platform for brokers, carriers, and TPAs. The solution aggregates pricing, utilization, benefit, and quality data to let employers model and continuously...