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
Conavi Medical Reports Fiscal Second Quarter 2026 Results and Operational Highlights
Conavi Medical Corp. secured FDA 510(k) clearance for its next‑generation Novasight™ Hybrid intravascular imaging system, integrating IVUS and OCT into a single workflow. The company also earned the 2026 MedTech Breakthrough and TAG Innovation awards, underscoring the technology’s clinical promise. Commercial‑readiness activities are underway, with a U.S. launch slated for the second half of 2026 and a proposed public offering to fund the rollout. Financially, Conavi reported CAD 0.3 million (≈US$0.22 million) revenue for the six‑month period, a net loss of CAD 7.5 million (≈US$5.55 million), and cash of CAD 4.5 million (≈US$3.33 million).
Bihar Govt Approves Cashless Healthcare Scheme for Employees and Pensioners
The Bihar government approved a cashless health scheme that will let state employees, pensioners, their families and certain officials receive indoor medical treatment without paying up front. Beneficiaries will be issued health cards, and hospitals will be reimbursed directly through...
Dr Reddy’s to Ring NYSE Closing Bell to Mark 25 Years of Listing
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories will ring the New York Stock Exchange closing bell on May 29, 2026 to celebrate 25 years since its historic 2001 NYSE debut—the first Asian pharmaceutical firm outside Japan to list on the exchange. Chairman Satish Reddy highlighted the milestone as proof...
Screening Guidelines Omit Many Patients at High Risk for Cancer
Researchers analyzed data from 446,795 UK Biobank participants aged 40‑70 and built risk models that incorporate 118 lifestyle and environmental variables for 21 common cancers. Aligning modifiable risk factors to ideal levels could lower overall cancer risk by about 9...
Ill. EMS Moves Into Firehouse to Reduce Response Times
Greene County Ambulance Service will station an advanced‑life‑support unit inside the Roodhouse Fire Protection District firehouse within two weeks. The move places two EMS personnel closer to the northern part of the county, where roughly 75% of ambulance runs originate....
One Infusion. A Permanent Gene Edit. A Lifetime of LDL Lowering. The VERVE-102 NEJM Data, the Lilly Acquisition Thesis, and...
Verve Therapeutics reported Phase 1b Heart‑2 data for its gene‑editing LDL therapy VERVE‑102 in the New England Journal of Medicine. A single intravenous infusion achieved up to 88% PCSK9 knock‑down and a 62% reduction in LDL‑C that persisted for 18...
Book Review: Unravelling MAiD in Canada: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide as Medical Care
The newly released volume *Unravelling MAiD in Canada* provides a comprehensive legal and ethical analysis of Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAiD) regime. Edited by physician Ramona Coelho, psychiatrist K. Sonu Gaind, and health‑law scholar Trudo Lemmons, the 552‑page work...
Medicare Underpays Office Procedures, Driving Private Practice Decline
A farm worker with gangrene got the ultrasound, the procedure, and a saved leg in a week. The hospital system that turned him away told him to wait three weeks just to be seen. Interventional radiologist Saravanan Kasthuri runs the...
FDA Approves Ironwood's LINZESS for Constipation in Kids 2‑5
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved LINZESS for functional constipation in children aged 2 to 5 years. The decision adds a new pediatric indication to a drug already used by more than 5.5 million patients...
How ASGCT and OTXL Are Working to Revive Shelved Cell and Gene Therapies
The American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) and Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator (OTXL) have launched CGTxchange, an AI‑driven matchmaking platform designed to revive cell and gene therapies that were shelved for ultra‑rare diseases. By aggregating confidential and public data...
These Ebola Researchers Are Stuck in US Due to Trump’s Funding Cuts
The Trump administration terminated the NIH‑funded Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID) network, cutting roughly $82 million in funding after labeling the work “unsafe for Americans.” The network, which operated ten global sites and had built diagnostic capacity for...
Basilea Secures $13.3 Million BARDA Grant to Push Novel Urinary‑Tract Antibiotic
Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. announced that the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded the company a $13.3 million grant to advance its novel antibiotic ceftibuten‑ledaborbactam etzadroxil. The funding lifts BARDA’s total commitment to $25 million and opens the door to...
U.S. Uninsured Rate Stays at 8% in 2025, CDC Says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing the share of Americans without health insurance held steady at roughly 8% in 2025. While the percentage did not rise, the absolute number of uninsured grew by about 800,000, underscoring...
Guardant's Shield Test Added to American Cancer Society Colorectal Screening Guidelines
Guardant Health announced that its Shield blood test has been incorporated into the American Cancer Society's updated colorectal cancer screening guidelines. The move marks the first time a liquid‑biopsy assay is officially recommended for average‑risk screening, potentially reshaping how clinicians...
Agentic AI Meets Specialty Care: How an Orthopedic Practice Is Simplifying Post-Surgical Care
Michigan Orthopedic Center, an 11‑surgeon private practice in Lansing, partnered with AI vendor IntelePeer to launch a voice‑based Clinical Assessment Agent. The tool conducts post‑surgical patient interviews, captures pain, wound and medication data, and automatically generates clinical summaries for the...
Triomics Secures $22 Million Series B Led by Battery Ventures to Scale Oncology‑Specific AI
Triomics announced a $22 million Series B round led by Battery Ventures, with participation from Nexus Venture Partners, Lightspeed, Y Combinator and others. The funding will accelerate the rollout of its oncology‑specific AI platform that automates chart review, trial matching and regulatory reporting...
Pharma Pulse: PBM Crackdowns and Lilly’s $3.8B Vaccine Spree
The House Education and Workforce Committee unanimously approved the PBM Kickback Prohibition Act, while the Ways and Means Committee moved forward the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act to broaden Medicare reimbursement for pharmacist‑administered services. In the UK, Macfarlane Packaging partnered...
The Evolving Biopharma Regulatory Landscape: Q&A with Harpreet Singh, MD
Harpreet Singh, former FDA oncology division director and now chief medical officer at Precision for Medicine, explains how the FDA is reshaping biopharma regulation through a shift to single pivotal trials for high‑risk cancers, the expanding but opaque National Priority...
Genetic Scores Are Booming. But Will Anti-Discrimination Laws Cover Your DNA?
Polygenic risk scoring, a fast‑growing branch of personalized medicine, uses thousands of DNA variants to estimate an individual’s chance of developing diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. While the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) prevents employers from firing...
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
Suicide‑prevention researchers highlighted that improving Americans’ financial health could significantly reduce suicide rates, urging policymakers to address debt and income insecurity. At the same time, the Trump administration announced plans to ease artificial‑intelligence safeguards in the healthcare sector, aiming to...
In a Vaccine-Skeptical California County, a Potential Playbook To Contain Measles
Shasta County, a conservative region of northern California, identified its first measles case in late January and launched an aggressive containment effort. Public health officials traced nine cases, contacted more than 600 potential exposures across venues like Costco and a...
Ewa Truchanowicz | Meet the Speakers: Med-Tech Expo 2026
Ewa Truchanowicz, CEO of digital health firm Bidshaper and non‑executive director at Medilink Midlands, will chair a panel at the Med‑Tech Expo 2026. In a pre‑event interview she highlighted persistent communication gaps between clinicians, developers, and investors that hinder scaling...
Official Statistics: Mefloquine (Larium) Prescribing in the UK Armed Forces: 12 September 2016 to 31 March 2026
The Ministry of Defence released an official statistical bulletin on 28 May 2026 detailing mefloquine (Lariam) prescribing for UK armed forces from 12 September 2016 through 31 March 2026. The report follows a policy shift introduced in September 2016 that tightened prescribing criteria for the antimalarial drug....
STAT+: Trump’s Drug-Pricing Deals Set to Be Tested by New Product Launches
President Trump’s most‑favored‑nation (MFN) agreements with 17 drugmakers require new U.S. launches to be priced at net levels comparable to other wealthy nations. The policy, whose terms remain secret, is slated for its first public test as three drugs—AstraZeneca’s hypertension...
Retatrutide - Possibly Better than Semaglutide B/C Lower Nausea/Side Effect Profile, but Higher Heart Rate
Retatrutide, a triple‑hormone GIP/GLP‑1/glucagon receptor agonist, demonstrated a dose‑dependent rise in resting heart rate of about 9‑10 bpm by week 24, sustaining 6‑7 bpm through week 48. In late‑stage trials the drug produced unprecedented 28‑30% weight loss over 1‑2 years while showing a lower nausea...
A Nigerian Teen Is Turning Agricultural Waste Into Biodegradable Sanitary Pads
Nigerian teenager Raheema Auwal‑Panti founded PantiPads to turn agricultural waste into biodegradable sanitary pads, addressing both menstrual health access and plastic pollution. The pads use cassava peels, banana leaves and corn husks, offering a compostable alternative to conventional pads that...
Sanofi’s Venglustat Secures the US FDA Priority Review for Type 3 Gaucher Disease
Sanofi’s oral glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor venglustat has received FDA acceptance of its New Drug Application and a priority‑review designation for treating the neurological manifestations of type 3 Gaucher disease (GD3). The decision follows the phase‑III LEAP2MONO trial, which enrolled 43 patients...
Researchers Block Key Protein that Helps Parkinson’s Spread Through the Brain
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have pinpointed the brain immune protein GPNMB as a catalyst for the spread of alpha‑synuclein in Parkinson’s disease. In pre‑clinical experiments, monoclonal antibodies that block GPNMB prevented the protein’s propagation between neurons. Analysis of...
AbbVie Reports the US FDA Approval for Decnupaz to Treat Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm (BPDCN)
AbbVie’s Decnupaz (pivekimab sunirine‑pvzy) received U.S. FDA approval for treating adult patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), an ultra‑rare aggressive blood cancer. The decision was based on the global Phase I/II CADENZA trial that enrolled 84 CD123‑positive hematologic malignancy...
Interventional Radiologist Helps Chicago Children’s Hospital Achieve a World’s First
Physicians at Lurie Children’s Hospital have pioneered a world‑first technique that freezes the intercostal nerve at the rib‑harvesting site during microtia reconstruction. The 20‑minute, ultrasound‑guided cryoablation eliminates months of postoperative pain, allowing children to leave the hospital as early as...
Red Light Therapy Proven for Healing, Anti‑Aging, Pain Relief
Red light therapy or photobiomodulation sounds like a gimmick, but it has legitimate evidence for: - wound healing - skin anti-aging - lowering inflammation and pain - eye health and myopia - bone repair - hair growth Here's what you need to know about red light therapy⬇️⬇️: https://t.co/VfM86JqJzI Graph:...
Nourish Cooks Up $100M of Series C Funding
Nourish announced a $100 million Series C round to scale its AI‑native virtual metabolic clinic, which pairs registered dietitians with personalized nutrition and medication management. The platform now supports over 10,000 dietitians and delivers measurable health improvements, including an average 8% weight...
At-Home Care Devices May Make Pediatric Emergencies Easier To Deal With
A Los Angeles children’s hospital launched an at‑home asthma monitoring program using a coin‑sized wearable smart stethoscope that streams lung sounds to physicians. The device enables continuous, remote tracking of breathing metrics, allowing clinicians to triage and intervene before severe...
Stanford Researchers Block Aging Enzyme to Regrow Knee Cartilage, Launch Oral Trials
Stanford University scientists led by Helen Blau and Nidhi Bhutani have demonstrated that an injection blocking the aging enzyme 15-PGDH can regenerate knee cartilage in aged mice and human tissue samples. The breakthrough, which also boosted muscle mass and endurance,...
Increased Funding Is Making At-Home Hospital Care A Reality
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) initiative in November 2020, and Congress has now extended the program through September 2030. Early research shows that hospital‑at‑home episodes reduce 30‑day Medicare spending and lower mortality...
Schneck’s Rice: Clinician Scoring, Independence Drove Meditech Expanse Pick Over Epic
In this episode, Schneck Medical Center CIO Craig Rice discusses the unique challenges of rural healthcare, especially tight margins and the need for disciplined technology investments. He explains how Schneck evaluated EMR options, ultimately choosing Meditech Expanse over Epic and...
How Bayesian Health’s Sepsis AI Tool Is Decreasing Alerts & Saving Lives
Bayesian Health became the first company to obtain FDA clearance for a continuous AI‑driven sepsis monitoring system. The tool, validated across diverse hospitals, shows double the sensitivity of prior methods and cuts time to antibiotics in half when clinicians act...
Massachusetts Insurers File 12.9% Average Premium Hike for 2027, Sparking Affordability Concerns
Massachusetts health insurers have submitted rate proposals that would raise premiums by an average of 12.9% for 2027, impacting roughly 700,000 residents. Industry leaders cite rising hospital, physician and drug costs, while retailers and state officials warn the hikes could...
Methodological Considerations for Evaluating Policy Impacts on Transgender and Non-Binary Youth Suicidality
The authors of a new Nature Human Behaviour paper critique a recent study that used difference‑in‑differences analysis to claim anti‑transgender legislation raises suicide attempts among transgender and non‑binary youth. They point out that post‑treatment data are heavily concentrated in a...
Autoantibodies in Long COVID: A Mechanistic Foothold in a Heterogeneous Disease
Two independent studies published in *Cell* and *Cell Reports Medicine* provide the first direct evidence that autoantibodies can drive core long COVID symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and cognitive impairment. Researchers isolated IgG from affected patients and transferred it to...
Sono-Tek Corp (SOTK) Q4 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Sono‑Tek Corp reported Q2 FY2026 revenue of $5.16 million, a modest sequential increase and the sixth straight quarter above $5 million. The medical device segment surged 150% year‑over‑year to $1 million, while U.S./Canada sales slipped 22% but were more than offset by 153%...
Gene Therapies to Fix Failing Hearts Gain Steam After Years in the Doldrums
Gene‑therapy researchers have launched the first human trial aimed at regenerating heart muscle by silencing the SAV1 gene, a brake on cardiomyocyte division. Pre‑clinical work in pigs showed a 14% boost in ejection fraction, prompting U.S. regulators to green‑light the...
Australian Government Launches First National Perimenopause Awareness Campaign via Ogilvy
The Australian Government has launched its first national perimenopause awareness campaign, created by Ogilvy. The multi‑channel effort—spanning TV, digital, social, audio and out‑of‑home—targets women aged 35‑55 while also reaching younger women, health professionals and support networks. A dedicated website (health.gov.au/perimenopause)...
Exploring Length of Stay in Native and Periprosthetic Hip Fractures in a Newly Established Ortho-Geriatric Co-Management Service: Male Sex and...
A new orthogeriatric co‑management program at a Northeastern academic hospital evaluated length of stay (LOS) for 328 admissions involving native and periprosthetic hip fractures. The analysis found no statistically significant LOS difference between fracture types, with median stays of six...
Dealbook: Integrated Home Care Services Acquires Dina; LiveTech Buys Alora Healthcare Systems
Integrated Home Care Services, a Florida‑based in‑home benefit manager, announced the acquisition of Chicago‑based AI‑driven home‑care platform Dina. The deal brings Dina’s contract‑management and coordination technology under Integrated’s utilization, network and claims services, positioning the combined entity to operate in...
Harvard Scientists Win Breakthrough Prize for Gene Therapy Triumphs
Five Harvard-affiliated scientists received the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for pioneering discoveries in gene therapy, sickle cell disease, ALS, dementia, and inherited blindness treatments. Their work helped advance groundbreaking therapies including the first FDA-approved treatment for a genetic disease,...
Post-IPO, Kailera Looks Beyond Obesity to MASH
Kailera Therapeutics completed the largest biotech IPO on NASDAQ, raising $718.8 million after the greenshoe. In its first post‑IPO update, the company disclosed Phase I data for KAI‑4729, a triple GLP‑1R/GIPR/GCGR agonist developed with Jiangsu Hengrui. The early trial in healthy volunteers...
GoodRx Companion Launches $14.99 Monthly Membership for Continuum Care
GoodRx has introduced GoodRx Companion, a $14.99‑per‑month membership that bundles free access to more than 200 generic drugs, $19 virtual urgent‑care visits, and discounted dental, vision, and diagnostic services. The program expands beyond the company’s traditional pharmacy‑coupon model, offering a...
Vaginal Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery versus Conventional Multiport Laparoscopy for Hemorrhagic Ovarian Cyst Rupture with Hemoperitoneum: A Multicenter Retrospective...
A multicenter retrospective cohort of 42 hemodynamically stable women compared vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) with conventional multi‑port laparoscopy (CML) for ruptured hemorrhagic ovarian cysts. Operative time, blood loss and transfusion rates were statistically similar, while 12‑hour postoperative...
EP513: Revisiting Cunning Anticompetitive Hospital Contracts, With Brennan Bilberry
In this episode, host Stacey Richter talks with Brennan Bilberry, a founding partner at Fairmark Partners, about the anti‑competitive tactics hospitals use after consolidating, such as "all‑or‑nothing" contracting, anti‑steering clauses, and leveraging rural monopoly facilities to force higher prices across...