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:
Newel Health and Gerresheimer Launch Strategic Collaboration
Newel Health, a developer of regulated digital medical devices, and Gerresheimer, a global drug‑delivery and packaging specialist, announced a strategic collaboration to help pharmaceutical and biotech firms embed digital endpoints, real‑world data and AI into therapies. The partnership pairs Newel’s H‑Core SaMD platform and clinical‑grade analytics with Gerresheimer’s drug‑delivery systems, primary packaging and pharmacy touchpoints. Together they will design, validate and operate integrated drug‑plus‑digital solutions that can be scaled across therapeutic areas. The joint offering lets sponsors generate continuous patient data and personalized treatment pathways without building their own digital device stack.
Gilead Reports the US FDA Accelerated Approval of Hepcludex to Treat Chronic Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) Infection
Gilead Sciences received accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Hepcludex (bulevirtide‑gmod), an 8.5 mg subcutaneous injection for adults with chronic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection. The decision is based on data from the Phase III MYR301 trial, which...
Jardines Signals Pivot with $2.4bn Australian Radiology Deal
Jardine Matheson announced a $2.4 billion acquisition of an Australian radiology network, adding roughly 100 imaging centres to its portfolio. The deal is financed with $1 billion of cash and $1.4 billion of debt, reflecting the conglomerate’s push into health services. The move...
Healthcare Outsourcing Philippines: How AI Is Redefining Patient Care Delivery
In 2026 the Philippines has evolved from a low‑cost health‑BPO destination to a hub for AI‑augmented clinical operations, a shift dubbed “Intelligence‑Augmented Care.” Vendors are moving from headcount‑based pricing to outcome‑aligned models, delivering up to 45 % lower claim denial rates...
Permira Sells I‑MED to Jardine Matheson for $3.4 Billion
London‑based buyout firm Permira has agreed to sell its European medical‑device platform I‑MED to Hong Kong‑listed conglomerate Jardine Matheson for an enterprise value of $3.4 billion. The transaction gives Jardine Matheson full ownership of the Asia‑Pacific’s largest radiology business and signals...
Regeneron’s Melanoma Immunotherapy Misses Primary Endpoint, Shares Plunge
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced that its late‑stage melanoma trial combining the antibody fianlimab with PD‑1 inhibitor cemiplimab failed to meet its primary endpoint, prompting a double‑digit intraday share decline and prompting law‑firm investigations into prior disclosures. The setback raises questions about...
Qualtrics Completes $6.75 Bn Acquisition of Press Ganey Forsta, Expanding Healthcare Data Reach
Qualtrics has closed a $6.75 billion purchase of Press Ganey Forsta, instantly giving its Experience Management platform access to more than 41,000 U.S. healthcare facilities. The deal is aimed at turning patient and staff feedback into predictive insights that can improve...
Three Hospital Systems Sue CVS Over Alleged $250 Million 340B Savings Misuse
Mount Sinai, University of Michigan Health and the University of Kansas Hospital Authority have filed lawsuits accusing CVS Health of diverting roughly $250 million in 340B drug‑pricing savings. The complaints claim CVS kept the spread as profit, prompting demands for damages...
New Advances Improve Prevention and Treatment of HPV-Related Cancers
Human papillomavirus remains a leading cause of cervical, anal, oropharyngeal and other cancers. New prophylactic vaccines now protect against a broader set of high‑risk strains, while next‑generation candidates aim for even wider coverage. Therapeutic vaccines that target the viral E6...
Hong Kong Hospital Authority Introduces Standardised Caller ID Prefixes to Help Public Identify Official Calls
Hong Kong's Hospital Authority will roll out standardized caller ID prefixes for its facilities starting 26 May 2026, using numbers 1828 500–1828 699. The initiative aims to help residents quickly recognize legitimate hospital calls and reduce missed urgent communications amid rising spam and scam...
Medicare Launches $50‑a‑Month GLP‑1 Bridge, Slashing Wegovy and Zepbound Costs
Medicare will begin a $50 monthly copay pilot for the GLP‑1 drugs Wegovy and Zepbound on July 1, cutting seniors’ out‑of‑pocket costs from roughly $1,300 to $50. The demonstration runs through Dec. 31, 2027 and targets beneficiaries with cardiovascular disease or obstructive...
Junshi Biosciences Wins China NMPA Approval for Loqtorzi HER2‑Urothelial Cancer Combo
Junshi Biosciences announced that China’s National Medical Products Administration has approved Loqtorzi, a toripalimab‑disitamab vedotin combo, for first‑line treatment of HER2‑expressing advanced urothelial carcinoma. The Phase III trial showed median progression‑free survival of 13.1 months and overall survival of 31.5 months, far outpacing...
Building a Precision Therapy Corridor
Brussels Airport is launching the Precision Therapies Logistics Gateway (PTLG) to build an international corridor for transporting cell, gene and radioligand therapies with near‑clinical precision. Backed by Air Cargo Belgium, at.las, Pharma.aero and regional governments, the project has already run...
Stem‑Cell Transplants Restore Insulin Production in Type 1 Diabetes, Early Trial Shows
Researchers reported that stem‑cell‑derived beta cell transplants restored measurable insulin production in a small cohort of Type 1 diabetes patients. The early results demonstrate that lab‑grown cells can survive, mature and function after implantation, offering a potential regenerative route for a...
Declining Physical Activity May Signal Cognitive Changes in Older Adults
A 17‑year UK cohort study of 2,529 adults aged 50 and older found that greater memory decline is linked to less light physical activity and more sedentary time. Participants with slower memory loss logged roughly 14 extra minutes of light...
Abridge Names Former Notion and Slack Exec San Oo as CTO
Healthcare AI startup Abridge announced the appointment of San Oo, former senior vice president of engineering at Notion and former senior engineering leader at Slack, as its new chief technology officer. Oo replaces Zachary Lipton, who moves to a science...
Asundexian Cuts Recurrent Stroke Risk 26% Without Raising Bleeding in Global Phase 3 Trial
In the OCEANIC-STROKE Phase 3 trial, asundexian lowered recurrent stroke risk by 26% without elevating major bleeding rates, a result that could reshape secondary stroke prevention. The study enrolled 12,327 patients across 37 countries, comparing daily 50 mg asundexian to placebo...
Screening Indigenous People for This Heart Condition at 55 Can Prevent Strokes and Save Lives
New research published in the Medical Journal of Australia shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians develop atrial fibrillation about 16 years earlier than non‑Indigenous peers, making strokes up to twice as likely. Screening the Indigenous population from age...
NYU Langone mRNA Vaccine Cuts Melanoma Recurrence Risk by 49% in 5‑Year Study
NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center reported that the personalized mRNA vaccine intismeran, when combined with pembrolizumab, lowered the five‑year risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared with pembrolizumab alone. The data, presented at ASCO and published in...
A Medical School Experience that Redefined Providing Care
A first‑year medical student recounts using a stethoscope on a friend, mistakenly diagnosing a simple cough as harmless and later learning it was walking pneumonia. The episode revealed how the white coat and stethoscope instantly confer perceived authority, even without...
Physician Burnout Is Quietly Costing Doctors Themselves
Physician burnout is now seen as a silent crisis that strips doctors of their personal identity, not just their stamina. Dr. Gani describes how relentless patient loads, endless inboxes, and late‑night charting leave primary‑care physicians emotionally numb and disconnected from...
Nigeria Cuts Facility Maternal Deaths by Half After Health System Overhaul
A 2025 government health report shows Nigeria’s facility‑based maternal deaths fell from 904 in 2024 to 460 in 2025 – a near‑50% reduction. The decline coincides with higher skilled birth attendance, broader emergency obstetric care coverage and revamped referral networks,...
UBS Lifts Jazz Pharma Price Target to $307, Upgrades to Buy
UBS analyst Ashwani Verma upgraded Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) to Buy on May 19, raising the price target from $188 to $307 – a 63% jump that eclipses the prior consensus of $242. The move comes ahead of the August 25...
KAIST Launches AI Interviewer to Cut Psychiatric Intake to 30 Minutes
KAIST announced on April 24 that its research team unveiled an AI‑driven interview system capable of collecting psychiatric intake information in 30 minutes. Validated on 1,440 simulated patients, the tool structures symptom data before the clinician sees the patient, promising faster,...
Elevance Health Posts Q1 Earnings Momentum, Expands Integrated Benefits Strategy
Elevance Health reported stronger first‑quarter 2026 earnings, driven by higher premium revenue and growth in government‑backed programs, while outlining an expanded integrated health‑benefits and care‑management strategy. The results underscore the insurer's dual‑model resilience and set the tone for the broader...
WHO Member States Adopt 10‑Year Global AMR Strategy Targeting 10% Death Reduction
WHO Member States approved a new 10‑year global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, pledging to reduce AMR‑related deaths by 10% by 2030. The strategy shifts focus from new drug development to prevention, infection control and equitable technology transfer, amid a...
HHS Goes All-In on ChatGPT for State Audits: What the May 2026 Generative AI Fraud Expansion and February’s CRUSH RFI...
On May 21, 2026 the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) launched an internal workflow that feeds single audit PDFs into ChatGPT and other large language models to flag chronic deficiencies and threaten funding cuts. The move builds on...
Distributors Accept Near‑Retail Prices, Driving High Drug Costs
Let me give you an example of where there is no gov intervention, and the impact on brand drug pricing. When a brand manufacturer sells a drug to one of the big 3 drug distributors that control more than...
FDA Approves Datroway, First TROP2‑ADC for First‑Line Metastatic Triple‑Negative Breast Cancer
The U.S. FDA has approved Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan‑dlnk), the first TROP2‑directed antibody‑drug conjugate for first‑line treatment of metastatic triple‑negative breast cancer in patients ineligible for PD‑1/PD‑L1 inhibitors. The approval follows a Phase 3 trial that demonstrated a median overall‑survival improvement of...
Ebola Spreads Across Congo as Flights Halted, Supplies Run Low
Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surged to an estimated 867, with more than 200 deaths, as the rare Bundibugyo strain spreads across three provinces. Contact‑tracing efforts are faltering, covering only about 20% of identified contacts, and...
Declining Trust in Doctors Is Widening the Health Gap Between Conservative and Liberal Americans
A new study published in Nature Human Behaviour finds that conservative Americans now experience worse health and higher mortality than liberals, a gap that widened after 2010. Researchers linked individual political orientation to verified medical measurements and death records, revealing...
Smarter Engagement for Stronger Growth: How Payers Can Successfully Do More with Less
Health insurers are confronting a paradox: extensive digital tools exist, yet member engagement remains low and fragmented. Steve Mongelli argues that the core issue is not technology scarcity but an orchestration problem, with siloed platforms and a sprawling vendor ecosystem....
Federal Court Strikes Down Landmark Fluoride Ruling
A three‑judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the district court’s finding that fluoridated drinking water poses an unreasonable risk to children under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The appellate court ruled the lower court violated...
The Top 10 Side Effects of GLP-1 Drugs - What You Need to Know
GLP‑1 receptor agonists such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound trigger a spectrum of adverse effects, with nausea and vomiting reported in up to half of patients and 16‑36% respectively. Gastrointestinal disturbances—diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain—are common, while rarer but serious...
How State Laws Can Stymie Research Into Your Ancestors' Psychiatric Records
State laws across the U.S. tightly restrict access to historic psychiatric records, leaving families unable to retrieve mental‑health information about deceased ancestors. While HIPAA protects patient data for 50 years after death, some states such as Ohio and Maine already...
Viking Therapeutics Emerges as Prime Obesity‑Drug Acquisition Target
Viking Therapeutics is being touted as a leading acquisition candidate after its late‑stage GLGL‑1/GIP obesity drug VK2735 showed 12.2%‑14.7% weight loss in Phase 2 trials and its Phase 3 VANQUISH studies are fully enrolled. With $603 million in cash and a market cap...
How GLP-1 Medications Compare to Bariatric Surgery
GLP‑1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and tirzepatide now deliver 15‑20% average weight loss, a range once reserved for bariatric surgery. Oral formulations are in late‑stage trials, promising to remove injection barriers for many patients. While FDA approval remains limited...
Your Brain Restricts Full Access to Reality. But Scientists Found a Way to Turn Off the Filter.
Neuroscientists are revisiting the thalamus as more than a sensory relay, arguing it actively filters and stitches together sensory input into a unified conscious stream. A 2024 *Neuron* review led by Stanford’s Michelle Redinbaugh posits that this gating mechanism stabilizes...
Consider Hernia First in Women’s Chronic Pelvic Pain
Femoral hernias kill 5% of the women who get them. Women are 10 times more likely than men to have them. Six randomized trials have enrolled seven women total. That is the actual research foundation behind how we manage one...
Cancer Immunotherapy Surge: Emerging Treatments and Future Outlook
I wrote about the remarkable proliferation of cancer immunotherapies, and what's in store https://t.co/od4MeFMGik https://t.co/5jI10LLbLq
NHS WorkWell Pilots Replace Fit Notes, Aiming for 100,000 Appointments
The NHS has launched WorkWell pilots that replace traditional fit notes with up to 100,000 support appointments across six regions. The scheme offers physiotherapy, mental‑health help and workplace coaching, aiming to get patients back to work faster.
BCI Controls Neuroprosthetic Grasps via Surface and Implanted Electrodes
“application of a BCI as a control system for neuroprostheses based on surface (a) and implanted (b) electrodes, respectively. (c) grasp pattern for palmar grasp. (d) grasp pattern for lateral grasp” https://t.co/TUIIbe84hi
Self‑collected HPV Tests Could Boost Cervical Cancer Screening
What at-home HPV testing means for cervical cancer screening Pap smears transformed cervical cancer prevention. Now, self-collected HPV testing may help more women stay up to date on screening. https://t.co/EA20D8vqBF https://t.co/5j9JDu6svX
Predicting Alzheimers & Dementia (and Minimizing Risk)
Recent preclinical work shows rapamycin clears soluble tau and amyloid by boosting autophagy, improving cognition in multiple AD mouse models. Human brain studies reveal chronic mTORC1 hyperactivation correlates with plaque and tangle burden, while transplant patients on mTOR inhibitors exhibit...
BeamMed Rolls Out Portable Bone Density Scanner and AI Fundus Camera at Medicare Stars HEDIS Forum
BeamMed Inc. is exhibiting its MiniOmni portable bone density scanner and AI‑powered fundus camera at the 15th Medicare Stars HEDIS Quality & Risk Forum in Chicago (June 2‑4, 2026). The devices target the HEDIS Osteoporosis Management in Women (OMW) and Osteoporosis Screening...
Pharming Group Secures EU Approval for Joenja, First Treatment for Rare Immunodeficiency
Pharming Group announced that the European Commission granted marketing authorisation for Joenja (leniolisib), the first approved therapy for activated PI3K delta syndrome (APDS) in the EU. The approval, covering all 27 EU members plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, paves the...
Deep Generative Molecular Design and Its Value in Modern Drug Discovery (Paper Feb 26)
The February 2026 review maps the rapid rise of deep generative molecular design in drug discovery, arguing that AI is moving from virtual screening toward the creation of new, testable drug hypotheses. It categorises the field into three technical families—graph‑based...
Self-Tests Need Accountable Follow-Up Pathways
A letter to the BMJ highlights that the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) must tighten rules for direct‑to‑consumer self‑tests. Recent BMJ studies show many kits omit basic user guidance, result interpretation, and clear next‑step instructions, forcing patients...
Sepsis From C. Difficile Infection Has Comparable Mortality
A new propensity‑score‑matched analysis published in Scientific Reports shows that sepsis triggered by Clostridioides difficile infection carries a mortality risk indistinguishable from sepsis caused by other pathogens. By balancing age, comorbidities, illness severity and treatment variables, the study isolates the...
AI Blood Test Predicts Stroke, Heart Failure and More Up to 15 Years Early
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have launched CardiOmicScore, an AI‑driven blood test that predicts six major cardiovascular diseases up to 15 years before clinical onset. The tool outperforms traditional polygenic risk scores by integrating genomics, proteomics and metabolomics,...