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
Parallel 3D Bioprinting Builds Tissue Model Arrays in Minutes
Researchers have introduced a slippery‑liquid‑infused porous surface (SLIPS) droplet microarray that enables parallel digital light processing (DLP) bioprinting of hydrogel tissue models. By removing physical walls and using hydrophilic spots on a superhydrophobic background, the system prints dozens to hundreds of separate 3‑D structures simultaneously. The platform printed 70 GelMA constructs in 6.5 minutes—over seven hours for a comparable serial process—and up to 588 structures in 3.5 minutes versus more than 34 hours sequentially. Cell viability tests with HEK‑293 cells and spheroids confirm biological compatibility.
Black Patients, Women with UC Less Likely to Undergo Colectomy
A retrospective analysis of 727,515 ulcerative colitis admissions (2016‑2020) found that Black, Hispanic and female patients are significantly less likely to receive colectomy, the definitive surgery for refractory disease. After adjusting for clinical factors, Black patients were about 50% less...
Wearable Health Data Needs Integration; DIY Solutions Lead
Google Health/Fitbit vs Whoop is gonna be a heck of a fight $100-300 a year for these products is tiny price to pay for the massive gains you get from them If only doctors and medical record companies and these...
EnGene's Shares Crash on Updated Pivotal Bladder Cancer Data
EnGene Therapeutics reported Phase 2 data for its experimental bladder‑cancer therapy that revealed a modest 5% objective response rate and safety signals in more than half of patients. The results triggered an 80% plunge in the Canadian biotech’s stock, wiping...
Q&A: Evaluating the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines in Dermatology
A new review in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology finds that 35‑65% of American patients with skin conditions turn to complementary and alternative medicines (CAM). Commonly used agents include tea‑tree oil, green‑tea extract, garlic‑derived ajoene, honey mixtures and...
Future-Proof Strategies for Medical Campus Construction Featured at IFHE World Congress
McCarthy Building Companies’ VP Joey Khaled highlighted that $300 million projects, once considered mega, are now routine, with $1 billion-plus campuses emerging across the United States. He cited the 4.9‑million‑sq‑ft Children’s Health pediatric campus in Dallas and the 1.2‑million‑sq‑ft Harris Health hospital...
AI Poised to Spark Trillion‑dollar Biotech Revolution
Last day @synbiobeta and had a fascinating discussion with my friend @andrewhessel about the SynBio space. His insight was that SynBio and Biotech feels very much like the AI space pre LLM acceleration. AI will accelerate Biotech and Genetic Agency. Today's biotech...
Are Health Insurers Out of the Woods After a Tough 2025?
Health insurers faced a challenging 2025, with many cutting or withdrawing profit forecasts amid rising claim costs, regulatory headwinds, and slower enrollment growth. In the first half of 2026, several carriers reported modest earnings rebounds driven by higher Medicare Advantage...
Debunked Episode 26: A Conversation on How to Improve Healthcare
The U.S. saw measles cases fall from 2,214 last year to 1,923 so far this year, prompting a heated Senate HELP hearing where HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and Senator‑physician Bill Cassidy debated vaccine policy. In the same episode, MedCity News editor...
Employees With Medical Conditions Challenge C.D.C. In-Office Requirement
The CDC has mandated that employees with serious medical conditions return to the office, revoking long‑standing remote‑work accommodations after a January 2025 executive order. The Department of Health and Human Services interpreted the order strictly, cancelling all disability exemptions across the...
Longevity Fanatics Are Seeking Out Stem Cells—But Is It Safe?
Stem‑cell clinics are expanding from medical treatment into high‑priced wellness and anti‑aging services, offering injections of mesenchymal cells, Wharton’s jelly, and MUSE pluripotent cells. Celebrities such as Cristiano Ronaldo and the Kardashians have popularized these unapproved therapies, prompting a surge in...
Diabetes Detection Needs Better Tools. They’re on the Way
Researchers warn that traditional HbA1c testing misses millions at risk for diabetes, especially in Black and South Asian populations. New AI‑driven tools are leveraging continuous glucose monitors and routine electrocardiograms to flag metabolic dysfunction years before blood sugar spikes. Stanford’s...
Blackstone Puts $250M Into Anagram to Tackle Cystic Fibrosis Complication
Blackstone Life Sciences announced a $250 million investment in Anagram, a biotech developing a novel therapy for a cystic fibrosis complication. The capital, drawn from one of the industry’s largest private life‑science funds, will accelerate Anagram’s late‑stage clinical trials, manufacturing scale‑up,...
Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee Charter
The FDA has established the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee to provide expert advice on the safety and efficacy of marketed and investigational analgesics, including abuse‑deterrent opioids and anesthetic products. The charter, approved April 23, 2026, outlines a...
AI Copilot in Development Guides Healthy Cooking Step-by-Step
Stanford Medicine researchers are building an AI cooking copilot that offers real‑time, step‑by‑step guidance for healthy, culturally tailored meals. The system draws on data from a teaching‑kitchen program where 16 staff participants received detailed instruction on sequencing, temperature, and flavor...
Wisdom Ventures Closes $77.7M Fund II to Invest in AI-Native Wellbeing Startups
Wisdom Ventures announced the close of its $77.7 million Fund II, a ten‑fold jump from its $10 million Fund I. The round is backed by Silicon Valley heavyweights such as Reid Hoffman, Evan Sharp and Stewart Butterfield, and adds former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy...
Entrada Stock Falls on Duchenne Data; Wegovy Expands Access
Entrada Therapeutics reported topline results from its Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) cohort of six patients, showing no meaningful functional improvement. The disappointing data sent Entrada's shares down roughly 15% in after‑hours trading. Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk announced expanded payer coverage for...
Insmed Tanks On Its Most Important Launch; Why Analysts Remain Bullish
Insmed’s newly launched lung drug Brinsupri posted first‑quarter sales of $208 million, beating sell‑side forecasts but falling short of the $230 million buy‑side target. The miss triggered a near‑17% plunge in the stock, sending shares to $114.25, their lowest level since August....
About Half of Patients with Metastatic Lung Cancer Don’t Get Treatment, Study Finds
A JAMA Oncology study of over 250,000 Medicare beneficiaries shows that only 48% of patients with metastatic lung cancer received life‑extending therapies between 2006 and 2021, a modest rise from 45%. Despite dozens of new chemo, immunotherapy and targeted drugs...
Sharma Lab Deploys Open-LIFU for Multidisciplinary Neurological Research at NC State, UNC
Openwater has partnered with the Sharma Lab at NC State and UNC‑Chapel Hill to deploy its open-source low‑intensity focused ultrasound (Open‑LIFU) platform for multidisciplinary neurological research. The collaboration will test the device’s feasibility in conditions such as transverse myelitis, essential...
Genetic Testing May Unlock Vitamin D's Potential for Diabetes Prevention
A JAMA Network Open analysis of the D2d trial shows that daily 4,000 IU vitamin D₃ reduced type 2 diabetes incidence by 19% among prediabetic adults carrying the ApaI AC or CC variants of the vitamin D receptor gene. The same high‑dose regimen had...
The Health Impact Alliance Collaborates with Infineon to Redefine Independent Living for the Aging Population
The Health Impact Alliance (HIA) has partnered with semiconductor leader Infineon Technologies to build a connected healthcare ecosystem for seniors. Infineon will supply its AIROC CYW55512 Wi‑Fi 6/Bluetooth 6 combo IC and PSOC Edge E84 microcontroller, delivering low‑power, secure, edge‑AI capabilities. The first...
The FDA's One-Day Inspection Pilot Is Already Running
The FDA launched a one‑day inspection pilot announced by Commissioner Marty Makary, with roughly 46 screening assessments completed since April across food, biologics, medical devices and clinical research sites. Most assessments resulted in a No Action Indicated outcome, though a...
FDA Reverses Course on Atara, Pierre Fabre’s Twice-Rejected Cell Therapy After Prasad’s Exit
Atara Biotherapeutics and Pierre Fabre’s EBV‑positive PTLD cell therapy Ebvallo received a regulatory U‑turn after FDA CBER director Vinay Prasad stepped down. The agency now says a single‑arm study with an appropriate historical control can satisfy the “adequate and well‑controlled” requirement, allowing...
Refrigerated Food Lockers at Harris Health Help Patients with Food Insecurity Battle Diabetes
Harris Health introduced refrigerated food lockers as part of its Food Rx program to give diabetic patients facing food insecurity easier access to fresh, nutritious foods. Backed by a $500,000 Cigna grant and a partnership with the Houston Food Bank,...
Could Earlier Cervical Cord Decompression Mean Clearer Thinking, Not Just Better Walking?
A cross‑sectional study of 965 participants—including 383 degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) patients—found that DCM is associated with measurable cognitive impairment on MoCA, MMSE and BCAT tests. After propensity‑matching for age, sex and education, DCM patients scored significantly lower than both...
CMS Rate Cuts Spark Medicare Billing Confusion Over CPT 64582
$INSP (neg)- oppenheimer note now - rates being reduced at CMS, big hinderance We believe that this will lead to further confusion within Medicare billing as INSP has stated to use CPT code 64582 without the 52 modifier. Having...
Fewer EHR Choices Mean Higher Prices for Health Systems
EHR market consolidation is leaving health systems with fewer vendor options, according to Altera Digital Health’s Marcus Perez. As the industry narrows to a handful of dominant platforms, hospitals lose bargaining power and face higher contract prices. The trend threatens...
Electric‐Eel‐Inspired Ionic Power Source Microneedles With Self‐Reporting Structural Colors for Wound Healing
Researchers have engineered ionic power source microneedles (IPSMs) that combine electric‑eel‑inspired ion transport with chameleon‑like structural colors for wound care. The three‑layer device creates an internal K⁺‑driven electric field, delivering electrical stimulation that accelerates tissue repair. Integrated silver nanoparticles provide...
Transforming CTMS: An Operating Layer for Real-Time Trial Execution
Clinical trial management systems (CTMS) are evolving from static record‑keeping tools into an operating layer that adds real‑time, AI‑driven reasoning to coordinate complex, multi‑system studies. The article highlights that Phase III trials now span a median of more than ten countries,...
Why the Hantavirus Outbreak Shows WHO Is Essential for American Health and Safety
A cruise ship that left Argentina on April 1 carried 147 passengers and crew before an Andes hantavirus outbreak killed three people and sickened at least five more by early May. The World Health Organization confirmed the virus—one of the few...
Tricuspid Training Series: Evaluation and Management of Patients with Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation
On May 7, 2026, TCTMD released a new episode of its Heart Valve Matters podcast titled “Tricuspid Training Series: Evaluation and Management of Patients with Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation.” Hosts Rick Nishimura and Michael Mack discuss the growing prevalence of severe...
Md. County Debates Grant-Funded Whole Blood Program for EMS
Somerset County, Maryland, is debating a MIEMSS‑funded whole‑blood program that would place the lifesaving product on local ambulances for at least five years. Emergency physicians argue the blood can curb the 75% of preventable trauma deaths that occur before hospital...
Autonomy‑Focused Vaccine Messaging Boosts Hesitant Acceptance
Framing vaccines as a means to preserve personal autonomy may increase willingness among vaccine-hesitant individuals, suggesting that message framing tailored to individual values can influence public health outcomes. publichealth
AI and Robotics Reshape IVF, Eye Gene Editing
Researchers are using AI to identify promising sperm and embryos, developing robotic systems that could automate parts of the IVF process, and even exploring controversial genetic editing techniques designed to prevent inherited disease.
3D-MIND: A Flexible Device that Can Be Integrated with Living Brain Cells
Researchers at Princeton have unveiled 3D-MIND, a flexible electronic mesh that can be embedded inside three‑dimensional cultures of living brain cells. The device integrates sensors and micro‑stimulators within the neural tissue, enabling stable recording and stimulation for up to six...
Preprints Safeguard Vaccine Safety Data From FDA Suppression
"The Paper That Didn't Disappear" FDA reportedly held back several vaccine safety papers headed to publication. Fortunately, one was on medRxiv and remains available. Why preprints matter; my latest Substack: https://t.co/YfTbkEPBU4 Also discussed in #healthandveritas podcast. https://t.co/k24zPtoGA2
Evolution Shows GLP‑1s Can’t Substitute Exercise
No pill for exercise: My friend and Harvard colleague, the biological anthropologist Dan Lieberman, invokes evolution to explain why GLP-1s can’t replace physical activity https://t.co/hhN9gCZZmP
Funding Roundup: Kanvas Biosciences, LTZ Therapeutics Draw Investor Interest for Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapies
Kanvas Biosciences and LTZ Therapeutics announced a combined $86 million financing round to accelerate next‑generation cancer immunotherapies. Kanvas closed a $48 million Series A to push its microbiome‑based platform and the lead candidate KAN‑001 toward clinical trials. LTZ secured $38 million to expand its...
AI Poised to Transform Surgery From Planning to Recovery
The impact of AI for surgery (pre-op, intraop, post-op) is going to be extensive A new review https://t.co/04oo4GpQG5 Our previous review @NatureMedicine https://t.co/zDuBUUJUUi https://t.co/V9zDcKQY2K
CRISPR Selectively Eliminates KRAS‑mutant Cancer Cells
The CRISPR Killer as in KRAS mutated cancer cells https://t.co/y1zrmYbIAQ Explainer thread @N8Krah co-author https://t.co/CIweqZMUqY
Let's Do This: Two Concrete Steps You Can Take to Fight Back Against Recent Terrible Court Decisions
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked a nationwide ban on mailing the abortion pill mifepristone, while the Supreme Court weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, prompting redistricting efforts in Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee. In Georgia, three state...
Evidence-Based Care Can Turn “Incurable” Into Thriving
12 years ago, my mother was diagnosed with “incurable” multiple myeloma (MM). At the time, median survival was roughly 4–6 years. She listened to her oncologist. She followed evidence-based treatment. She is still here 12 years later. Thriving.
Critics Call Becerra's HHS Tenure a Disaster
Yup. Whispering and eyerolling now about how Becerra was a disaster at HHS is bad. He should have been fired.
Amgen Adds $300M to Puerto Rico Budget; Novartis to Exit Oral Drug Factory in Germany
Amgen announced an additional $300 million investment to expand its manufacturing footprint in Puerto Rico, bringing its total U.S. capital outlay to nearly $2 billion over the past year. The funding will support new bioprocessing lines and increase the island’s capacity for...
Pharma Must Embrace AI, Experiment, and Adapt
The digital health and AI revolutions are rewriting the rules of pharma. Some future trends are crystal clear, others remain almost invisible for now. Success in this evolving landscape will require a willingness to experiment, take risks, and continuously adapt to digital...
AI Must Be Core, Not Add‑On, in Healthcare
AI can’t be an add-on in healthcare—it must be built into the fabric of health system operations. With Oracle’s integrated platform, we can reduce complexity, improve scalability, and create a more sustainable foundation for AI in healthcare. https://t.co/gJAjUfWQbw
Los Angeles County Works to Modernize Its Public Health Data Infrastructure
Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health is overhauling its data infrastructure by adopting the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard, a move driven by the CDC Foundation’s Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI). Data engineer Joe Martin is leading efforts to...
Real‑time Insight, Not Dashboards, Wins in Healthcare
740+ hospitals. 30-day episodes. Zero room for delays. Bamboo Health breaks down how real-time insight—not more dashboards—will determine winners under TEAM. Read the full article: https://t.co/zYH1JPyKDd #TEAMModel #HealthData #HITSM
Okla. EMS Director Sounds Alarm on Funding Crisis
Woodward County EMS Director Pebbles Luddington warned that rising call volumes and stagnant reimbursements are creating a funding shortfall. The agency billed more than $3 million last year but had to write off $1.6 million due to insurance contracts and unpaid balances....