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The Link Between Lithium and Weight Gain
Lithium remains a cornerstone mood‑stabilizer for bipolar disorder, but roughly one‑quarter of patients report weight gain, typically 10–26 lb. Recent meta‑analyses show lithium’s impact on weight is modest compared with antipsychotics such as olanzapine or quetiapine, and often comparable to placebo. The greatest risk occurs in the first two years of therapy and may be amplified by higher doses or concurrent weight‑gain‑inducing drugs. Clinicians monitor thyroid function and advise lifestyle adjustments rather than discontinuing lithium abruptly.
Partial Knee Replacement Had Higher Patient Satisfaction vs TKA
A recent analysis of 105 knees shows that partial knee arthroplasty delivers higher patient satisfaction and greater range of motion than total knee arthroplasty, though it carries a higher re‑operation rate. The cohort included 56 partial and 49 total procedures...
The Natural “Biological Clock” Of Stroke Recovery
The ESPRESSO trial tested whether adding 90 minutes of high‑intensity hand and arm therapy each day for the first two weeks after stroke improves recovery. Sixty‑four participants received either immersive video‑game‑based or conventional therapy alongside standard care, but three‑month outcomes...
Welldoc® Honored with 2026 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Award
Welldoc® received the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Award from the Business Intelligence Group, marking its third consecutive win in the Health Product category. The award highlights Welldoc’s responsible, outcomes‑driven AI that combines clinical precision with regulatory compliance. The company’s platform...
Some Antiseizure Medications May Be Safer than Others During Pregnancy
Researchers analyzing U.S. insurance claims from 2000‑2021 found that prenatal exposure to valproate and possibly zonisamide increased the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, while levetiracetam, lamotrigine, and phenytoin showed no such associations. The study evaluated 14,993 pregnancies exposed to...
Doctor Cleared, Nurses Detained as Injection Error Kills Two Sisters
A medical panel cleared the prescribing doctor after a fatal medication error killed two young sisters at Zuru General Hospital, while two nurses remain in police custody. The children, aged six and three, received the wrong injection on March 18,...
Senate Rejects Proposal to Overturn VA’s Abortion Ban
The Department of Veterans Affairs reinstated a near‑total abortion ban, limiting procedures to life‑threatening emergencies. A Senate vote of 50‑48 rejected Sen. Richard Blumenthal's amendment to overturn the ban, keeping the restriction in place. The 2022 policy that allowed abortions...
March 2026 Dispatch for the CV Team
The March 2026 CV Dispatch highlights a range of new findings, from a Chinese cohort linking elevated blood pressure at embryo transfer to lower live‑birth rates, to the PROMISE trial showing women experience similar major cardiovascular events despite lower plaque...
AI Could Improve Accuracy of PD-L1 Scoring for NSCLC
AI algorithms scored PD‑L1 expression in non‑small cell lung cancer with accuracy comparable to, and in some cases exceeding, manual pathologist assessment, especially for the SP142 assay. The study analyzed 80 slides from the Blueprint project against consensus scores from...
Biopharma Industry Pushes Back on FDA's 'America First' User Fee Proposals
The FDA’s upcoming user‑fee framework, dubbed "America First," seeks to tighten eligibility for the small‑business waiver, limiting it to U.S.‑based applicants. Industry groups argue the change politicizes fee policy and could disadvantage foreign‑owned biotech firms that rely on the waiver...
Attention Failures May Predict Dementia Better Than Memory
Researchers at Swansea University argue that attention impairment, not memory loss, is the earliest detectable sign of dementia. Their new book presents the "Attention First" theory, showing that deficits in filtering and sustaining focus can precede measurable memory decline across...
A New Chapter in Healthcare
Melinda Taschetta‑Millane has been appointed Market Content Director of Healthcare Editorial and Head of Content for Healthcare Innovation. With over two decades in B2B healthcare media—including roles at the American Academy of Pediatrics, medical aesthetics, radiology and cardiology—she brings deep...
Recordati Says It's Received a $12B+ Takeover Bid
Italian pharmaceutical group Recordati announced it has received a takeover proposal valued at more than $12 billion. The bid, disclosed in a press release, comes from an undisclosed consortium of investors. Recordati, known for specialty drugs and generics, said the offer...
50 Years Ago, Karen Quinlan’s Coma Sparked the Movement for Patients’ Rights Near the End of Life
March 31, 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Quinlan decision, which affirmed a constitutional right to refuse life‑sustaining treatment. The ruling shifted end‑of‑life decision‑making from physicians to patients and their families, establishing patient autonomy as...
Canada’s Alkan Air Adds Three King Air 350s Medevacs
Alkan Air is leasing three King Air 350 turboprops from Yukon First Nations Air Leasing Limited Partnership, with the partnership granting YFNAL LP a 75% stake in each aircraft. The three planes were added to Alkan’s certificate in October 2025, expanding a fleet...
Collectly Acquires AI Automation Startup Pledge Health to Streamline Pre-Service Workflows
Collectly, an AI‑driven patient financial platform that has processed over $1 billion for more than 3,000 facilities, announced the acquisition of Y Combinator‑backed Pledge Health. The deal adds upstream pre‑service automation—coverage verification, cost estimates, and prior‑auth readiness—to Collectly’s existing post‑visit billing suite....
Poll: U.S. Voters Want PBM and Insurance Reform—And Strong Biotech
A new Biotechnology Innovation Organization poll of 1,000 U.S. voters shows eight in ten would back leaders who lower drug costs by reforming pharmacy‑benefit managers, insurers, and the 340B program. Across party lines, 88% support passing PBM rebates directly to...
Stereoelectroencephalography in the Presurgical Evaluation of Drug–Resistant Epilepsy: Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Efficacy and Safety in 71 Procedures
A retrospective review of 71 drug‑resistant epilepsy patients undergoing stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) showed that the technique confirmed the pre‑implantation hypothesis in 85% of cases. SEEG‑guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF‑TC) was performed in 52% of patients, yielding seizure improvement in 73% at 12...
Phenylalanine-Associated Ocular Risk Stratification in Early-Treated Children with Phenylketonuria: A Cross-Sectional Study
A cross‑sectional study of 33 early‑treated PKU children found ocular abnormalities common, linked to higher serum phenylalanine. Comprehensive eye exams revealed anterior and posterior segment issues. ROC analysis defined phenylalanine thresholds that predict elevated ocular risk. Findings suggest metabolic control...
A Comparison of the ABC and AIMS65 Scores in Predicting Outcomes in Patients with Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Retrospective...
A retrospective multicenter analysis of 2,009 U.S. patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding found the ABC risk score outperforms AIMS65 in predicting in‑hospital mortality, achieving an AUC of 0.793 versus 0.661 (p<0.0001). Each one‑point rise in the ABC score increased...
The Effects of Three Different Pilates Methods on Pelvic Floor Muscle Function: A Randomized Comparative Interventional Study
A randomized trial compared Reformer Pilates, Mat Pilates, and a home‑based exercise regimen in 48 healthy women over ten weeks. Both Reformer and Mat Pilates produced statistically significant improvements in pelvic floor muscle strength and endurance, as well as core...
Valneva to Participate in Multiple Events at the 26th World Vaccine Congress in Washington DC
Valneva SE announced its participation in the 26th World Vaccine Congress in Washington, D.C., from March 31 to April 2, 2026. The company’s CEO, Thomas Lingelbach, and senior executives will present data on the chikungunya vaccine IXCHIQ® and join a...
Transgene to Deliver an Oral Presentation on Its Individualized Neoantigen Therapeutic Vaccine TG4050 at the World Vaccine Congress
Transgene (Euronext: TNG) will deliver a 30‑minute oral presentation on its individualized neoantigen therapeutic vaccine TG4050 at the World Vaccine Congress in Washington, D.C. on April 1, 2026. TG4050, built on the AI‑driven myvac® platform, targets patient‑specific tumor mutations. Phase 1 data in...
Editorial. Weighty Matter
The GLP‑1 drug semaglutide has entered the Indian market as generic versions after its patent expired last week, driving monthly prices down from roughly $144 to $36. The steep discount makes the medication affordable for a broader segment of diabetics...
Cold Weather Responsible for Many More Stroke and Heart Attack Deaths than Heat
A new study presented at ACC.26 reveals that cold weather drives far more cardiovascular deaths in the United States than heat. Analyzing over 14 million deaths across 819 counties from 2000‑2020, researchers found the optimal heart‑health temperature is 74 °F. Temperatures below...
Blossom Health Secures $20M to Scale AI Psychiatry Platform
Blossom Health, a New York‑based telepsychiatry startup, raised $20 million in Seed and Series A financing led by Headline and a broad investor syndicate. The capital will fund geographic expansion, new payer contracts, clinician onboarding, and accelerated AI research. Blossom’s platform combines...
Announcing the Winners of the MedGemma Impact Challenge
Google announced the winners of its MedGemma Impact Challenge, a competition that attracted over 850 global developer teams to build prototype health applications using open‑weight models from the Health AI Developer Foundations (HAI‑DEF) program. First‑place went to EpiCast, a mobile...
Mayo Clinic Study Uses Wearables and Machine Learning to Predict COPD Rehab Participation
Mayo Clinic researchers published a study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health showing that wearable‑derived sleep metrics can forecast patient participation in remote COPD pulmonary rehabilitation. Participants wore wrist activity monitors for a week before a 12‑week home‑based program, generating...
Stroke Survivors’ Brains Rejuvenate to Compensate for Injury
A global ENIGMA study of over 500 chronic stroke survivors used deep‑learning MRI analysis to estimate regional brain‑predicted age differences (brain‑PAD). The damaged hemisphere showed accelerated aging, while the opposite, undamaged side—especially the frontoparietal network—exhibited a younger structural profile. This...
NYC Partnership Targets Medicaid Population for HRSN Screenings
A coalition of Yuvo Health, Public Health Solutions and Hyphen aims to complete 40,000 health‑related social‑needs (HRSN) screenings across New York City’s Federally Qualified Health Center network by June 30, 2026. The effort targets Medicaid enrollees under New York State’s 1115 Health Equity Reform...
Cleveland Clinic Expands Hospital at Home in Ohio
Cleveland Clinic is rolling out its Hospital Care at Home program to the west side of Cleveland, extending services to Northeast Ohio. The initiative lets eligible patients within a 25‑mile radius of Fairview or Avon hospitals receive acute care at...
How $50 Billion in Rural Funding Could Help Kodiak Island Nonprofit
Kodiak KINDNESS, a nonprofit on Alaska’s remote Kodiak Island, provides infant feeding support to nearly all local families, including Coast Guard, Native, Hispanic and Filipino households. The program runs on a modest $150,000 annual budget, relying heavily on volunteers and...
Endologix to Close Production Facility, Lay Off 31 People
Endologix announced the closure of its Milpitas, California production facility, resulting in 31 layoffs. The plant was acquired in 2021 when Endologix bought PQ Bypass, adding the Detour peripheral arterial disease device to its portfolio. Layoffs will occur primarily on...
Jona and Everlywell Partner to Launch AI-Powered Gut Microbiome Test
Jona, an AI‑driven gut microbiome startup, has teamed up with Everlywell to bring a high‑resolution microbiome test to the U.S. consumer market. The test employs deep shotgun metagenomic sequencing, delivering strain‑level data on bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. Jona’s proprietary...
Kodiak’s Phase 3 Eye Drug Success; Innate Discontinues Anti-CD20 Program
Kodiak Sciences announced that its experimental eye drug Zenkuda (tarcocimab tedromer) achieved positive topline results in the GLow2 Phase 3 trial for diabetic retinopathy, outperforming sham treatment. The study met its primary endpoint, delivering a statistically significant gain in visual acuity...
Post-Hoc: It’s Time to Make ACIP Serious Again
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is under renewed scrutiny after former member Robert Malone suggested on social media that the committee could be disbanded. Critics argue that political interference has eroded the panel’s scientific credibility, prompting calls for structural...
Frozen Does Not Mean Stable: Rethinking Cryopreservation in Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing
Cryopreservation remains a linchpin for cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing, yet frozen material is not inherently stable. Real‑world operations introduce transient warming events (TWEs) when products are moved, accessed, or shipped, silently degrading viability and potency. Traditional reliance on...
Digital Tools Extend Care Outside Hospital Walls
Wearables, IoT devices and home‑based care are being deployed to reduce hospital stays and boost quality of life for South Korea’s aging population, according to Samsung Medical Center CMIO Dr. Meong Hi Son. The interview emphasizes remote monitoring as a...
DPC Is Scaling — The Financing Architecture Isn’t Ready
Direct primary care (DPC) practices have exploded, growing 83 percent since 2018 to over 2,700 sites serving roughly 250,000 patients, and the global market is projected to reach $93 billion by 2034. While DPC delivers longer visits and lower utilization, the migration...
Alberta Court of Appeal Refuses to Stay Next Steps of Psychiatrist’s Disciplinary Case
The Alberta Court of Appeal rejected a psychiatrist’s request to stay the next steps of a disciplinary proceeding initiated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. The appeal reiterated that the applicant’s arguments mirrored earlier, already‑rejected claims about...
3D Systems Granted Full-Scope Certification Under EU Medical Device Regulation 2017/745
3D Systems has secured full‑scope certification under the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) 2017/745, confirming its quality system, documentation, and clinical evidence meet Europe’s strict standards. The approval clears the path for the NextDent Jetted Denture Solution to launch across...
PharmaShots CXO Talks | Women’s History Month Special: A Conversation with Dr. Emanuela Offidani of Tris Pharma
Dr. Emanuela Offidani, Tris Pharma’s Medical Director of Digital Health Strategy, highlighted that ADHD is increasingly recognized as a lifelong condition that often goes undiagnosed in women because symptoms are less overt. She explained that Tris Pharma’s proprietary LiquiXR delivery...
Personalized Rehab Solution: Supporting Patients With Work Responsibilities
Personalized rehabilitation programs are emerging to accommodate clients who cannot abandon work responsibilities. Facilities like Tranquil Shores offer flexible scheduling, remote therapy, and tailored treatment plans that align with individual career demands. By integrating technology and confidential care, these programs...
3 Ways Self-Employed Healthcare Professionals Can Reduce Admin Time
Self‑employed healthcare professionals are spending an outsized portion of their week on administrative tasks, from chasing payments to handling complex tax filings. The article outlines three practical ways to cut that burden: systematically tracking how time is spent, leveraging modern...
House Democrats Accuse CMS Official of Misleading Congress Under Oath
House Democrats allege CMS COO Kimberly Brandt gave misleading testimony under oath about the agency’s efforts to engage Minnesota before withholding Medicaid funds. Brandt claimed litigation blocked a hearing, yet she later asked the hearing to be stayed, prompting Rep....
Novocure Reports Topline P-II (PANOVA-4) Trial Data on TTFields Therapy for Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (mPDAC)
Novocure disclosed topline Phase‑2 PANOVA‑4 data showing that Tumor‑Treating Fields (TTFields) combined with Tecentriq and gemcitabine/nab‑paclitaxel achieved a 74.4% disease‑control rate in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC). The trial, enrolling 78 patients, outperformed the historical MPACT control arm’s 48% DCR. Secondary...
EPtalk by Dr. Jayne 3/26/26
Epic Systems remains the dominant electronic health record (EHR) vendor, powering more than 250 U.S. hospitals, but its market grip faces mounting criticism over cost, complexity, and data‑privacy practices. A Texas‑filed lawsuit, spearheaded by the state Attorney General, alleges Epic’s...
Ill. FD Takes over Ambulance Service for Neighboring Fire District
Starting July 1, the Lexington Fire Protection District will become the primary ambulance provider for the neighboring Octavia Fire Protection District, delivering basic life support services staffed by licensed EMTs. The agreement covers the communities of Anchor, Cropsey, Colfax and Cooksville....
Vitamins B3 Plus B6 May Boost Muscle Repair After High Intensity Exercise: Nestlé Study
A Nestlé‑backed randomized trial gave healthy men 714 mg nicotinamide and 19 mg pyridoxine daily for nine days after intense eccentric exercise. The B‑vitamin combo boosted muscle stem cell numbers by 29% and accelerated differentiation markers—MyoD+ cells rose 67%, myogenin+ cells 34%,...
Menopause Claims Back Under the Spotlight Following ASA Review
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has flagged three menopause‑focused supplement brands—Lunera, Minerva Wellness and Nova—for making unauthorized health claims in paid social media ads. The advertisements suggested the products could treat menopause symptoms such as weight gain, hot flushes,...