Navigating the Expanding MS Treatment Landscape: Kavita Nair, PhD
The multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment landscape has exploded from four to 23 disease‑modifying therapies, giving clinicians a broad menu of oral, injectable, infusion, generic, and biosimilar options. Selecting a therapy now hinges on balancing efficacy and safety with real‑world factors such as patient access, out‑of‑pocket costs, and the availability of monitoring support. Generics often lack manufacturer‑provided safety monitoring, while brand‑name infusions, though costlier, offer structured support networks that many patients prefer. Policy shifts, especially looming Medicaid eligibility requirements, threaten to erode these gains and could jeopardize patient outcomes.
Elevance Health's Value-Based Care Models Deliver Measurable Quality Gains: Kristie Spencer
Elevance Health reported that 60.5% of its medical spend now flows through value‑based care contracts, with shared‑risk arrangements climbing to 37%—a 4‑point rise from the previous year. The company’s 2024 Advancing Health Together report shows that 76% of its value‑based...
Wet, Dry AMD Require Different Methods of Treatment, Including Anti-VEGF: Julie Rosenthal, MD, MS
Age‑related macular degeneration (AMD) affects roughly 19.8 million Americans and remains a leading cause of blindness. The disease is split into dry and wet forms, each requiring distinct therapeutic approaches. Wet AMD is managed with intravitreal anti‑VEGF injections, with newer agents...
5-Day Preoperative Radiotherapy in High-Risk STS Shows Manageable Toxicity
A phase‑2 single‑center trial evaluated a five‑day pre‑operative radiotherapy schedule in 110 patients with high‑risk soft‑tissue sarcoma. At two‑year follow‑up, grade ≥ 2 radiation‑related toxicities were observed in 14 of 74 evaluable patients, with lower rates in the extension cohort. Major wound...
At an Inflection Point in HIV Science: Nicolas Chomont, PhD, Looks Ahead to CROI 2026
Nicolas Chomont, chair of CROI 2026’s scientific program, previewed the conference’s focus on emerging HIV research, including treatment, cure, and vaccine advances. The meeting will showcase extensive data on long‑acting antiretroviral therapies and address funding constraints affecting global HIV initiatives....
Health Equity & Access Weekly Roundup: February 20, 2026
The Guttmacher Institute reports a modest 2% drop in abortion clinics across non‑ban states, yet high churn—51 closures and 39 openings—creates instability, especially in Florida where a six‑week ban accelerated losses despite telehealth growth. New sickle‑cell disease therapies, including gene‑editing...
2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccines Provided Moderate Protection Against JN.1 Variants
A recent JAMA Network Open case‑control study of 8,493 hospitalized adults shows that 2024‑2025 COVID‑19 vaccines provided moderate protection against the JN.1 lineage, with overall effectiveness of 40% against hospitalization and up to 52% after 90‑179 days. Updated Moderna and...
Navigating GLP-1 Costs With Eric Levin: Insurance, Cash Pay, and the Oral Wegovy Shift
Eric Levin, CEO of Scripta, explains that the newly launched oral Wegovy pill is typically cheaper on a cash‑pay basis—by a few hundred dollars per month—than injectable GLP‑1s, but insurance reimbursements are currently similar for both forms. Coverage depends heavily...
Meta-Analysis: Pluvicto Extends PFS in Advanced Prostate Cancer Without Adding Toxicity
Young Adults Face Highest Burden of Alopecia Areata, Global Study Finds
Common Blood Marker May Predict Response to Anti-IgE Therapy in Chronic Hives
Despite High Awareness of Lp(a) as a CVD Risk Factor, Testing Rates Are Low
Evolving Role of PD-L1 and Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Resectable NSCLC
Oral GLP-1 Pricing Varies Widely Based on Coverage and Access: Eric Levin
FDA Approval of Sibeprenlimab Signals New Era in IgA Nephropathy: Jackson Peter Kim, MD
The FDA granted accelerated approval to sibeprenlimab‑szsi (Voyxact) for primary IgA nephropathy, marking the first APRIL‑inhibiting monoclonal antibody for this condition. Interim results from the phase 3 VISIONARY trial showed a 50 % reduction in proteinuria at nine months versus 2 % with...
Produce Prescription Program Shows Limited Impact on Cardiometabolic Health in Diabetes
A pragmatic randomized trial in the southeastern US tested a 12‑month produce‑prescription program that gave diabetes patients at risk of food insecurity an $80 monthly debit card for fruits and vegetables. After enrolling 2,155 participants, the intervention showed no significant...
Best Practices for APP Collaboration in Alzheimer Disease Care
CRC Prevention Gaps Persist in Younger Black, Hispanic Populations Facing Most Advanced Cases: Jordan Karlitz, MD
The Sleep Crisis Is Increasingly a Social Issue
Diabetes Is Linked to Higher Risk of Pancreatic Cystic Neoplasms
A Korean nationwide cohort of 3.86 million adults found that diabetes raises the risk of pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs), with longer disease duration conferring greater risk. Incidence rose from 0.72 per 1,000 person‑years in normoglycemic individuals to 1.82 in those with...
Simplified Psoriasis Severity Measure Shows Strong Correlation With PASI
A new psoriasis severity tool, G2‑PASE, combines Physician Global Assessment and body surface area with a nonlinear weighting to approximate the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. In a Canadian registry of 1,803 patients, it demonstrated a Pearson correlation of 0.83...
3-Year EPCORE NHL-1 Data Published Showing 53% Have Deep, Durable Remission
The EPCORE NHL‑1 trial released three‑year data showing that epcoritamab (Epkinly) delivers deep, durable remissions in heavily pre‑treated large B‑cell lymphoma. Among patients who achieved a complete response, 53% remained progression‑free at the data cutoff, with a median CR duration...