FDA vaccine chief to step down in April
Ella Jeffries / beckershospitalreview - Vinay Prasad, MD, the FDA’s top regulator of vaccines and cell and gene therapies, will step down at the end of April, an agency spokesperson confirmed to Becker’s. Dr. Prasad joined the agency in 2025 on a one-year sabbatical from the University of Calif…
AI Summary: Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s top regulator for vaccines and cell and gene therapies, will step down at the end of April amid mounting criticism over controversial decisions that reportedly overrode agency scientists and spooked stakeholders. His exit follows prolonged internal and external disputes about regulatory judgment and leadership style.
Hospitals urge regulators to halt drugmakers’ expanded 340B data policies
Emily Olsen / healthcaredive - The American Hospital Association argues new policies from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk requiring providers to submit more claims data on dispensed 340B drugs is onerous and unlawful.
AI Summary: Hospitals and provider groups are urging federal regulators to halt new drugmaker policies that expand claims-data reporting tied to 340B discounts, calling the requirements unlawful and administratively burdensome. The dispute pits safety-net providers against manufacturers seeking program transparency — a classic tug-of-war with patients’ financial stakes caught in the middle.
RFK Jr. names 2 new members to CDC vaccine panel
Erica Cerutti / beckershospitalreview - HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed two new members to the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee Feb. 27, ahead of a rescheduled meeting in mid-March where members are expected to review COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Mr. Kennedy said Sean Downing…
AI Summary: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed two clinicians to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices just weeks before a rescheduled session, installing new voting members ahead of vaccine deliberations. The last‑minute nominations aim to ensure the panel is fully staffed for upcoming guidance discussions.
Parents of gravely ill child refused respite care
bbc - Birmingham Children's Trust refused respite help and suggested training grandparents to help.
AI Summary: Parents of a gravely ill child report being refused respite care, leaving caregivers exhausted and without relief while bureaucratic responses pivot to training relatives. The situation exposes gaps in social and health services for high‑need families and the human cost of systems designed for checkboxes, not real lives.
Health Gorilla Calls Epic Lawsuit ‘Attack on Interoperability’ in Motion to Dismiss
Katie Adams / medcitynews - Health data company Health Gorilla filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit from Epic and several healthcare providers alleging inappropriate access to nearly 300,000 patient records. The case highlights ongoing questions about governance and standards for nat…
AI Summary: Health Gorilla has asked a court to toss Epic’s lawsuit accusing the health‑data firm of improper access to electronic health records, calling the suit an “attack on interoperability.” The motion argues Epic and providers are using contract technicalities to stifle data exchange, while courts will decide whether access practices cross legal lines.
Teladoc Health reports slower growth, offers cautious 2026 outlook as it shifts telehealth model
fiercehealthcare - Teladoc Health reported better-than-expected fourth quarter financial results with both revenue and earnings exceeding analysts' expectations, driving a 15% jump in the company's stock Thursday.
AI Summary: Telehealth provider Teladoc reported slower growth and issued a cautious outlook as it shifts its telehealth model, warning of membership headwinds and potential declines in integrated‑care enrollment tied to market dynamics and policy changes. Management signaled strategic recalibration to stabilize long‑term performance.
Boehringer wins accelerated approval for first-line use of lung cancer drug
Lei Lei Wu / endpoints - The FDA greenlit an expanded label for Boehringer Ingelheim’s lung cancer drug Hernexeos, marking the first use of the Commissioner's National Priority Voucher for a new indication. Boehringer won an accelerated
AI Summary: Regulators accelerated approval of Boehringer Ingelheim’s lung cancer therapy for first‑line use, leveraging a priority review mechanism that sped the timeline. The label expansion places the drug into earlier treatment settings, reflecting promising data and the efficiency (and occasional controversy) of voucher‑assisted regulatory pathways.
UHS posts 11.5% operating margin in 2025 as net income jumps 30%
Andrew Cass / beckershospitalreview - King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services recorded a net income of $1.5 billion in 2025, up from $1.1 billion in 2024, according to its Feb. 25 financial report. Eight things to know: 1. The for-profit system reported an operating income of $2 …
AI Summary: Universal Health Services reported robust 2025 financial results and outlined an optimistic 2026 outlook, driven by acute and behavioral health operations. Leadership flagged growth targets for admissions and behavioral services even as staffing and regulatory pressures persist — the usual blend of confidence and contingency planning.
Cancer blood test fails to catch disease earlier in major study
medicalxpress - A blood test designed to find cancer early did not work as hoped in a major new study, according to the company that makes it.
AI Summary: A large trial evaluating GRAIL’s multi‑cancer blood screening test failed to meet its primary goal of earlier cancer detection. The disappointing result casts doubt on the test’s clinical utility for population screening, sparks debate over marketing and clinical use, and prompts calls for clearer evidence before widespread adoption.
FDA Launches Framework to Accelerate Individualized Therapies for Ultra-Rare Diseases 2026
oncodaily - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released groundbreaking draft guidance introducing a new regulatory framework designed to accelerate the development and approval of individualized therapies for patients with […]
AI Summary: The FDA released draft guidance creating a regulatory pathway to speed individualized and N-of-1 cell and gene therapies for ultra‑rare diseases. The framework clarifies evidence expectations, manufacturing and safety-monitoring options, and trial design flexibility to help get bespoke treatments from bench to bedside faster — no miracles promised, just fewer bureaucratic speed bumps.
ChatGPT Health performance in a structured test of triage recommendations
Ashwin Ramaswamy / nature - Nature Medicine, Published online: 23 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04297-7A stress test of ChatGPT Health triage revealed missed high-risk emergencies and inconsistent activation of suicide-crisis safeguards, raising safety concerns for consumer-…
AI Summary: A structured, independent evaluation found that ChatGPT Health—an AI tool offering consumer triage and health guidance—missed or misclassified high-risk cases and gave inconsistent advice. Researchers and clinicians raised safety concerns about relying on the system for urgent medical decision-making, calling for tighter oversight and validation before broad public deployment.
Justice Department sues OhioHealth over alleged anticompetitive insurer contracts
Sydney Halleman / healthcaredive - The DOJ filed a lawsuit last week accusing OhioHealth of leveraging its market power to force insurers to include its providers in their networks.
AI Summary: The Justice Department filed a civil antitrust suit accusing OhioHealth of using its market dominance to force insurers to include all system hospitals in provider networks, allegedly blocking lower‑cost plan options and harming competition. The case seeks to stop contract practices deemed exclusionary and could prompt changes in hospital‑insurer negotiation tactics.
Brain injury is almost ten times more common in unhoused people. Addressing it is key to reducing homelessness
medicalxpress - On any given night, 60,000 people in Canada will go to sleep homeless. Research estimates that more than half of them have had a brain injury at one point in their lives, most of them being injured before becoming homeless. An estimated 22.5% live with mo…
AI Summary: Research indicates people experiencing homelessness suffer brain injuries at dramatically higher rates—approaching a tenfold increase—compared with housed populations. Advocates and clinicians call for routine screening, accessible neurorehabilitation, trauma-informed services and coordinated housing support to address long-term disability and reduce homelessness cycles. The findings argue treating injuries, not just symptoms, yields better social and health outcomes.
FDA formalizes one pivotal trial policy via NEJM perspective
Zachary Brennan / endpoints - Top FDA officials said that a single pivotal trial requirement will be the “new default standard” for drug approvals, a move that goes beyond the agency’s prior discretion around not requiring two trials. In a ...
AI Summary: The FDA has moved to make a single pivotal trial the new default for drug approvals, abandoning the long-standing two-study standard to speed access and ease OTC transitions. The policy, outlined by agency leaders and discussed in a NEJM perspective, raises questions about evidence thresholds and downstream safety monitoring. Welcome to faster approvals — now let's hope that lone study behaves.
Nevada Debuts Public Option Amid Tumultuous Federal Changes to Health Care
Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez / kffhealthnews - The state recently became the third to offer a public option health plan through its Affordable Care Act marketplace. But researchers said it’s unlikely to fill the gaps left by sweeping changes at the federal level.
AI Summary: Nevada has rolled out a public-option plan on its Affordable Care Act marketplace, becoming the third state to do so as federal policy shifts rattle the insurance landscape. Officials tout lower-cost choice for consumers, while researchers warn the move won’t plug major coverage gaps or fully offset the effects of federal changes.
N.I.H. Director Will Temporarily Run C.D.C. in Leadership Shake-Up
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / nytimes - Dr. Jay Bhattacharya will serve as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention until President Trump appoints a permanent director.
AI Summary: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, currently NIH director, has been appointed acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stepping into leadership amid recent departures. He will oversee CDC operations until a permanent nominee is confirmed, inheriting immediate pandemic and preparedness responsibilities — because who doesn’t love an unexpected federal acting role?
As some people push to make profound autism its own diagnosis, this family is raising twins with it
medicalxpress - Connor Murphy walked in circles around his dad, then flopped down on the kitchen floor, got up and walked in circles again.
AI Summary: In a candid portrait, parents caring for twins with severe developmental differences describe daily realities—stereotyped behaviors like pacing and collapse—while advocacy grows to recognize "profound autism" as a distinct diagnosis. Families say a separate label could unlock tailored services and protections, but critics warn of stigma and diagnostic fragmentation; labels aren't magic wands.
What to Expect at the World Cancer Congress 2026 – UICC
oncodaily - Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) shared a post on LinkedIn: “The preliminary program for the World Cancer Congress 2026 – taking place in Hong Kong and hosted by UICC […]
AI Summary: The Union for International Cancer Control released the preliminary program for World Cancer Congress 2026, outlining sessions on prevention, equity, innovation and global collaboration. The meeting will assemble policymakers, clinicians and advocates to debate strategy and share research—expect plenaries, networking and ambitious goals paired with painfully realistic budgets.
- Cutting-edge research: enzymes, AI, biomarkers transforming cancer care (23)
- Global oncology meetings: convening leaders and reviewers worldwide (14)
- Other: market, jobs, commentary, and patient communication (9)
- Previewing World Cancer Congress 2026: program, goals, real budgets (1)
- All Other Stories
Cutting-edge research: enzymes, AI, biomarkers transforming cancer care
Global oncology meetings: convening leaders and reviewers worldwide
Other: market, jobs, commentary, and patient communication
Previewing World Cancer Congress 2026: program, goals, real budgets
All Other Stories
Federal judge vacates FTC's expanded premerger notification requirements
fiercehealthcare - The overhaul to the Hart-Scott-Rodino form went into effect in early 2025, and by the regulator's own estimates expanded merging companies' average paperwork burdens from 37 hours to 105 hours. The court's ordered rollback is set to take effect Feb. 19 pe…
AI Summary: A U.S. federal judge vacated the 2025 overhaul of the Hart‑Scott‑Rodino premerger filing rules that had broadened reporting obligations for merging parties. The ruling halts the expanded notification regime, reshaping near‑term M&A compliance expectations and leaving companies—and regulators—scrambling to reassess merger filing practices.
Can medical AI lie? Large study maps how LLMs handle health misinformation
medicalxpress - Medical artificial intelligence (AI) is often described as a way to make patient care safer by helping clinicians manage information. A new study by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and collaborators confronts a critical vulnerability: when a m…
AI Summary: A broad analysis — including Mount Sinai research — shows large language models and medical AI systems can propagate false or misleading health claims when presented in realistic clinical language. Findings expose safety gaps, underline risks of unchecked deployment, and call for tighter guardrails, validation and clinician oversight before clinical use.