Trial finds vitamin D supplements don't reduce COVID severity but could reduce long COVID risk
medicalxpress - In a large, randomized trial, researchers at Mass General Brigham found that high-dose vitamin D3 did not reduce COVID-19 infection severity, but may impact long COVID outcomes. Results of the study are published in The Journal of Nutrition.
AI Summary: A large randomized trial found high‑dose vitamin D3 did not lower acute COVID‑19 severity but revealed a surprising signal: supplementation may reduce the risk of developing long‑COVID. The result complicates the vitamin D narrative — not a cure, perhaps a modest shield against persistent post‑infectious symptoms worthy of further investigation.
NRG-LU005 Trial: Atezolizumab Plus Chemoradiotherapy in Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer
oncodaily - A major international clinical trial, NRG-LU005, has provided important new insight into how immunotherapy should be used in limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). While immune checkpoint inhibitors have significantly […]
AI Summary: A major international trial tested whether adding the PD‑L1 inhibitor atezolizumab to concurrent chemoradiotherapy for limited‑stage small‑cell lung cancer would boost outcomes. The study found no significant survival benefit, prompting clinicians to rethink the timing and role of immune checkpoint blockade in curative‑intent SCLC rather than assuming more drugs always means better results.
FDA Drug Approval Marks a First for a Disease — But It’s Not Autism
Frank Vinluan / medcitynews - Leucovorin is now approved for cerebral folate deficiency months after FDA Commissioner Marty Makary claimed the decades-old generic drug had promise for treating autism. The FDA’s review was based on published literature and real-world evidence.The post …
AI Summary: The FDA has granted traditional approval to leucovorin for cerebral folate deficiency, formalizing a decades‑old generic’s role in a rare metabolic disorder. The decision comes amid earlier agency notes that evidence for autism benefit was weak and debate over expanding use without fresh trial data — cue the policy hot takes.
A new triple negative breast cancer target: Why HORMAD1 could guide treatment choices
medicalxpress - A gene that is typically active only in reproductive cells may hold the key to new treatments for triple negative breast cancer, according to new research published in the journal Nature Communications. Scientists from the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Re…
AI Summary: Researchers have identified HORMAD1, a normally reproductive‑cell gene, as a vulnerability in some triple‑negative breast cancers. Preclinical work suggests exploiting this target could guide patient selection and novel therapies, opening a promising — if early‑stage — route for a tumor type that desperately needs smarter options.
- HORMAD1: reproductive gene reveals vulnerability in triple‑negative breast cancer (3)
- New insights into why aggressive breast cancers grow and spread (3)
- OTHER: related cancer research and approvals outside this TNBC angle (5)
- All Other Stories
HORMAD1: reproductive gene reveals vulnerability in triple‑negative breast cancer
New insights into why aggressive breast cancers grow and spread
OTHER: related cancer research and approvals outside this TNBC angle
All Other Stories
Alfasigma Pays $300M for Rights to GSK Rare Liver Disease Drug On Track for FDA Decision
Frank Vinluan / medcitynews - GSK licensed to Alfasigma global rights to linerixibat, a drug developed to treat the rare liver disease primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). The move follows Alfasigma’s 2025 voluntary market withdrawal of Ocaliva, a PBC drug that had sparked safety concer…
AI Summary: GSK has licensed its investigational drug linerixibat to Alfasigma for $300 million upfront, transferring global rights as the therapy nears regulatory decisions for cholestatic liver itch. The deal accelerates Alfasigma’s rare-disease ambitions while allowing GSK to reposition its pipeline — a tidy corporate shuffle with real implications for patients with debilitating pruritus.
Roche’s big hope breast cancer drug fails in crucial first-line trial
Elizabeth Cairns / endpoints - Roche’s breast cancer pill, which the company recently said had the potential to become its biggest-ever selling drug, has failed in what is arguably its most important Phase 3 trial. The persevERA ...
AI Summary: Roche’s experimental breast cancer oral agent failed to meet its primary endpoint in a pivotal first‑line trial, dashing expectations that it would become a major new therapy. The negative readout forces a strategic rethink for the program and raises questions about near‑term prospects for what had been touted as a potential blockbuster.
‘They Need Each Other’: Why Hims & Hers and Novo Nordisk Made Up
Marissa Plescia / medcitynews - Novo Nordisk dropped its lawsuit against Hims & Hers and launched a new collaboration. The deal is advantageous for both companies, experts say.The post ‘They Need Each Other’: Why Hims & Hers and Novo Nordisk Made Up appeared first on MedCity News.
AI Summary: Novo Nordisk has dropped its legal fight with Hims & Hers and struck a business-friendly truce: Hims will sell Novo’s branded weight‑loss medications on its platform. The abrupt move turns courtroom theatrics into commercial collaboration, smoothing distribution while leaving regulators and competitors to enjoy the schadenfreude.
Fitch upgrades UCHealth’s rating to ‘AA+’
Andrew Cass / beckershospitalreview - Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth’s credit rating was upgraded to “AA+” from “AA” by Fitch. The upgrade reflects the health system’s very strong financial profile, benefiting from its market position in a growing service area and a long track record of robust …
AI Summary: A large NHS evaluation found that an AI system can detect more invasive breast cancers than traditional reading alone, boosting detection by roughly 10%. The technology matched or rivaled radiologists in a major screening dataset, prompting debate about integration, workflow changes, and careful real-world rollout rather than unleashing bots in mammography rooms immediately.
- Mixed trial findings: AI triage not always noninferior. (1)
- NHS trial: AI boosts breast cancer detection by ~10%. (2)
- OTHER: AI in broader cardiac, hematology, imaging, and finance news. (4)
- Researchers and conferences push AI discussion in breast imaging. (2)
- All Other Stories
Mixed trial findings: AI triage not always noninferior.
NHS trial: AI boosts breast cancer detection by ~10%.
OTHER: AI in broader cardiac, hematology, imaging, and finance news.
Researchers and conferences push AI discussion in breast imaging.
All Other Stories
Antonio Calles: RECITE Trial Findings on Romiplostim for Chemotherapy-Induced Thrombocytopenia
oncodaily - Antonio Calles, Medical Oncologist at Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón and faculty member of the Lung and Other Thoracic Tumours faculty group of the ESMO, shared a post by NEJM, […]
AI Summary: A global phase 3 trial shows romiplostim markedly reduces chemotherapy‑induced thrombocytopenia, cutting severe low‑platelet events and helping patients stay on planned treatment schedules. The finding promises to lower bleeding risk and avoid dose delays, a relief for clinicians and patients alike — and for anyone tired of rescheduled infusions.
The appendix evolved at least 32 times across 361 species, so it's 'unlikely to be a useless evolutionary accident,' research finds
livescience - Two researchers explore the evolutionary history of the appendix and its role in human health.
AI Summary: Researchers traced the appendix’s evolutionary history across hundreds of species and found it appeared independently at least 32 times, arguing the organ is unlikely to be a useless leftover. The findings suggest conserved functional roles—likely linked to immune and microbial functions—forcing a rethink of medical attitudes toward a body part too often dismissed and casually removed.
Personalized Support Program Improves Smoking Cessation for Cervical Cancer Survivors – UCLA Health
oncodaily - UCLA study shows program doubles quit rates for women and offers a cost-effective approach A new study led by UCLA researchers suggests that a personalized counseling program can significantly help […]
AI Summary: A UCLA-led trial found that a tailored support program for women treated for cervical precancer significantly doubled smoking-cessation rates versus usual care. The intervention combined individualized counseling, follow-up, and survivor-focused resources, proving both clinically impactful and cost-effective — because apparently telling people to “just quit” still isn’t working.
Grail names new CEO as Bob Ragusa retires
Jared Whitlock / endpoints - Grail on Thursday announced that its CEO, Bob Ragusa, will retire and is handing the reins to its current president Josh Ofman. The cancer screening company said the move was the culmination of long-term succession ...
AI Summary: Grail announced a leadership transition as long‑time chief executive Bob Ragusa retires and hands operational control to current president Josh Ofman. The move marks a new chapter for the cancer‑screening company as stakeholders watch for strategic shifts and commentary about the company’s unusual corporate journey and future direction.
Measles outbreaks could fuel rise in fatal complication, physicians warn
Mackenzie Bean / beckershospitalreview - As measles continues spreading across the U.S. at a pace not seen in decades, physicians are warning about a rare but often fatal neurological complication that can emerge years after initial infection, KFF Health News reported March 13. Subacute sclerosi…
AI Summary: Measles is resurging across the United States at levels not seen in decades, and clinicians warn this spike could drive an increase in a rare but often fatal neurological complication. Public‑health experts point to falling vaccination coverage and gaps in outbreak control as the drivers, urging renewed immunization efforts and vigilance.
Vanderbilt Health president, CEO to retire
Paige Twenter / beckershospitalreview - Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Vanderbilt Health and dean of Vanderbilt University’s school of medicine, plans to retire from both roles Dec. 31, according to a March 12 news release from the Nashville, Tenn.-based organizations. During his 17…
AI Summary: Jeff Balser, president and CEO of Vanderbilt Health (and dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine), will retire at the end of the year, prompting the health system’s board to launch a national search for his successor. Leaders emphasize a careful transition to preserve academic‑clinical stability while navigating complex operational challenges.
AMA: Physicians' use of AI doubled from 2023 to 2026
fiercehealthcare - A survey fielded earlier this year found 81% of doctors use AI in a professional context, with an average of 2.3 use cases per physician. Respondents were largely bullish on the technology's ability to boost clinical care and work efficiency, but still ha…
AI Summary: An AMA survey finds physicians’ professional use of artificial intelligence roughly doubled from 2023 to 2026, with about 81% of doctors now using AI across clinical and administrative tasks. The rapid uptake spotlights workflow integration but raises immediate questions about oversight, training, and legal liability as adoption outpaces policy.
Ipsen pulls cancer drug Tazverik from market over safety risks
Nicole DeFeudis / endpoints - Ipsen is pulling its cancer drug Tazverik from the market after an independent data monitoring committee found safety concerns in a confirmatory trial. The committee reported cases of secondary cancers that begin in blood-forming tissue ...
AI Summary: Ipsen has removed its EZH2 inhibitor Tazverik (tazemetostat) from the U.S. market after safety issues flagged by an independent monitoring review. The withdrawal forces clinicians to pivot to alternative therapies and triggers regulatory and clinical re‑examination of the drug’s benefit‑risk profile for patients previously depending on it.
Eliquis may be safer than Xarelto for patients with deep blood clots: Study
Ella Jeffries / beckershospitalreview - Patients taking blood thinner Eliquis had a lower risk of clinically relevant bleeding than those taking Xarelto, a recent study found. Researchers enrolled 2,760 patients with venous thrombosis — blood clots in the veins of the legs or lungs — and random…
AI Summary: A direct comparison trial found apixaban (Eliquis) produced a lower rate of clinically relevant bleeding than rivaroxaban (Xarelto) in patients treated for venous thromboembolism while preserving efficacy against clots. The results offer prescribers clear comparative safety data that could influence anticoagulant selection and guideline recommendations.
Flu vaccines didn't work that well in the US, officials find
medicalxpress - As the U.S. flu season winds down, health officials say the flu vaccine didn't work very well, with one of its worst effectiveness rates in more than a decade.
AI Summary: Health officials report this season’s influenza vaccine performed poorly, with effectiveness among the lowest in recent years. A mismatch between vaccine strains and circulating viruses reduced protection, prompting calls for strain updates ahead of the fall program. Public health leaders still urge vaccination for partial protection and to blunt severe outcomes.
A smartphone app can help men last longer in bed
newscientist - In a randomised trial, men who experience premature ejaculation benefitted from using an app to learn techniques for extending intercourse
AI Summary: A randomized trial shows a smartphone app teaching behavioral and psychological techniques significantly prolonged intercourse and improved sexual satisfaction for men with premature ejaculation. The digital program provided a non‑pharmacologic, scalable alternative to pills, offering clinicians an accessible adjunct or first‑line option for patients keen to try therapy without a prescription.
Severe COVID or Severe Flu May Raise Risk of Lung Cancer, But Vaccines Helped in Animal Tests
discovermagazine - Learn how severe respiratory illness leaves the lungs vulnerable to cancer, and how vaccines could prevent these vulnerabilities.
AI Summary: New animal and observational evidence suggests severe respiratory infections—including serious COVID‑19 and influenza—can prime lung tissue and accelerate cancer development months to years later. Vaccination appeared to blunt those effects in experimental models, highlighting prevention as a potential cancer‑risk reduction strategy and urging clinicians to watch survivors of severe infections more closely.