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Heart & Soul: Free clinic in Westfield offers health care to uninsured, underinsured
Hamilton County has a relatively low rate of people without health insurance. However, a free clinic in Westfield treated about 700 people – totaling approximately 1,700 patient visits – just last year. For Heart & Soul Free Clinic Executive Director Lisa Zouvelos Kreag, the
Skinbetter Science Advances Retinoid Science with New AlphaRet Clinical Findings During National Retinoid Week
/PRNewswire/ -- skinbetter science, the creator of National Retinoid Week and the #1 dermatologist-recommended retinoid brand, continues to lead the evolution...
Skinbetter Science Advances Retinoid Science with New AlphaRet Clinical Findings During National Retinoid Week
skinbetter science, the creator of National Retinoid Week and the #1 dermatologist-recommended retinoid brand, continues to lead the evolution of the retinoid category as it kicks off its third annual National Retinoid Week with new clinical findings that further demonstrate the brand's commitment to advancing retinoid science, innovation and education.
Texas health department requests additional funding to support local departments, maintain programs
The Texas Department of State Health Services is requesting $230 million in additional funding from state lawmakers to support local health departments, maintain critical programs and handle new responsibilities. On Friday, the agency presented its budget request ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
Drugs for autoimmune diseases are pricey. This bill could switch patients to a cheaper one
Nearly 25,000 Californians could get switched to a cheaper drug next year — unless their doctor objects.
Would you try a pink pineapple vaginal probiotic gummy?
The new hormone-free gummies pair a clinically studied probiotic strain with vitamin D and sea buckthorn to support vaginal health, gut health and overall women's wellness.
Women’s Health Center of West Virginia launches campaign promoting abortion pills
A women’s clinic has launched an ad campaign letting residents know that despite the state’s near total ban on abortion, they still have options.
Artisight Acquires TMG Global to Accelerate Smart Hospital Deployments Across U.S. Health Systems
CHICAGO, September 14, 2026--Artisight, the leader in Smart Hospital technology, acquired TMG Global, a technology services firm with deep expertise in healthcare infrastructure, site readiness, and large-scale technology deployments. The acquisition strengthens Artisight’s ability to integrate smart hospital technology across complex clinical environments in leading U.S. hospitals.
More data, more answers? A 1.9 million-person health study shows why scale has limits
Researchers analyzed phenotypic and linked health-record data from more than 1.9 million adults in Our Future Health, comparing demographic characteristics, disease patterns, clinical associations, and rare-condition case counts with national data and other major cohorts. The cohort's size provides unusually large samples for many common and less common conditions, although its demographic composition and current data sources require careful consideration when interpreting population-level estimates.
Menopause Weight Gain: Why It Happens and What To Do About It
You’re not imagining it. The changes that come as menopause nears can contribute to weight gain. Two women’s health specialists share advice.
Engaging with Grandkids Boosts Brain Health: Here's How It Works
Plus, a Cleveland Clinic doctor shares takeaways for brain health.
Oakland park hosts free sports clinic for kids with Disney Jr., ESPN and Every Kid Sports
Ira Jinkins Park hosted a free sports event for young children, organized as part of a national initiative by ESPN, Disney Jr., and "Every Kid Sports."
Oakland park hosts free sports clinic for kids with Disney Jr., ESPN and Every Kid Sports
Ira Jinkins Park hosted a free sports event for young children, organized as part of a national initiative by ESPN, Disney Jr., and "Every Kid Sports."
Should kids have mental health days?
Cleveland Clinic Children’s psychologist Dr. Emily Mudd says an appropriate time for your child to take a mental health day is if they are feeling especially overwhelmed.
What Connects the Last 5 US Open Men’s Champions
Five different men have lifted the US Open trophy since 2020. Their games look nothing alike - Daniil Medvedev's flat, defensive counterpunching has little in common with Carlos Alcaraz's explosive shot-making. There might be some more similarities between Novak Djokovic's clinical baseline and Jannik Sinner's mechanical precision, but they are hardly simulacrums of each other. …
Key Takeaways From Notre Dame's Offense Against The Rice Owls
CJ Carr’s aerial clinic sparked a dominant shutout victory, showcasing elite receiver depth while exposing unexpected rushing struggles that Marcus Freeman must address before tougher matchups.
Dowman and Salmon start as Arsenal u21s thumped by Chelsea
Arsenal created enough chances to make the contest far tighter, but Chelsea were much more clinical as David Horseman’s side were punished at both ends.Photo by Cameron Howard/Getty ImagesMax Dowman...
Marshall Health Network hosts vaccine drive-thru
The Marshall Health Network offered free drive-thru vaccine clinics Saturday morning.
Putnam Health Dept. schedules public flu vaccine clinics
With students back in school and flu season approaching, the Putnam County Department of Health has scheduled three public flu vaccination clinics this fall while reminding parents to make sure children are up to date on required...
Putnam Health Dept. schedules public flu vaccine clinics
With students back in school and flu season approaching, the Putnam County Department of Health has scheduled three public flu vaccination clinics this fall while reminding parents to make sure children are up to date on required...
Study shows benefits of coffee for liver health
Cleveland Clinic hepatologist Dr. Nizar Zein was not part of the study, but says it showed that people who drank five or more cups a day had a 32% lower risk of cirrhosis, a 47% lower risk of liver…
Study shows benefits of coffee for liver health
Cleveland Clinic hepatologist Dr. Nizar Zein was not part of the study, but says it showed that people who drank five or more cups a day had a 32% lower risk of cirrhosis, a 47% lower risk of liver cancer and a 42% lower risk of liver-related death compared to those who didn't drink coffee a lower risk of cirrhosis.
World Congress on Nursing and Health Care
The World Congress on Nursing and Health Care is a premier international gathering dedicated to advancing the science, practice, and future direction of nursing and healthcare. Scheduled for April 05-06, 2027, in Singapore, this distinguished event will convene a global community of nursing professionals, healthcare specialists, researchers, educators, clinicians, policymakers, and industry experts to exchange knowledge, share groundbreaking insights, and foster collaborations that shape the future of healthcare.Driven by the theme “Navigating the Future of Nursing through Research, Resilience, and Innovation,” the congress will explore the evolving landscape of nursing and its critical contribution to transforming healthcare delivery. The event will highlight pioneering research, evidence-based practices, innovative care models, and resilient approaches that empower nurses to address emerging healthcare challenges and enhance patient outcomes across diverse populations.
Meant Health Expands Telehealth Access to FDA-Approved GLP-1 Prescriptions, Including Ozempic®
Meant Health, a digital health platform that connects patients with licensed clinicians for evaluation, prescription and ongoing care coaching, announced today that it is expanding telehealth access to FDA-approved GLP-1 medications. The move is meant to shorten the distance between someone wondering whether a treatment might be right for them and an actual conversation with a U.S.-licensed clinician who could review their history and make that call.
Vandalia Health to receive $612,000 in first round of state rural health funding
Vandalia Health will receive $612,000 in West Virginia’s first round of rural health funding. Its WorkWell Connect network will link employees statewide to screenings, primary and specialty care, mobile clinics and telemedicine.
NYC Health + Hospitals' WTC Environmental Health Center Honors the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 and the Care Its Clinics have Provided to Nearly 22,000 Survivors
Today, twenty-five years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, NYC Health + Hospitals' World Trade Center Environmental Health Center (WTC EHC)
Posts touting mebendazole as cancer treatment go beyond the science
The anti-parasitic drug mebendazole has shown preclinical efficacy in targeting multiple cancers, but experts say social media posts calling it a "cure" go too far. Additional clinical trials in humans are necessary to prove when, at what dosage, and in which treatment combinations it could make an impact.
Posts touting mebendazole as cancer treatment go beyond the science
The anti-parasitic drug mebendazole has shown preclinical efficacy in targeting multiple cancers, but experts say social media posts calling it a "cure" go too far. Additional clinical trials in human...
SD Urban Indian Health launches Monday walk-in clinic in Sioux Falls
Getting care just got more flexible for patients at South Dakota Urban Indian Health.
Mayo Clinic and National Institute of Health
Mayo Clinic celebrates the research accomplished in Rochester during the NIH's 100-year anniversary.
Wilmington health tech founder launches new venture
Several years after launching his health tech startup Artemis Immersive, founder Adam Isley is setting his sights on new horizons. Co-founded in 2023 by husband-and-wife Adam Isley and Kaylan Barbrey, along with Matthew Raffa and Bill Blakesley, Artemis Immersive began as a spatial medtech company that created digital renderings of medical scans for viewing in augmented reality (AR). Isley said the firm, which won an NC Tech award in the Biotech + HealthTech Innovation category last year, has raised $1.2 million in total in seed funding since launching. Isley has since created a new venture, Research and Me, building on the Artemis platform. Like Artemis Immersive’s core software, VoxScan, Research and Me combines health data with artificial intelligence in a 3D interactive environment to help patients better understand health outcomes and provide integrative wellness support. While the Artemis product is no longer Isley’s primary focus, he said the company’s technology and ambitions have evolved into different ventures, like Research and Me. "It's a different venture building on the Artemis platform, and there'll probably be more,” Isley said. He added, "I was very disappointed in the quality of the information available to general patients about their healthcare... I wanted to give patients more and a better plate of choices." Research and Me is still in its beta phase, Isley said, with usability testing ongoing in partnership with the firm’s partner, Medicap Pharmacy and Wellness Center, owned by Barbrey. "As someone who's kind of dedicated their life to working in healthcare, I've tried to bring this spirit and passion to it,” he said, “and a lot of the resources that we'll be providing are free — like a base level of free care for any patients, or medical education if they've got specific conditions." Isley describes Research and Me as a “patient-first” platform designed to securely store and pseudonymize health data and use AI and medical literature to generate insights. The insights are presented in an interactive 3D environment for patients and providers to explore conditions, treatments and wellness plans together. "It's almost like a democratization of understanding medical information," Isley said. "We take a whole bunch of clinical data, we take a whole bunch of peer‑reviewed, published studies on PubMed, and we try to turn them into chunks of information that normal humans can understand." Like VoxScan, the Research and Me platform lets users interact with 3D anatomical models for visualization. The platform provides a space for tracking, notes and insights. The platform also supports video conferencing, Isley said, allowing providers or coaches to examine models and data together. "We wanted to create a safe environment where you can start to learn and experiment with new features about your health, using agents to do that,” Isley said. While Research and Me is in beta-phase testing with Medicap Pharmacy, Isley said he envisions the platform serving a wellness-oriented community, working with sports performance clinics and hormone optimization. Isley, who is working towards a wellness-coach board certification, also plans to offer functional wellness consults through the platform. Long‑term, Isley says he wants the platform to embody an “integrative health practitioner” approach, “connecting experts of different fields and specializations in a way that they can make a greater impact in people's lives.” “For people in the state of North Carolina, it's already a win,” Isley said of the Medicap rollout, noting that partner clinics get “immediate resources for learning about their health and wellness conditions… out of the box.” Isley plans to launch Research and Me’s provider portal in 2028 and begin pursuing integrations with larger systems, he said.
Study Shows Benefits of Coffee for Liver Health
Good news for coffee lovers. A recent study found coffee could offer some health benefits for the liver. A hepatologist explains more about the research.
With pace and real finesse – fans vote for Michael Olise
Explosive acceleration, irresistible dribbling and a clinical finish with real finesse! In his first competitive match following the summer break, Michael Olise impressively demonstrated that he had l...
Clemson Rural Health announces fall flu vaccine clinic schedule
Clemson Rural Health will host its annual flu vaccine clinics beginning October 2, 2026, at Clemson Community Primary Care. Flu vaccines are now available
Weekly Rundown: Cleveland Clinic taps Luminai for AI automation; Quest brings lab testing to Apple Health
Stay up to date on the latest in health tech, digital health and health AI news with this weekly brief. Read below for news from the week of Sept. 7 to 11. | The latest news from Suki, Apple, Cleveland Clinic, Luminai, Rainfall Health and more.
Emma Bonino, Italian politician who fought for abortion access, dies aged 78
Emma Bonino's life in politics began with a crime. In 1974, at a time when abortion was illegal in Italy, she travelled to a clandestine clinic in Florence to terminate an unplanned pregnancy.
Avance Clinical Wins ANZCham's Australia-Taiwan Business Excellence Award in Taiwan
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avance Clinical Taiwan has won the Australia-Taiwan Business Excellence Award at the 2026 Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (ANZCham Taiwan) Business Awards, held at Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel in Taipei. The award is one of only two national-level, cross-border categories at the ceremony — alongside the Australia-Taiwan Business Partnership Award — set apart from ANZCham's state-specific Queensland-Taiwan and New Sout
Burlington County Health Department Offering Flu Vaccines Beginning September 18
The Burlington County Health Department announced its free flu vaccine clinics schedule to protect residents and keep communities healthy.The Health Department will be holding weekly flu vaccine clini
How Caring for Grandkids Can Help with Brain Health
National Grandparents Day is this Sunday. A neurologist offers some insight on a study showing how caring for your grandkids can help with brain health as you age.
Kelly N. Moore, award-winning clinical psychologist, Rutgers professor, and mental health activist, has died at 46
At Rutgers, she mentored hundreds of doctoral students regarding academic requirements and clinical procedures, and supervised a community mental health clinic.
Linking Northeast Ohio patient health records to ChatGPT brings promise and privacy concerns
Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and MetroHealth patients can now link medical records to ChatGPT, raising hopes for better-informed care alongside concerns about over-reliance and data privacy.
Future Leader: Yvette Vega, Clinical Manager, THEMA Health Services
Yvette Vega, Clinical Manager at THEMA Health Services - Hospice, has been named to the Future Leaders Awards Class of 2026 by Hospice News. To become a
Ashton Clevenger joins Essentia Health-32nd Avenue Clinic to practice obstetrics and gynecology
Ashton Clevenger, an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner, is excited to join the Essentia Health-32nd Avenue Clinic to practice obstetrics and gynecology.
Trusted Health Collaborates to Bring CareCast Workforce Demand Forecasting to Health Systems
Trusted Health, a healthcare workforce technology company, today announced a collaboration to bring Mayo Clinic's CareCast workforce demand forecasting technology to hospitals and health systems through Trusted Works.
25 Years Later, Studying the Health Effects of 9/11
What began with researchers studying World Trade Center dust has evolved into 25 years of environmental health research, occupational medicine, and clinical care for those exposed during the 9/11 rescue and recovery effort.
Bunkerhill Health Names Dr. Azita Hamedani as First Chief Clinical Officer
SAN FRANCISCO, September 10, 2026--Bunkerhill Health, whose long-horizon AI agent helps health systems translate their goals into outcomes, today announced the appointment of Azita G. Hamedani, MD, MPH, MBA, as its first Chief Clinical Officer.
Health questions? “Ask Away.” PC Health™ launches new “Built in Canada for Canadians” AI-powered health chat
The only AI-powered chat created expressly for all Canadians, connecting people to trusted, practical information, and appropriate care optionsPersonalized answers to health questions that Canadians can trustBacked by more than 1,000 Canadian clinical sourcesAll health chat conversations are stored in Canada and are protected under Canadian privacy laws BRAMPTON, Ontario, Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, PC Health™ launched PC Chat™, a free AI-powered health tool built in Canada, based
Nightingale Health and Genom to launch risk detection test in Croatia
Nightingale Health and Genom have partnered to introduce a blood-based risk detection test to clinics and laboratories throughout Croatia.
Healthcare AI’s next test is integration
While advanced AI excels at processing clinical data, healthcare's true test lies in overcoming deeply fragmented administrative workflows.
Yourgene Health Insight DPYD assay achieves IVDR accreditation
Yourgene Health (part of the Novacyt Group), an international molecular diagnostics company with a broad portfolio of integrated technologies and services, announces the commercial launch of its In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR)-certified Yourgene® Insight DPYD assay, expanding the Company's clinical genetics portfolio across regulated European markets.
Yourgene Health launches Insight DPYD assay (IVDR)
Yourgene Health (part of the Novacyt Group), an international molecular diagnostics company with a broad portfolio of integrated technologies and services, announces the commercial launch of its In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR)-certified Yourgene® Insight DPYD assay, expanding the Company's clinical genetics portfolio across regulated European markets.
Closing health workforce gaps for emergency response: the Western Pacific steps up
Over 100 health emergency experts from 56 institutions across 21 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region who are part of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) concluded their annual regional partners’ meeting with a commitment to bridge gaps in emergency workforce capacities and advance regional emergency readiness and resilience.Co-hosted by WHO and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in the Republic of Korea, the two-day event aimed to strengthen the Region’s collective ability to detect, prepare for and respond to health emergencies.Partners mapped capacities and priority technical gaps across the Region — including cybersecurity and critical infrastructure resilience; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and environmental health; biological emergencies, nuclear emergencies, and nuclear and radiological security.The result: a renewed commitment to close these gaps by working together through shared expertise and coordinated action. Advancing the Global Health Emergency CorpsReflective of regional solidarity and partnerships in action, GOARN – which is coordinated globally by WHO - enables a stronger, better-connected emergency health workforce that is ready to surge wherever and whenever requested by WHO Member States.This year alone, GOARN partners across the Western Pacific have supported nine experts on six missions - from measles outbreaks in Viet Nam to HIV outbreak response in Fiji - providing surge support in epidemiology, surveillance and clinical case management.Photo: Participants at the Global Alert and Response Network (GOARN) Partners Meeting 2026. Credit: KDCA/Shin Dong Myoung“GOARN partners across the Western Pacific and globally have repeatedly demonstrated the power of what we can do collectively, when we join forces, share expertise and build on each other’s strengths,” noted Dr Gina Samaan, WHO Regional Emergency Director for the Western Pacific, in her opening remarks at the gathering. “Let us continue to forge long-term partnerships grounded in mutual respect that will protect the Region for generations to come. We are smarter, faster and infinitely stronger when we work together,” she added.Reiterating Dr Samaan's call, Dr Seung-kwan Lim, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, emphasized the value of GOARN: “The Republic of Korea is pleased to stand alongside our regional partners in building an emergency workforce that is ready and resilient. GOARN turns national expertise into regional readiness - catalysing national strengths into collective resilience.”GOARN advances the Global Health Security Action Framework (GHEC) initiative by “convening, connecting and capacitating” regional leaders and surge workforce – “the three Cs”. Years of GOARN leadership and outbreak response training programmes have cultivated a deep bench of fit-for-purpose, seasoned outbreak response experts and forged an alumni network of emergency leaders worldwide. The Western Pacific network alone has now grown to 94 partner institutions across 19 countries. Photo: Participants at the Global Alert and Response Network (GOARN) Partners Meeting 2026. Credit: KDCA/Shin Dong Myoung Putting partnerships into practiceDuring the Regional Partners’ Meeting, health experts identified and catalogued the technical expertise currently available across the Western Pacific Region, so that the right skills could be better matched quickly to needs wherever emergencies occur.Three priority areas emerged for further strengthening:Cybersecurity and critical infrastructure resilience - protecting essential systems, including healthcare networks, from digital disruptions.Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and environmental health - reflecting the ongoing nexus between climate change and health.Biological emergencies, nuclear emergencies, and nuclear and radiological security - requiring specialized technical capability that remains limited across many national response systems.Meeting participants reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening workforce capacities in the Region, with a particular focus on these three areas, and to working collectively to better prepare the Western Pacific for the next health emergency.Photo: Dr Gina Samaan, WHO Regional Emergency Director for the Western Pacific, delivers opening remarks at the Global Alert and Response Network (GOARN) Partners Meeting 2026. Credit: KDCA/Shin Dong Myoung“GOARN is truly turning preparedness into action - giving our Region the surge capacity it needs for fast, coordinated response when it matters most - and building more resilient health systems along the way,” said Dr Samaan. “As health emergencies mount in this age of permacrisis, emergency preparedness and response must be woven into the fabric of health. This is not an option, but an imperative as we seek to achieve health for all.”____ About GOARNThe Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), coordinated by the World Health Organization since 2000, strengthens global health security by advancing preparedness for and response to public health emergencies. The network brings together more than 390 institutions, including national public health agencies, technical organizations and nongovernmental partners, to support coordinated international action during outbreaks and other health emergencies. There are 94 GOARN partners in the Western Pacific Region (as of August 2026), accounting for approximately 25% of global partners. For more information and media interviews, please contact: WHO Western Pacific Communications: wprocom@who.intAra Johannes: johannesa@who.int
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert Freed joins Essentia Health-32nd Avenue Clinic
The Essentia Health-32nd Avenue Clinic is excited to welcome orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert Freed.
'America's Nobel' prizes go to sleep and hemophilia researchers, and to Michael J. Fox for Parkinson's advocacy
The Lasker Foundation has announced the winners of its 2026 awards for basic medical research, clinical science and public service.
Partnership Health Center closes Missoula clinics Wednesday over safety concerns
Patients in Missoula will need to make alternate plans for medical care after Partnership Health Center said its Missoula clinics are closed for the remainder o
The Case for a Psychiatric Deprescribing Clinic
Psychiatric medication prescribing practices have come under scrutiny since the Trump administration announced its plan to crack
The Case for a Psychiatric Deprescribing Clinic
Psychiatric medication prescribing practices have come under scrutiny since the Trump administration announced its plan to crack
Optum Health's partnership playbook
Optum Health's deal with TPG for its WellMed Florida clinics offers a potential playbook for its other provider markets like Texas.
What parents should know before letting kids skip school for mental health?
Every school year, children eventually need to take a sick day. Dr. Emily Mudd, a psychologist for Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, addressed whether a mental health day may also be appropriate.
Midwest Talks Women's Foot Health Ep. 28
Midwest Talks Women's Foot Health with Dr. Jengyu Lai from Rochester Clinic Ep. 28
Cabell-Huntington Health Department to Host Drive-Through Flu Vaccine Clinic Friday, October 2 - Cabell-Huntington Health Department
Huntington, WV – The Cabell-Huntington Health Department (CHHD) will host a drive-through flu vaccine clinic on Friday, October 2, from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. The clinic will take place […]
‘Blessing’ Tennesseans with Better Oral Health
Back in 2012, Union City businessman William “Bill” Latimer had an idea that has helped thousands of Tennesseans smile.
Seneca adds new women's health service
Seneca Healthcare District announces the addition of endometrial ablation to its women's health service line at the Lake Almanor Clinic, providing local
Allina Health doctors file 10-day strike notice
MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Dr. Saul Singh, bargaining team member for the Doctors Council SEIU, about the strike notice.
NovaOne Launches Next-Generation Platform Uniting Behavioral and Physical Health
NovaOne today announced general availability of its next-generation solution: a modular platform, uniting purpose-built preventive tools, clinically validated assessments, an AI care navigator with deep human clinical oversight and a curated network of evidence-based specialty providers. One platform for integrated preventive and curative healthcare.
Mental health care before, after surgery improves recovery in older adults
A WashU Medicine clinical trial supports adding mental health coaching and medication cleanup to routine pre-surgical care.
Hartford HealthCare’s health equity summit aims to give clinicians practical lessons
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Health equity is about listening, learning, and creating change. Today’s health equity summit aims to give clinicians practical lessons they can take back to th…
Luma locks down 15-year, $410M fund for life science investments
Luma Group today announced the final close of its inaugural life sciences venture capital fund, totaling $410 million. The New York-based investment firm has had a grip on life sciences since its founding in 2023. The funds unveiled today, dubbed LumaBio Fund I, include investments that have already been made into more than 10 biotechs. They include the likes of eye disease-focused Character Biosciences, rebranded Belgian biotech Coultreon Biopharma and cellular rejuvenation company Altos Labs. The fund saw early success when one of the companies it co-founded, called Vaccine Company, was picked up by Eli Lilly earlier this year for up to $1.55 billion. The acquisition of the in vivo nanoparticle technology-focused biotech formed part of a trio of vaccine buys for the Big Pharma, which has itself been on a prolonged spending spree in 2026. Luma's fund is structured as a 15-year investment with plans to support groundbreaking science and support companies through key milestones from discovery to commercialization, Luma explained in the release. "We founded Luma Group on the belief that extraordinary science, supported by patient, long-term capital, has the power to improve millions of lives," Joshua Fink, founder and managing member of Luma Group, said in the release. "This fund represents more than capital—it is a commitment to partnering with extraordinary innovators as they translate visionary science into life-changing medicines."
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
Cleveland Clinic Partners with Luminai to Transform Health System Operations
Collaboration applies AI automation to complex administrative processes at enterprise scale – with fax referral transcription as the first use case
Press Release: RCPH Offers Walk-In Immunization Clinics for School-Aged Children
Rowan County Public Health Offers Walk-In Immunization Clinics for School-Aged ChildrenFor Immediate ReleaseSalisbury, NC – Rowan County Public Health is offering two walk-in immunization clinics
America Is In Pain. Flagler Health Is Transforming Clinics On The Front Lines
Hinge Health put MSK care on the digital-health map. Flagler's $50M Series B reflects a different bet: use AI to transform the specialty clinics where care still happens
Cleveland Clinic and Allegheny Health Network former CEOs join Tennr as industry advisors
/PRNewswire/ -- Tennr today named Dr. Toby Cosgrove, former president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, and Cindy Hundorfean, former president and CEO of Allegheny...
Springfield Health Department partners with Big Y for free vaccine clinics
The Springfield Department of Health and Human Services and Big Y Pharmacy have partnered this season to offer vaccine clinics for community members.
Upstate Hospital opens clinic for youth who need walk-in mental health therapy
A prominent Central NY family donated $5 million to make the center a reality.
Tarr family opens new Snap Fitness gym in Nitro, combines with physical therapy clinic
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New outpatient clinic focused on suicide prevention opens in Burlington
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September 9, 2026: Embedded Trials in a Learning Health System, in This Week's Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds
In this Friday’s Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds, Ryan Zarychanski of the University of Manitoba will present “Embedded Trials in a Learning Health System: A Hospital Policy of Tranexamic Acid […]
Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN and IBM Team Advance to Finals for 2026 ACM Gordon Bell Prize
Joint research team modeled a 12,635-atom protein, the largest-known to be simulated using quantum computers. Breakthrough was achieved through quantum and classical methods working together, expanding quantum-centric supercomputing’s potential in life sciences research.
Licensed counselor reveals link between weight loss and mental health effects
Bonnie Mitchell, a licensed professional clinical counselor in California, said that while a new study shows a correlation between weight-loss drug use and self-reported mental health symptoms, it cannot prove causation.
UTA health center to hold kickoff for free flu shots Wednesday
The clinic is next to Brazos Park, and appointments are optional but encouraged.
Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN and IBM Team Advance to Finals for 2026 ACM Gordon Bell Prize
Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN and IBM has been named as a finalist for the 2026 ACM Gordon Bell Prize for simulating the largest biologically meaningful molecules ever modeled with quantum computers, reaching a scale of 12,635 atoms.
What Will Life Science Orgs Do When The AI Bill Comes Through?
AI is transforming clinical development, but what happens when usage costs spike? Jon Newton explains how to govern it before the bill lands.
MUSC Health to open new dental clinic in Florence, expand oral care in Pee Dee
MUSC Health is opening a new dental and oral care clinic in Florence that officials say will expand access to dental services across the Pee Dee and help train
Should Kids Have Mental Health Days?
With the school in session, some kids will eventually need to take a sick day. But what about a mental health day? A psychologist explains why those are important too.
Kids are back in classrooms. Health misinformation could shape the school year.
Public health officials and medical experts worry that declining vaccination rates will lead to more children getting infected with preventable diseases.
Funding cuts are forcing dozens of health clinics in Sudan to close, aid groups warn
CAIRO (AP) — An additional three dozen health facilities serving more than 400,000 people in Sudan are closing this year due to global aid cuts, worsening a dire humanitarian situation in a country torn by more than three years of war, aid groups said Tuesday.
Drug developed for lung disease may slow biological aging in surprising ‘bonus’
Rentosertib, an AI-discovered drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, made patients appear three to four years biologically younger in a clinical trial.
Doctors Without Borders warns that funding cuts are forcing health clinics to close
Aid groups say three dozen health facilities in Sudan are closing this year due to global aid cuts. This worsens an already dire humanitarian situation in a country torn by more than three years of war.
Funding cuts are forcing dozens of health clinics in Sudan to close, aid groups warn
Aid groups say three dozen health facilities in Sudan are closing this year due to global aid cuts
Microbiome transplants may curb food allergies
Gut microbe transplants treated some peanut allergies in an early-stage clinical trial.
Tick-Borne Disease Center Hosts NY State Health Commissioner
New York State Health Commissioner James McDonald, MD toured Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center and Clinic Sept. 1.
AZ's R&D chief Barr touts internal 'science success story' after IL-33 antibody's stellar showing in COPD
With a detailed data drop that AstraZeneca’s R&D chief described as an internal “science success story,” the British Big Pharma has secured an FDA priority review for what it believes could become a flagship biologic in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In detailed results from the late-stage Oberon and Titania trials—first teased in March and detailed in full at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona this week—the drugmaker laid out the extent of its IL-33 inhibitor’s potential to reduce moderate and severe exacerbations in a wide range of COPD patients still struggling with those “lung attacks,” as AstraZeneca’s Sharon Barr, Ph.D., called them, despite using standard-care inhaled therapy. In the headline results, a 300 mg dose of tozorakimab given once every four weeks curbed those moderate and severe exacerbations in the studies’ primary population of former smokers by 29% in the Oberon study and 34% in Titania. In the overall population of both current and former smokers, these reductions were 30% and 29%, respectively, versus placebo and inhaled standard of care. The benefits also extended to clinically meaningful exacerbation reductions in all prespecified patient subgroups and specifically turned up promising signals in patients across a range of blood eosinophil counts, with Barr telling Fierce that “it’s the details that make this even more exciting than the high-level results that we’ve already shared.” In fact, during AZ’s tozorakimab poster presentation at the ERS 2026 Congress this past weekend, attendees were so enamored by the data that event organizers had to encourage people to clear the room and look at the other presentations on offer, Barr said in an interview. “I think it really speaks to the fact that there is a lot of buzz around these data because the entire respiratory community has been so desperate for new therapies for these patients,” she explained. The respiratory disease continues to represent a “staggering unmet medical need,” Barr said, highlighting the COPD exacerbations that the Oberon and Titania studies homed in on, which she added carry a greater mortality risk than a heart attack. “When a patient has a severe exacerbation, only about half of them are still alive within three and a half years,” she pointed out. As for tozorakimab specifically, Barr christened the molecule “an AstraZeneca science success story,” harkening several years back to the point at which researchers began to explore IL-33 as a driver of respiratory disease, and COPD in particular. At the same time, “there was still so much that wasn’t understood,” she admitted, highlighting the insight that IL-33 signals through both ST2 and EGFR through the RAGE pathway, a discovery Barr attributed to AstraZeneca's own scientists. Understanding the need to tackle both pathways in COPD—and aware of competitor candidates in the hopper, including one that bound ST2—the company ultimately had to make some “courageous decisions,” Barr said. These included taking a prior COPD molecule offline and going back to the drawing board to reinvent its potential IL-33 label “to make sure that we had a molecule that could block signaling through both arms of the pathway, through both the reduced form and the oxidized form, knowing that we wouldn’t be first, but striving to be best.” “When we put [tozorakimab] into the clinic, we firmly believed that we had a differentiated molecule, and we saw the other molecules blocking just ST2 or partially blocking IL-33, unable to deliver two positive pivotal studies in COPD,” Barr explained. “We kept marching forward because we believed our molecule was differentiated, and now I think we have the clinical validation that supports that.” Ultimately, AstraZeneca finds itself on much better footing these days when it comes to potential biologic rivals to tozorakimab in COPD. Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent, for instance, is approved to treat COPD exacerbations in patients with high eosinophil counts, but not low ones. Meanwhile, the future has become cloudier for other next-gen IL-33 candidates from Sanofi and Regeneron, as well as Roche, which have suffered trial flops in recent years. One other potential ingredient for AstraZeneca’s success in its duo of studies was that the company was “ambitious in the trial design, willing to look at an all-comers population,” Barr said, “and willing to enroll the most severe patients.” Prior studies for would-be biologics rivals in COPD “avoided enrolling” those patients, she pointed out. She also highlighted the Big Pharma’s painstaking design of exacerbations in its trial, which “gave us a very rigorous readout,” and pointed to “the extra effort and investment” the company put in to understand the effect of mucus plugs in patients. Barr described mucus production as a “key feature in disease diversity,” noting that mucus plugs—obstructing clumps of mucus that block patients’ airways—are associated with worse outcomes in COPD. In its data announcement, AstraZeneca noted that an integrated analysis of Oberon and Titania found tozorakimab “demonstrated a reduction in patients’ mucus plug score,” with the pharma claiming its biologic is the first to deliver such results in a broad COPD population. “So being able to reduce those mucus plugs, we expect, is an important part of driving benefit for patients who are living with COPD,” Barr said. Again touching on the breadth of the study populations, Barr added that tozorakimab “worked across all eosinophil levels in both current and former smokers across all levels of lung function,” which she suggested “really simplifies decision-making for clinicians, and it allows them to offer therapy to the broadest possible patient population.” In the highest patient eosinophil count group, tozorakimab helped chart a 43% reduction in exacerbation risk, which Barr stressed were “unprecedented data.” In the mid-level group, AZ’s drug delivered a 23% reduction and, in the lowest group, a 34% reduction in eosinophils, which Barr said suggests efficacy “in all patient subgroups.” As for AZ’s recent guidance upgrade on the medicine’s sales opportunity, the lift from a $3 billion to $5 billion range to $5 billion plus was informed by multiple factors, Barr said, including the fact that “in 2024, there were multiple competitors, and there aren’t anymore.” Additionally, “we know that this is a massive unmet medical need, and this is a really incredible set of data that we think will be very convincing to the clinical community,” Barr said. Looking ahead to a potential evolution of the COPD treatment landscape, Barr noted that most patients start treatment in the community with an option like a triple therapy, and for them, having an option like AstraZeneca’s inhaler Breztri will remain a “really important part” of that journey. But of the patients uncontrolled on triple therapy, which Barr described as “about half of them today,” just a “small fraction” are currently eligible for biologic therapy, which she emphasized AstraZeneca is working to change. Understanding that COPD is not a “one-size-fits-all” disease, AstraZeneca is also looking at its antibody drug Tezspire for patients with T2-driven disease, and the company continues to think about new mechanisms for tackling COPD through both systemic and inhaled drugs, Barr said.
U.S. Senator Reed discuses efforts to reverse Trump administration's cuts to health care
U.S. Senator Jack Reed is set to discuss the effort to reverse the Trump administration’s cuts to the nation’s health care system.He will discuss these on Tuesd
NIH awards Penn State CTSI $28.2M to improve rural health
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Community Partners Offer Reduced-Cost Rabies Clinic
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Winchester Health Department to provide School Flu Clinics for students
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Online cybersecurity clinic available for Hawaiʻi small businesses
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