MedCity News

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Ayble Health Secures $16M for Virtual Digestive Health Clinic

Ultragenyx Gene Therapy Is First Approved Treatment for Rare Neuro Disease Sanfilippo

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical’s Fayuvi is now the first FDA-approved therapy for the underlying cause of Sanfilippo syndrome type A, an ultra-rare inherited neurological disorder. It’s the second approved gene therapy for Ultragenyx, which specializes in rare disease medicines.

By Frank Vinluan

Providers, Policy, Health Tech, Payers

CMS Broadens ACCESS Model to New Chronic Conditions

CMS will expand its ACCESS model starting in spring 2027 to cover heart failure, COPD, substance use disorders and tobacco cessation. The outcomes-based payment model, which launched in July with 160 participating providers, will now make roughly three in four Medicare beneficiaries eligible for at least one track.

By Katie Adams

MedCity Influencers

Extending ADHD Coverage for the Entire Active Day

The next evolution in ADHD therapy needs to focus not only on drug efficacy but also on how treatment aligns with the ever-busy and demanding lives of patients, families, and caregivers.

By Matthew Brams and Raul Silva

Latest Video

Latest News

Events, Consumer / Employer

The Shifting Role of Wearables in Healthcare

The INVEST Digital Health conference, which will spotlight the consumer influence in healthcare, will include a discussion on wearables. It is scheduled for October 29 at Pegasus Park in Dallas. Register today!

By Stephanie Baum

Policy

Trump’s $500 ACA Refunds: ‘We Shouldn’t Confuse a Check With a Healthcare Affordability Strategy’

Trump’s $500 ACA refunds offer immediate financial relief to some enrollees, but healthcare experts question whether they address the broader affordability challenges facing Americans.

By Marissa Plescia

BioPharma, Pharma

North Immunology Reverse Merger Comes With $180M for Next-Gen Inflammation Drug

North Immunology is going public in a reverse merger with Aethlon Medical. With eczema as the lead indication, the inflammation and immunology biotech aims to show its bispecific antibody offers efficacy and tolerability advantages over Sanofi’s immune disorder juggernaut, Dupixent.

By Frank Vinluan

Health Tech, Startups

Conceptual image of a pink piggy bank on a dark blue background encircled by various glowing holographic bar graph and line graph displays, symbolizing the integration of big data and financial technology into personal savings. This horizontal composition illustrates the power of analyzing market trends and using a progress indicator to achieve long-term prosperity and investment success. It explores themes of financial literacy and the digital transformation of banking, where augmented reality tools provide a heads up display for monitoring a return on investment. The visual narrative emphasizes the importance of accuracy and business strategy in modern wealth management, showing how digital marketing and information equipment can empower a business person or consumer to make informed decisions for their home finances and future security.

How a Cancer Diagnosis Shaped This VC’s Precision Health Thesis

After a near-miss with her own breast cancer diagnosis, Ariel Ganz co-founded Arben Ventures, a precision health and longevity fund that has backed 83 early-stage startups in three years.

By Katie Adams

MedCity Influencers

The Missing Link in Surgical Safety: Integrating Patient Warming and Positioning

Historically, warming and positioning have been addressed independently because, in many surgical procedures, they do not significantly interfere with one another. However, that’s not the case in most robotic-assisted surgeries.

By Melissa Kelly

BioPharma, Pharma

Novartis Gains a Way to Get Drugs Into the Brain, Buying Sironax Tech for $125M

Novartis is acquiring a Sironax platform technology designed to transport a range of drug modalities across the protective blood-brain barrier. The deal comes as Novartis weathers several pipeline setbacks, including trial failures for neuroscience drug candidates.

By Frank Vinluan

Hospitals, Policy, Payers, Providers

As MA Denial Rates Rise, Hospitals Are Betting on Traditional Medicare Instead

As Medicare Advantage denial rates climb, health systems are dropping plans and steering patients back to traditional Medicare. Pearl Health CEO Michael Kopko thinks the original Medicare Advantage bargain has broken down — and that the model may never have been as efficient as policymakers assumed.

By Katie Adams

MedCity Influencers

Why Pharma Companies Should Look To Social Media For Better Patient Insight

Healthcare decision-makers, especially at pharmaceutical companies, must prioritize patient input. Data collected from social media listening is a significant step in the right direction.

By Rohit Marwah

MedCity Influencers

AI Isn’t a Therapist, but Many Teens Are Treating It Like One

Clinicians have a responsibility to understand the risks posed by AI chatbots and to inform teen patients, their parents and caregivers about them.

By Nikhil Nadkarni

Hospitals, Providers

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Hospital Margins Fell This Summer Amid Outpatient Slowdown, Data Shows

Hospitals' operating margins fell to 1.4% in July, down from 2.2% in May and June, according to new data from Kaufman Hall. The margin decrease was driven largely by a seasonal slowdown in elective surgeries and payer mix pressures.

By Katie Adams

Health Tech

Thatch Secures $108M, Reaches $1B Valuation

The Series C funding round was from The General Partnership, Index Ventures, General Catalyst and Andreessen Horowitz.

By Marissa Plescia

BioPharma, Pharma

GSK Commits $750M to Get Chimagen’s Phase 1-Ready Drug for Multiple Myeloma

GSK is acquiring global rights to a T cell engager that Chimagen Biosciences developed to hit three targets. GSK believes this tri-specific approach could offer advantages over currently available drugs that hit two targets, but other big pharma companies are also developing trispecific antibodies.

By Frank Vinluan

MedCity Influencers

The Real Bottleneck in U.S. Pharma Reshoring Isn’t Factories – It’s Talent

Pharma leaders must take a “construction crew” mindset and start treating workforce development in the same manner as they do critical infrastructure.

By Carolyn Durham

Health Tech

Nara Health Secures $14M for Third Party Administration Platform

Nara Health’s funding was led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from Long Journey Ventures and Superior Studios.

By Marissa Plescia

BioPharma, Pharma

Scholar Rock Drug Wins First-in-Class Approval in Rare Neuromuscular Disease

Scholar Rock’s Isembyld isn’t the only FDA-approved therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, but it is the first one that directly targets muscle tissue. Isembyld is the first commercial product for Scholar Rock, which is also evaluating the antibody in other rare muscle disorders.

By Frank Vinluan