Novo Nordisk’s oral Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Foundayo are driving a shift toward oral GLP-1 therapies in the U.S. obesity market. In the latest IQVIA data cited by Citi, Wegovy pill prescriptions reached approximately 183,000 in the most recent reporting period, while Foundayo prescriptions rose nearly 8% to 47,500. Citi analysts noted that IQVIA may be undercounting Foundayo prescriptions through telehealth channels. The broader GLP-1 market also showed renewed growth, with total prescriptions increasing 5.4% over four weeks, compared with a 6.8% decline during the comparable period a year earlier. Tirzepatide currently accounts for nearly 57% of the total GLP-1…
Author: Abhay Panchal
CMS has expanded Medicare coverage to allow physician assistants (PAs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to order all noninvasive colorectal cancer screening tests covered by Medicare. The change updates the national coverage determination for noninvasive biomarker tests, which previously limited coverage to tests ordered by physicians. The updated policy covers RNA-based stool tests, DNA-based stool tests, DNA-based blood tests and fecal occult blood tests. CMS reopened the coverage determination after new evidence emerged around stool-based RNA testing.
A new commentary in The Health Care Blog examines the growing physician workforce shortage in the U.S., citing projections of shortages ranging from 86,000 physicians by 2036 to 187,130 by 2037, depending on the methodology used. The article attributes the problem to several factors, including limits on federally funded residency positions, physician education debt, burnout and geographic maldistribution. The impact is particularly pronounced in rural communities, which the article says have substantially fewer physicians per capita than urban areas. It also highlights shortages across specialties and the potential effects on wait times and access to specialized care. Proposed responses include…
A study published in Obesity Surgery examined how administrative and scheduling processes affect access to metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS). Researchers conducted a “secret shopper” study of 35 bariatric surgery centers in North and South Carolina, with trained callers posing as patients with either Medicaid or private insurance. Only 24 centers (68.6%) could be successfully reached. Among reachable centers, the median wait for an initial appointment was 20 days, and patients needed an average of 1.7 calls to reach a scheduler. More than three-quarters of centers required pre-appointment steps such as an online application, seminar, PCP referral or screening questionnaire;…
A new Forbes commentary examines proposed federal legislation, the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act, introduced by Senators Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Val Hoyle and Suhas Subramanyam. The bill would establish a federal framework restricting private equity firms, insurers and other for-profit corporations from directly or indirectly owning or controlling medical practices. It would also target MSO arrangements, require active physician ownership and restrict corporate involvement in clinical and certain operational decisions. The article focuses on concerns about debt-financed acquisitions, citing leveraged buyouts in which 60%–90% of purchase prices may be financed through…
A randomized trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients with high-risk adenomas may not need their first surveillance colonoscopy as soon as three years after polyp removal. In the interim analysis of the EPoS II trial, 10,799 patients across 49 endoscopy centers in eight European countries were randomized to begin surveillance at either 3 years or 5 years. At 5.5 years, colorectal cancer incidence was 0.77% in the 5-year group versus 0.82% in the 3-year group; the results met the study’s prespecified criteria for noninferiority. The longer interval also substantially reduced the number of procedures:…
Researchers have developed DENEB, an investigational blood-based colorectal cancer screening assay designed to address a major limitation of current blood tests: detecting precancerous lesions, particularly advanced adenomas. In a multicenter study, DENEB detected 81% of advanced adenomas, 91% of colorectal cancers overall, and 92% of stage I–III cancers, with 85% specificity for advanced neoplasia. The test uses a multitarget approach based on circulating cell-free and exosomal microRNA signatures associated with both CRC and advanced adenomas. The researchers emphasize that the study was not a population-based screening trial and should not be interpreted as evidence that DENEB is ready to replace…
An international Delphi panel of 53 experienced endoscopists from 16 countries has proposed standardized practices for confirming complete removal of colorectal polyps smaller than 20 mm. The consensus recommends removing 10–19 mm polyps with at least a 1-mm margin, carefully inspecting the resection defect, and documenting the site with before-and-after photographs. The panel said an endoscopist’s incomplete resection rate (IRR) for 10–19 mm polyps should not exceed 10%, with a preferred target below 5%. The recommendations emphasize that simply looking at the defect may not always be enough. Water-jet inspection after cold-snare resection and image enhancement or magnification for 10–19…
Neptune Medical has received FDA clearance for its Triton 1 Robotic Endoscopy System, designed to perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures throughout the colon. The robotic system is intended to provide greater stability and control during colonoscopy and can be used for screening, surveillance, diagnosis and more complex procedures such as endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The clearance follows Neptune’s 50-patient first-in-human CARE 1 study, presented at DDW 2026. The company reported 100% cecal intubation, no adverse events and a 54.2% adenoma detection rate, compared with a cited industry threshold of 35%. The system also produced a…
Ayble Health has raised $16 million in an oversubscribed Series A, led by Neon, bringing its total funding to more than $27 million. The virtual multidisciplinary GI care company says it now reaches 80+ million Americans through payer, employer and health-system partnerships and plans to use the funding to expand its AI-enabled precision care model and move into autoimmune conditions beyond GI. Ayble’s model combines GI-trained providers, dietitians, behavioral health specialists, pharmacists, health coaches and care coordinators with proprietary technology and a large GI dataset. The company reports 16+ peer-reviewed studies and an average 47% improvement in GI symptoms, typically…