The gastroenterology industry is poised for significant changes in the next decade. Dr. Sheldon Taub, a gastroenterologist at Jupiter (Fla.) Medical Center, shared his insights on the future of the industry: In summary, the gastroenterology industry is on the brink of a transformative phase, with technology, patient care approaches, and the structure of medical practices all set to undergo significant shifts.
Author: Abhay Panchal
BullFrog AI Holdings, Inc., a technology-driven drug development company, has announced the identification of multiple potential therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer, including three novel targets, using its proprietary AI-driven platform, bfLEAP™. These discoveries were made by analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas with the bfLEAP™ platform. The validation of these targets will be carried out in collaboration with the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a renowned institution in genomics research. Using the bfLEAP™ platform, BullFrog AI was able to identify 14 candidates that were significantly over-expressed in tumors compared to healthy tissues. Out of these, three were categorized as novel, having…
TOPLINE:Research from Korea provides additional evidence for the connection between COVID-19 and an increased risk for autoimmune conditions post-infection. METHODOLOGY:
CHICAGO— Up to 45% of species in the gut microbiome show substantial diurnal, seasonal and regional variations at the population level, according to a global analysis presented at Digestive Disease Week 2023. Based on the substantial oscillations in species during these time frames, this analysis appears to reveal a meaningful new variable with which to understand the microbiome composition. The population-based fluctuations “have large implications” for attempts to understand microbiome composition in the context of disease, according to senior author Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist and an assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University…
In a study presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting, researchers showcased the efficacy of two liquid biopsy tests in identifying high-risk cervical cancer recurrence post-chemoradiation. These tests, a digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) and a sequencing test for human papillomavirus (HPV) genetic material, were found to be equally effective in detecting residual disease in blood. Kathy Han, MD, from the Princess Margaret Cancer Center, highlighted that these non-invasive tests can detect residual disease post-treatment earlier than imaging or clinical exams. Liquid biopsies offer advantages over tissue biopsies, such as detecting minute components of ctDNA, circulating…
All the drugmakers that make the 10 prescription medicines subject to the first-ever price negotiations for the U.S. Medicare health program, including Amgen and Novartis, said they signed on to participate in the talks by the Oct. 1 deadline. The penalties for not doing so would have been steep: drugmakers would have to pay 65% to 95% taxes on their drug’s Medicare sales or withdraw all of their products from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together provide health benefits to 158 million Americans. “Merck will sign the initial agreement with CMS under protest,” the U.S. company said in a…
Health insurance company Cigna has agreed to pay over $172 million to settle federal allegations that it knowingly submitted false diagnosis codes under the Medicare Advantage program. The U.S. Department of Justice had accused Cigna of submitting inaccurate and untruthful codes for Medicare Advantage between 2016 and 2021. The company allegedly failed to delete or withdraw incorrect codes, which inflated its Medicare Advantage payments by making its plan members appear sicker than they were. The reported diagnoses were based on superficial in-home assessments without necessary diagnostic testing. Cigna stated that the settlement resolves a long-standing legal case and will also…
The FDA has granted de novo clearance to ProciseDx Inc. for its therapeutic drug monitoring tests for Humira and Remicade, as well as their biosimilars, for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These tests are the first of their kind authorized by the FDA for these biologic therapies. The tests aim to optimize the care of IBD patients by enabling immediate testing. The Procise ADL and Procise IFX assays quantify drug levels of adalimumab or infliximab in IBD patients using time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer immunoassays. The tests can be performed onsite in hospitals or clinical labs, providing results in…
The paper introduces a deep learning framework, MIPCL, designed to predict the presence or absence of cancer in pancreatic fine-needle aspirations, which are the standard diagnostic procedure for evaluating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The study emphasizes the importance of accurate diagnosis as a suspicion for malignancy can lead to significant medical interventions. The MIPCL model was found to outperform two other deep learning models, ABMIL and CLAM, in predicting the presence of cancer. The model also offers visualization capabilities, highlighting the most significant regions on a slide that contribute to its final prediction. This can serve as a valuable tool for…
The healthcare landscape in 2024 is being shaped by a confluence of factors including an aging population, transformative technologies, and global economic dynamics. Key trends expected to dominate the sector include: