Obesity is rising in IBD populations, and GLP-1 receptor agonists may offer more than just weight control. In a series of new abstracts presented at Digestive Disease Week 2025, researchers from Mount Sinai explored GLP-1 use in IBD patients—and the results are promising. The medications were found to be safe, effective for weight loss, and even associated with improved disease remission, including in cases of perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease.
Author: Abhay Panchal
Oath Surgical has emerged from stealth with a bold promise: to rebuild surgical care from the ground up. Backed by Oxford Science Enterprises and others, the startup launched OathOS—the first full-stack operating system that integrates AI software with its own surgeon-led, digitally powered surgical centers. With real-time data, automated recovery workflows, and performance-based payor alignment, Oath is redefining value-based outpatient care—not just improving the old model, but replacing it entirely.
SpotitEarly, a biotech startup from Israel, just launched in the U.S. with a bold idea—and $20.3 million in funding. Its approach? A home breath test analyzed by trained dogs and AI to detect early-stage cancers. Backed by published studies and a 94% accuracy rate, the test targets breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers. With U.S. screening rates still alarmingly low, SpotitEarly believes it’s not just disrupting diagnostics—it’s rewriting the rules of early detection.
As demand surges for virtual GI care, Oshi Health—America’s first nationwide virtual gastroenterology center of excellence—has named Brittany Flanagan as its first Chief People Officer. Formerly with Amazon Pharmacy and PillPack, Flanagan brings deep expertise in scaling mission-driven healthcare organizations and will lead efforts to expand Oshi’s workforce while preserving its award-winning culture.
Just as law enforcement has its “Blue Wall,” medicine harbors its own—what Dr. Sachin Jain calls the “White Wall of Silence.” In this powerful Forbes commentary, he argues that unchecked loyalty among physicians too often shields bad actors, enabling incompetence, overuse, and even harm to persist in silence.
Retail giants like Amazon, Walgreens, and Best Buy stormed into healthcare with bold promises—only to find the system far more complex than expected. As reported by Modern Healthcare and analyzed by Advisory Board, efforts to scale clinical care have hit hard walls: rising costs, reimbursement hurdles, and the unforgiving pace of quarterly earnings. Some, like Walmart, have already bowed out. Others remain, but the question is no longer if they can disrupt healthcare—it’s whether they can do it patiently and profitably, over years, not quarters.
As newer noninvasive screening tools flood the market, the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) continues to hold its ground—quietly, effectively, and with patient-friendly convenience. In this Medscape commentary, Dr. Kenny Lin revisits the data behind FIT, including results from a major European trial showing no significant difference in colorectal cancer deaths between FIT and colonoscopy over a 10-year span. But FIT’s continued relevance depends on one critical factor: patient follow-through. Can small changes—like using liquid vials, tweaking instructions, or adding a deadline—make a big difference in adherence? Evidence says yes.
In this podcast episode, Ryan Stidham, MD, discusses the evolution and development of digital imaging and AI in the GI space, how AI can revolutionize stages within the clinical trials and practices and more.
EndoQuest Robotics has officially launched its pivotal PARADIGM clinical trial with the successful completion of its first two robotic endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) procedures. Performed by renowned colorectal surgeon Dr. Eric Haas, the trial is testing EndoQuest’s groundbreaking Endoluminal Surgical (ELS) System—a flexible, single-use robotic platform designed for scar-free, natural orifice surgery. If proven effective, the system could transform how complex colorectal lesions are treated, making minimally invasive options more accessible. But as the U.S. remains slow to adopt ESD due to technical challenges, the real question looms: can robotics finally tip the scale?
A quiet revolution in GI care may be underway. At DDW 2025, researchers presented findings suggesting that advanced practice providers (APPs) can safely and effectively perform transnasal endoscopies (TNE) using single-use devices—without sedation. The pilot study showed not only strong technical success and patient tolerance, but also real-world impact: care plans changed for 92% of patients. As systems face bottlenecks and GI access challenges, could trained APPs become the key to expanding upper GI diagnostics? Early results are promising—but experts caution that wide-scale adoption will hinge on rigorous training, payer acceptance, and cultural shift.