Marta Wosińska’s analysis in the Brookings Institution spotlights serious concerns surrounding the unregulated compounding of semaglutide, a GLP-1 drug widely used for weight loss. Although the FDA recently declared approved semaglutide no longer in shortage, a booming market for cheaper, compounded versions—often made from bulk powder sourced from largely unregulated Chinese suppliers—continues. The absence of a U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) quality standard means many manufacturers set their own specifications, increasing risks of impurities and substandard production.
Author: Abhay Panchal
Sap Sinha, MHCI ’22 and COO of Allied Digestive Health (ADH), is transforming gastroenterology care by blending operational excellence with innovation inspired by Penn’s Master of Health Care Innovation program. Under his leadership, ADH’s revenue soared from $70M to $200M, while achieving a perfect CMS MIPS score for quality and cost-efficiency. He digitized patient check-ins, streamlined billing with AI tools, and introduced ambient scribing technology like Suki to reduce clinician burden and enhance face-to-face care. Sinha also founded the NJ and NY Independent Physicians Practice Associations to influence health policy and amplify the voice of independent providers.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended telehealth coverage for Medicare beneficiaries through September 30, 2025, preserving key pandemic-era flexibilities such as payment parity, geographic freedom, and provider expansion. While new CPT codes (98000–98015) for telehealth were introduced, CMS will not adopt them, instead continuing use of existing E/M codes and requiring POS 10 or 02, with Modifier 93 for audio-only services.
Researchers at the University at Buffalo have developed a new AI tool called SCAI (Semantic Clinical Artificial Intelligence) that outperforms most human physicians—and all prior AI models—on the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). By integrating formal medical knowledge from peer-reviewed sources, clinical guidelines, and pharmacological data, SCAI enables AI to reason like a physician. In testing, SCAI-enhanced large language models scored up to 95.1% on Step 3 of the USMLE, surpassing GPT-4 Omni. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, suggests AI like SCAI could support physicians in clinical decision-making—not replace them, but significantly enhance their diagnostic capabilities.
From pay shifts to projected increases in colorectal cancer cases, here are 13 numbers worrying gastroenterologists: 3%. How much gastroenterologist compensation fell in 2024, according to Medscape’s 2025 Physician Compensation Report. 2.83%. The Medicare pay cut that took effect Jan. 1 without Congress intervening and follows a 1.69% Medicare pay cut in 2024 and 2% drop in 2023
Biosimilars are increasingly transforming inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care by offering cost-effective alternatives to expensive biologics with comparable safety and efficacy. A recent review in Clinical and Experimental Medicine emphasized their potential to improve access to IBD treatments globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries.The study also explores innovative drug delivery systems (DDSs) — such as nanoparticle-based therapies — which could enhance targeted treatment, reduce systemic side effects, and improve patient experience. As IBD incidence rises worldwide, these advances aim to make care more effective, affordable, and accessible.
On April 24, 2025, Medtronic announced a strategic U.S. distribution agreement with Dragonfly™ Endoscopy, Inc. for its advanced Dragonfly™ pancreaticobiliary system. The system enhances endoscopic procedures in the bile and pancreatic ducts by offering superior visualization, a 42% larger working channel, and the ability to obtain larger biopsy samples and use more durable lithotripsy probes.
A Phase 3 clinical trial led by Dr. Marwan Fakih at City of Hope has found that combining sotorasib (a KRAS G12C inhibitor) with panitumumab (an EGFR-targeting monoclonal antibody) significantly improves progression-free survival in patients with KRAS G12C-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer that no longer responds to standard chemotherapy. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showed a 30% objective response rate in the high-dose combination group versus just 1.9% in the standard care group. The findings suggest this drug duo may soon become a new standard of care.
The NIH’s abrupt dismissal of grant renewal applications for rare disease consortia — including the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) — is drawing sharp criticism from the AAAAI and patient advocacy groups. The decision, based on a minor technicality rather than scientific merit, threatens to dismantle critical research infrastructure and halt life-saving work for patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases. Advocates are urging Congress to intervene, warning that the move sets a dangerous precedent and will directly harm patient care and innovation.
Guardant Health and Pfizer have entered a multi-year global collaboration to advance Pfizer’s oncology drug development using Guardant’s liquid biopsy technologies, particularly the Guardant Infinity™ platform. The partnership will focus on utilizing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to monitor therapy response and explore blood-based epigenomic analyses in clinical trials. The agreement includes access to Guardant tests in China, bolstered by Guardant’s earlier partnership with Adicon Holdings. The collaboration underscores growing interest in ctDNA as a surrogate endpoint for evaluating cancer treatment efficacy.