Private equity investment in physician practice management companies is on track to fall by roughly half in 2026, signaling a significant shift in the healthcare M&A market. According to PitchBook data cited by STAT, physician practice management deals have declined from a peak of 851 deals in 2021 to 105 in the first half of 2026. The slowdown comes as more than a dozen states have introduced laws increasing oversight of private equity transactions in health care. The decline reflects growing regulatory scrutiny around PE ownership of physician practices, as well as broader changes in the investment environment. These laws…
Author: Abhay Panchal
A systematic review found that AI is being explored across nearly every area of GI motility diagnostics, from esophageal disorders and gastroparesis to intestinal transit and anorectal dysfunction. The review analyzed 90 studies and found that AI could automate analysis, improve diagnostic accuracy and standardize interpretation, but most models have not yet undergone external validation. The strongest body of evidence was in esophageal motility, where AI models classified disorders with accuracies of 81%–98% and showed promise in interpreting pH-impedance and FLIP studies. In gastroduodenal disorders, AI was used to analyze gastric emptying and electrogastrography, including models that detected delayed gastric…
Researchers at Yonsei University have identified a microbial signature in saliva that could help distinguish people with gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC), from healthy individuals. The study, published in Cell Host & Microbe, explored whether microbes normally associated with the mouth could provide clues about what is happening in the GI tract. The team analyzed saliva and stool samples from 507 people, including 86 patients with colorectal cancer, 77 with gastric cancer, 215 with metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and 129 healthy controls. They developed a “mouth-to-feces” (MF) index to measure how much overlap…
Vogenx raised $81 million in its Nasdaq IPO to advance mizagliflozin, an oral drug being developed for post-bariatric hypoglycemia (PBH)—a potentially serious late complication of bariatric surgery in which patients experience dangerous drops in blood sugar after meals. PBH can develop months to several years after surgery and currently has no FDA-approved treatment. Mizagliflozin takes a different approach from other treatments in development: it selectively blocks SGLT1 in the intestinal lumen, slowing glucose absorption and reducing the downstream insulin response after meals. Vogenx has completed two Phase 2 studies showing reductions in glucose absorption, insulin secretion and hypoglycemic events, and…
This Fortune Business Insights article provides an overview of 10 companies developing AI technologies for endoscopy, highlighting how AI is being integrated into real-time polyp detection, lesion characterization, quality monitoring and capsule endoscopy. It also notes that the AI-in-endoscopy market is projected to grow from $2.35 billion in 2026 to $14.86 billion by 2034, according to the report cited by the article. The list includes major endoscopy players such as Medtronic, Olympus, Fujifilm and PENTAX Medical, alongside newer AI-focused companies including Iterative Health, AI Medical Service, Wision A.I., Endovision and MAGENTIQ EYE. Their technologies span real-time polyp detection, computer-aided diagnosis,…
A UK registry study comparing the new Rome V IBS diagnostic criteria with Rome III and Rome IV found that Rome V identifies a larger group of patients but generally a less severely affected population. Among 1,275 participants with complete data, 70% met Rome V criteria, compared with 59% under Rome IV and 78% under Rome III. Rome V expands the definition of IBS to include abdominal discomfort as well as pain and reduces the required symptom frequency from once a week to three days a month. The patients captured by Rome V had lower symptom severity, fewer psychological symptoms,…
A real-world study published in Frontiers in Gastroenterology examined whether IBS-Smart and Trio-Smart testing was associated with differences in healthcare resource utilization among adults with suspected irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Researchers reviewed records from 219 patients treated at two U.S. gastroenterology practices and compared patients who received neither test with those who received IBS-Smart, Trio-Smart, or both. Patients who underwent testing had lower observed use of certain downstream diagnostic procedures, including colonoscopy and upper endoscopy, as well as lower captured diagnostic and gastroenterology office-visit costs. Colonoscopy was performed in 60.7% of patients who received neither test, compared with 50.0% of…
A new life-cycle assessment compared the environmental impact of FIT, CT colonography and colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. FIT had by far the lowest footprint, generating 0.27 kgCO₂e per test versus 39.6 kgCO₂e for colonoscopy and 27.8 kgCO₂e for CT colonography when transportation was included. The study found that transportation was the biggest driver of emissions for colonoscopy and CT colonography. Over a 10-year modeled period, FIT-based screening also produced fewer health-related harms, highlighting environmental impact as another consideration alongside cost, access and clinical effectiveness when evaluating CRC screening strategies.
A new meta-analysis of 10 studies involving 4,374 patients examined why colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) remains limited by incomplete exams and inadequate bowel preparation. The study found that chronic opioid use and diabetes were key patient-level factors affecting CCE performance. Opioid use was associated with lower odds of completing the procedure and achieving adequate bowel preparation, while diabetes was linked to 60% lower odds of adequate preparation. Overall, CCE completion was 73%, adequate bowel preparation was 72%, and successful CCE was 64%, while 61% of patients required follow-up endoscopy. The authors suggest that better patient selection could help reduce duplicate…
In a wide-ranging interview, Byron L. Cryer, MD, president of the American Gastroenterological Association and chairman of internal medicine at Baylor University Medical Center, discusses how gastroenterology has evolved beyond its traditional association with colonoscopy—and where the specialty needs to go next. Cryer reflects on why he chose GI, describing the impact a gastroenterologist who looked like him had when he was a medical student and how that experience shaped his lifelong commitment to mentorship, professional development and serving as a role model for future physicians. He also pushes back against the perception that gastroenterology is primarily about procedures, emphasizing…