From Washington, DC,

• The Hill reports,
  • “The Trump administration on Monday proposed stripping the power of an independent board to review challenges from fired federal workers while barring employees from taking the matter to court.
  • “The new proposed rule would impact federal workers fired through a Reduction in Force (RIF), the process used at 22 different agencies last year as the Trump administration conducted widespread layoffs.
  • “If finalized, any federal worker fired in a future RIF would not be able to plead their case before the quasi-judicial Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), which last year found that some agencies had “engaged in a prohibited personnel practice” in firing the workers. 
  • “Instead, any challenges would be reviewed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which last year alongside the Office of Management and Budget instructed agencies to begin RIFs.”

• Per a CMS news release,
  • “Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed regulations to lower health care costs, promote competition, and strengthen program integrity in the Federal and State-Based Health Insurance (Exchanges). The proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027 would crack down on fraud and misleading practices by agents and brokers, restore accountability for taxpayer-funded subsidies, and remove federal barriers that have limited plan innovation and driven up premiums—helping ensure coverage is more affordable and works better for consumers, taxpayers, and states.” * * *
  • “To review the proposed rule, visit https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-02769. 
  • “Public comments must be submitted by March 11, 2026. 
  • “To review the proposed rule fact sheet, visit https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/hhs-notice-benefit-payment-parameters-2027-proposed-rule.” 

• Bloomberg Law adds,
  • “The Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would allow certain plans that offer preset dollar amounts for care—such as indemnity plans—to meet the requirements of a “qualified health plan” under the ACA if they demonstrate a sufficient number of doctors would accept the plan’s payment terms.” * * *
  • “The rule likewise expands hardship exemptions to permit more individuals to buy “catastrophic” plans with the lowest level of cost-sharing and coverage, and allows catastrophic plan issuers to offer multi-year terms. The proposal would also permit plans with low deductibles and higher out-of-pocket costs
  • “The rule also reverses changes made under the Biden administration, including requiring insurers to offer standardized plan options that were meant to simplify choices.”

• Healio observes,
  • “A voluntary program designed to help Medicare Part D beneficiaries manage drug costs[, which took effect last year,] could provide considerable benefit to people with cancer, according to study results.
  • “The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (M3P) provides flexibility that may ease financial distress — particularly for those with limited or fixed incomes — and reduce the potential for cost-related treatment nonadherence, researchers concluded.”
  • “However, many patients and health care professionals are unaware of the program, according to Aryana Sepassi, PharmD, MAS, assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.”

From the Food and Drug Administration front,

• MedTech Dive reports,
  • “The Food and Drug Administration’s breakthrough program has made a steady start to the 2026 financial year, granting designations at the same pace as in the two prior years.
  • “After years of growth that peaked in 2021, designations have settled at a lower rate in recent years. The agency awarded 164 to 166 designations per financial year three times from 2022 to 2025.
  • “The FDA is on course to grant a similar number of breakthrough designations in its 2026 financial year. After one quarter, the agency had awarded 42 designations, a pace that would result in 168 breakthrough statuses if maintained across the full financial year.”

• MedPage Today tells us,
  • “Oncology specialists should inform patients about a risk of serious toxicity related to dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency and should test for DPYD variants before starting treatment with capecitabine (Xeloda) and fluorouracil, the FDA announced.
  • “In a safety update communicationopens in a new tab or window, the agency noted that DPYD encodes DPD, which breaks down more than 80% of fluorouracil. Certain homozygous or compound heterozygous DPYD variants result in complete or near-complete absence of DPD activity, increasing the risk for serious, potentially fatal toxicities when exposed to capecitabine or fluorouracil, which are widely used in cancer treatment. Potential adverse reactions include mucositis, diarrhea, neutropenia, and neurotoxicity. The reactions also can occur in patients who have partial DPD activity.
  • “Capecitabine and fluorouracil, or 5-FU, are routinely used in treatment regimens for breast, colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers.”
    
• STAT New informs us,
  • “The Food and Drug Administration has rejected a rare-disease gene therapy from Regenxbio, the company said Monday. 
  • “The one-time treatment, called RGX-121, is designed to replace a malfunctioning gene that causes mucopolysaccharidosis type II, also known as Hunter syndrome, an ultra-rare disorder that causes physical and cognitive impairments.”
  • “Regenxbio had applied for accelerated approval, a type of conditional market clearance, based on RGX-121’s ability to significantly reduce in the short term a specific biomarker in cerebrospinal fluid believed to correlate with longer-term cognitive improvements in patients with the severe form of Hunter syndrome. 
  • “But the FDA, in its letter rejecting the therapy, raised questions about the appropriateness of using the surrogate biomarker, called CSF HS D2S6, as a predictor of clinical benefit. The agency also questioned the eligibility criteria  Regenxbio used to enroll patients into its clinical trial and the use of a natural history comparator arm, the company said.”  

From the judicial front,

• Bloomberg Law reports,
  • “Medical providers are testing a new legal strategy to recoup unpaid arbitration awards as health insurers rack up victories in surprise billing disputes.
  • “The shift underscores the difficulties both sides face in arbitration under the No Surprises Act, which requires doctors and insurers to settle most unexpected out-of-network bills themselves rather than balance-billing the patient. The volume of disputes has exposed cracks in the system, leading to a series of lawsuits around ineligible claims, fraud, and unpaid awards.
  • “Courts have largely concluded that the law doesn’t grant doctors the right to sue over unpaid awards in most circumstances. Most recently, the US Supreme Court denied two air ambulance companies’ petition to hear their case after the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled against them.
  • “Providers are now adapting their legal strategy by arguing insurance companies are guilty of improper denial of benefits under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and unjust enrichment under common law. Hundreds of cases in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey were paused last month pending a decision on the amended claims in Rowe Plastic Surgery of NJ LLC v. Aetna Life Insurance Co .
  • “But the doctors are likely to face problems, at least in overcoming ERISA preemption on their unjust enrichment claims, said Leslie Howard, co-founder of Cohen Howard, a firm representing out-of-network providers.”

• The American Hospital Association News relates,
  • “The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Feb. 9 affirmed a district court ruling upholding Louisiana’s 340B contract pharmacy law. The state law prohibits drug companies from denying hospitals the same 340B discounts for drugs dispensed at community pharmacies that would be provided via in-house pharmacies. Three drug companies — AbbVie, PhRMA and AstraZeneca — challenged the law, arguing that it was unconstitutional in several ways. “Rejecting those arguments, the appeals court held that Louisiana’s law was not preempted by federal law, did not violate the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause, did not violate the Constitution’s Contract Clause and was not unconstitutionally vague. “States regulate pharmacies — and the distribution of drugs to those pharmacies — every day,” the 5th Circuit explained. “Act 358 fits comfortably within that tradition.
  • “The AHA filed friend-of-the-court briefs supporting Louisiana’s law last year.” 

• The Society for Human Resource Management notes,
  • “On Feb. 6, a federal appeals court vacated a preliminary injunction of two executive orders (EO) — EO 14151 on “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” and EO 14173 on “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” — finding they were not unconstitutional on their face. The court had previously stayed the injunction, pending appeal. This ruling was the first by a federal appeals court to find the two EOs facially constitutional. Both EOs focused on infrastructure inside the federal government with an emphasis on contracts and grants.
  • “EO 14173, issued Jan. 21, 2025, “was the most significant EO for the private sector” last year, said W. John Lee, an attorney with Morgan Lewis in Philadelphia. Established on May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative “is a direct result of the EO and is a prominent example of how it is reshaping federal enforcement of civil rights law.” EO 14151, issued Jan. 20, 2025, set the tone for EO 14173. EO 14173 reshaped compliance obligations for federal contractors and grantees. It also revoked EO 11246, ending EO-based affirmative action programs for women and minorities.
  • “On Jan. 21, 2025, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Andrea Lucas made it clear that the EEOC’s enforcement priorities had shifted in alignment with President Donald Trump’s EOs.
  • “While the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the injunction, it sent the case back to the district court for further proceedings and left open the possibility of challenges based on individual application of the EOs.”

• The Wall Street Journal points out,
  • “A lawsuit that drugmaker Novo Nordisk filed on Monday against telehealth firm Hims & Hers shows how fierce the maneuvering over the booming obesity-drug market has become.
  • “In the lawsuit filed in a federal court in Delaware, Novo Nordisk accused Hims & Hersof violating the patents covering its Ozempic and Wegovy drugs used for weight loss by trying to sell custom-made versions of those medicines.
  • “The pill from Hims & Hers threatened to undermine Novo Nordisk’s efforts to recapture momentum in the $70 billion weight-loss drug market by providing a lower-cost alternative to a Wegovy pill the Danish company recently launched.
  • “Novo Nordisk has been pulling out the stops to reclaim the momentum it lost to Eli Lilly in the booming market.” 

From the public health and medical / Rx research front,

• The AP reports,
  •  “A leading U.S. health official on Sunday urged people to get inoculated against the measles at a time of outbreaks across several states and as the United States is at risk of losing its measles elimination status.
  • “Take the vaccine, please,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator whose boss has raised suspicion about the safety and importance of vaccines. “We have a solution for our problem.”

• Health Day tells us,
  • “Americans could be facing an uphill battle when it comes to protecting their heart health as they age, a new Cleveland Clinic poll reveals.
  • “Nearly 3 of 4 Americans (72%) feel confident in their ability to maintain heart health as they age, the survey found.
  • “But nearly as many (69%) also report that they have at least one known risk factor for heart disease.
  • “Worse, nearly 1 in 4 (24%) aren’t sure whether they are at increased risk for heart disease, according to the survey.
  • “Healthy aging is about prevention,” said Dr. Samir Kapadia, chair of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
  • “Heart disease often develops silently over decades, which is why staying active, understanding your risk factors, and addressing them early can make a profound difference in both quality of life and longevity,” Kapadia said in a news release.”

• The American Medical Association lets us know “what doctors wish patients knew about the shingles virus.”
  • “If you’ve ever had chickenpox, then the virus that causes shingles is present in your body and can resurface at some point in the future. Find out more.”

• The New York Times relates,
  • “If you think your daily doses of espresso or Earl Grey sharpen your mind, you just might be right, new science suggests.
  • “A large new study provides evidence of cognitive benefits from coffee and tea — if it’s caffeinated and consumed in moderation: two to three cups of coffee or one to two cups of tea daily.
  • “People who drank that amount for decades had lower chances of developing dementia than people who drank little or no caffeine, the researchers reported. They followed 131,821 participants for up to 43 years.
  • “This is a very large, rigorous study conducted long term among men and women that shows that drinking two or three cups of coffee per day is associated with reduced risk of dementia,” said Aladdin Shadyab, an associate professor of public health and medicine at the University of California, San Diego, who wasn’t involved in the study.”

• NBC News relates,
  • “Bad,” or LDL, cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and most people are screened for it as part of their yearly physicals.
  • There’s another marker in the blood that may be a better predictor of heart disease risk, a recent large review suggests. But it’s not part of routine blood testing.
  • “Apolipoprotein B (apoB) is a protein that attaches to harmful fat particles in the blood. The apoB protein is found on the surface of harmful lipoproteins like low density lipoprotein, or LDL, that contribute to heart disease. Since each one of the harmful particles contains one apoB molecule, testing for it essentially captures the overall number of harmful plaque-producing compounds.” * * *
  • “ApoB testing is hot among health influencers and increasingly touted in the commercial blood testing market. Recently, the Sweetgreen salad chain — which has tied itself to anti-seed-oil influencers — launched a collaboration with the testing company Function Health and is promoting apoB screening along with its menus.
  • “Dr. Michael Shapiro, a preventive cardiologist and the chair of the American Heart Association Council on Lipidology, Lipoprotein, Metabolism & Thrombosis, said that he typically uses an apoB test in select patients.” * * *
  • “In some cases, insurance may cover the test. If not, it typically costs around $70 at a lab.
  • “There aren’t clear guidelines for what target apoB levels should be. In healthy people, apoB values less than 90 mg/dL are typically considered acceptable, with some saying lower targets closer to 70 mg/dL may be more optimal for preventing heart disease.”
    
• MedPage calls attention to
  • “Most women said they preferred clinic-based cervical cancer testing over at-home self-sampling, with demographics and life experiences shaping those preferences, a cross-sectional study indicated.
  • “In a nationally representative survey, 20.4% of women said they would prefer to do their own at-home self-sampling for cervical cancer screening, while 60.8% said they prefer clinic-based testing and 18.8% said they were uncertain on their preference, reported Sanjay Shete, PhD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues in JAMA.
  • “The survey showed that women who had experienced prejudice or discrimination while receiving medical care had higher odds of preferring self-sampling at home (adjusted OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.16-3.22), while Black women had lower odds of preferring at-home self-sampling compared with their white peers (aOR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21-0.96).
  • “When women were asked why they preferred at-home self-sampling, privacy was the most common reason (54.9%), followed by time constraints (35.1%) and fear of embarrassment (33.4%).”
• and
  • “The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently voted to stop recommending a universal dose of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.
  • “An evidence review found that universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth is safe, effective, and protective for individual and public health.
  • “There was no improvement in safety or effectiveness with a delayed first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine.”

• Per Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News,
  • “In a study using gut microbiome samples from over 11,000 people across 39 countries, a single group of bacteria (CAG-170) has been found in higher numbers in the gut microbiomes of healthy people. CAG-170 remain unculturable in the lab, and are only identifiable from their genetic fingerprints.
  • “Further analysis of CAG-170 revealed the bacteria have the capacity to produce high levels of Vitamin B12 and enzymes that break down a wide range of carbohydrates, sugars, and fibers in our gut. The researchers suggest that Vitamin B12 supports other species of gut bacteria, rather than supporting the humans whose guts it is being produced in. CAG-170 could, in the future, be used as an indicator of our gut microbiome health or serve as the basis for the development of probiotics specifically designed to support and maintain healthy levels of CAG‑170 in the gut.”

• Per Cardiovascular Business,
  • “An oral PCSK9 inhibitor from Merck is associated with significant reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, according to new data published in The New England Journal of Medicine.[1] All PCSK9 inhibitors on the market today are injectable—an oral option that does not require needles could make a major impact on patient care. 
  • “Fewer than half of patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease currently reach LDL cholesterol goals,” lead author Ann Marie Navar, MD, PhD, an associate professor of cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said in a statement. “An oral therapy this effective has the potential to dramatically improve our ability to prevent heart attacks and strokes on a population level.”
  • “Back in November, researchers presented initial findings from this study at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025 conference. Now, however, the analysis can be read in full.
  • “The CORALreef Lipids trial focused on nearly 3,000 heart patients with high LDL cholesterol who were randomized to either receive enlicitide, Merck’s experimental oral PCSK9 inhibitor, or a placebo. Two patients received the new drug for every one patient treated with a placebo.”

• Per Radiology Business,
  • “A new MRI-specific artificial intelligence tool could significantly improve the diagnosis of neurological conditions in busy settings. 
  • “Developed by researchers at the University of Michigan, the tool can read brain scans in just seconds. The tool, named Prima, is a video language model that can simultaneously process video, images and text in real time. Experts involved in its development are hopeful it can help address the rising imaging volumes.
  • “As the global demand for MRI rises and places significant strain on our physicians and health systems, our AI model has potential to reduce burden by improving diagnosis and treatment with fast, accurate information,” said senior study author Todd Hollon, MD, a neurosurgeon at U-M Health. 
  • “Researchers trained Prima using more than 200,000 MRI exams collected at the university over several decades. Imaging data were included alongside patients’ medical histories and clinical indications for the scans. The team tested the model on more than 30,000 brain studies over a one-year period. Unlike earlier AI tools that focus on just one disease, Prima was designed to analyze all available imaging and clinical information at once, similar to how a radiologist reviews a case, giving it broad applicability.” 

From the U.S. healthcare business front,

• Healthcare Dive reports,
  • “Kaiser Permanente nearly tripled its operating income last year, even as the integrated healthcare conglomerate weathered rising expenses.
  • “Kaiser, which recorded results alongside its subsidiary Risant Health, recorded operating income of $1.4 billion last year, up from $569 million in 2024 as the nonprofit continued to invest in operational improvements, according to earnings results released last week. 
  • “Still, expenses rose by more than $11 billion last year as Kaiser said rising medication costs and other line items made providing care more expensive.”

• Beckers Hospital Reviews identifies eleven rapidly growing health systems.

• BioPharma Dive relates,
  • “Eli Lilly will acquire biotechnology startup Orna Therapeutics, saying Monday it will pay up to $2.4 billion to buy the privately owned company and a technology able to reprogram immune cells within the body.
  • “The Indiana-based drugmaker didn’t disclose how much upfront cash it’s shelling out for Orna, which specializes in “circular” RNA medicines that are believed to be more stable and easier to pair with the lipid nanoparticles used for delivery. But it noted in its statement that it intends to use Orna’s technology to develop cell therapies for autoimmune conditions.
  • “In announcing the deal, Lilly cited its interest in Orna’s lead project, which instructs immune cells to latch onto B cells that are attacking patients’ tissue in inflammatory diseases. The company presented data from preclinical studies at the American Society for Hematologymeeting in December that it’s using to support advancing into Phase 1 studies.”
• and
  • “Japan’s largest drug company is teaming up with an artificial intelligence specialist to find new medicines for cancer and other diseases, through a deal that could be worth more than $1.7 billion.
  • “Announced Monday, the multiyear collaboration grants Takeda Pharmaceutical access to two technologies at Iambic Therapeutics. The first is an AI-driven platform used to discover and develop new drugs. The second is a model meant to predict how proteins will interact with certain receptors.
  • “The companies haven’t disclosed the deal’s upfront cost, nor any specific disease targets. The focus, though, will be on small molecule drugs for cancers and conditions rooted in the digestive or immune systems. Iambic will get milestone payments based on the partnership’s level of success, and is also eligible to receive royalties on net sales of any products it generates.”

• Per Beckers Payer Issues,
  • “Patients who take advantage of zero-cost preventive screenings see better health outcomes and reduced spending, according to January research from BCBS Association and Blue Health Intelligence.
  • “The groups reviewed claims data of BCBS members with breast or colorectal cancer. The research pointed to lower likelihood of invasive tests and treatment.
  • “Eighty-one percent of members who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer through a preventive screening were classified in an early stage, compared to a 73% rate overall. For breast cancer, that figure was 86% during preventive screening. The early-stage rate was 82% overall.” 

• Per an Institute of Clinical and Economic Review news release,
  • “The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) today posted its revised Evidence Report assessing the comparative clinical effectiveness and value of sibeprenlimab (Voyxact®, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.), atacicept (Vera Therapeutics, Inc.), and delayed-release budesonide (“Nefecon”, Tarpeyo®, Calliditas Therapeutics AB) for IgA nephropathy.
  • “IgA nephropathy has historically been thought of as a relatively benign form of kidney disease, but it has become increasingly recognized that it frequently progresses to end-stage kidney disease,” said ICER’s Chief Medical Officer, David Rind, MD. “Management of progressive disease has typically included treatments targeted at B-cells, but such therapies, such as systemic glucocorticoids, have serious side effects. New therapies offer the possibility of better outcomes with fewer harms.”
  • “This Evidence Report will be reviewed at a virtual public meeting of the CTAF on February 26, 2026. The CTAF is one of ICER’s three independent evidence appraisal committees comprising medical evidence experts, practicing clinicians, methodologists, and leaders in patient engagement and advocacy.
  • “Register here to watch the live webcast of the virtual meeting.”