From Washington, DC,

• The Washington Post reports,
  • “President Donald Trump on Monday announced that about 600 low-cost generic drugs would be available through TrumpRx.gov, a government website aimed at helping Americans purchase medications at discounted prices. 
  • “By incorporating this massive catalog of low-cost generics at TrumpRx.gov, consumers will now have one source to ensure that they’re getting the lowest possible cost on their prescription,” Trump said in a presentation at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.”

• Federal News Network relates
  • “HHS sends RIF notices to dozens of staff it missed during office-wide layoffs last year.
  • “Meanwhile, HHS is looking to convert hundreds of senior positions to a rebranded version of the “Schedule F” classification for federal employees.”

• Per an HHS news release,
  • “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a reorganization of its Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the Department’s law enforcement agency charged with enforcing laws protecting civil rights, conscience and religious freedom, and health information privacy and security. The reorganization returns OCR to a program-based structure that aligns OCR’s three critical substantive areas with three distinct subject-matter divisions: the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division, the Civil Rights Division, and the Health Information Privacy, Data, and Cybersecurity Division.
  • “This reorganization restores the HHS Civil Rights Division and the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division and strengthens the Office for Civil Rights’ ability to defend religious liberty, enforce conscience protections, and combat unlawful discrimination,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Under President Trump’s leadership, HHS will defend these rights with clarity, accountability, and resolve.”
  • “This reorganization reinstitutes a structure that rightly prioritizes civil rights and conscience and religious freedom alongside health information privacy and security,” said HHS Office for Civil Rights Director Paula M. Stannard. “All three areas are deserving of subject-matter expertise and distinct senior executive leadership for OCR to best serve the American people.”

• The American Hospital Association News adds,
  • “Most hospital outreach laboratories must report private payer clinical diagnostic laboratory data for services furnished during the first six months of 2025 to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by July 31, the agency announced. This includes Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes, associated private payer rates and volume data. CMS previously sent letters to hospitals, which the agency believes have outreach laboratories that are likely required to report their data. CMS also has a guide and other resources for hospital outreach laboratories to determine whether and how they must report.” 

From the Food and Drug Administration,

• The Wall Street Journal reports,
  • “AstraZeneca AZN said it received U.S. approval for a new hypertension treatment, getting the green light to launch a drug the U.K. pharmaceutical company expects to generate multibillion-dollar annual sales at its peak.
  • “The drug, known until now as baxdrostat, will be marketed under the brand name Baxfendy, the company said Monday. The approval expands AstraZeneca’s cardiovascular, renal and metabolism portfolio shortly after diabetes drug Farxiga—its biggest product in that therapeutic area and the bestselling medicine in the company’s history—went off patent in the U.S.
  • “AstraZeneca said that Baxfendy treats hypertension in a new way by targeting aldosterone, a hormone that raises blood pressure.
  • “Ruud Dobber, executive vice president of AstraZeneca’s biopharmaceuticals business, said the approval brings a new treatment to a disease that has had little therapeutic progress for the past two decades.”

• Fierce Pharma relates,
  • “Enhertu’s market conquest is continuing apace. Already tracking at $5 billion in annual sales, the star antibody-drug conjugate from Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca has secured FDA approval to treat early breast cancer, further encroaching on Roche’s Kadcyla territory.
  • “The FDA has simultaneously greenlighted Enhertu for both the neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment of patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer, the two companies said Friday [July 15, 2026]. The adjuvant nod came nearly two months ahead of schedule, as the FDA had originally targeted a decision by July 7.”

• The New York Times tells us,
  • “A California dairy company has issued a recall for five ice cream flavors, warning customers that some tubs may be contaminated with metal.
  • “The company, Straus Family Creamery, recalled some of its organic ice cream, which was sold in 17 states since May 4. It said it ordered the recall because of “the potential presence of metal foreign material,” without giving further details.
  • “The warning applies to its vanilla bean, strawberry, cookie dough, Dutch chocolate and mint chip flavors with specific “best-by” dates in late December 2026.
  • “It did not say how many tubs were affected but said the issue was with a “small number of production runs.”

• Health Day informs us,
  • “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an AI-powered early warning system to detect sepsis, one of the deadliest infections for hospital patients.
  • “The tool, developed at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), detects sepsis hours faster than doctors. It has already reduced deaths by nearly 20% in dozens of hospitals across the United States, JHU reports.
  • “Pre-suspicion screening is what creates lead time, and lead time is what changes outcomes in sepsis,” said Suchi Saria, director of JHU’s AI & Healthcare Lab. “Once a clinician already suspects sepsis, the clock has been running — often for hours or even days.”

From the judicial front,

• Bloomberg Law reports,
  • “The US Supreme Court turned away appeals from six pharmaceutical companies seeking to topple the Medicare drug price negotiation program that’s led to billions of dollars in discounts on top-selling treatments.
  • “Making no comment, the justices on Monday refused to hear a variety of constitutional arguments against a program created in 2022 by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The court rejected separate appeals from units of AstraZeneca Plc, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Novartis AG, Novo Nordisk A/S and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  • “The rebuffs leave in force a program the US government said in November will produce a 71% discount on Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster Ozempic and Wegovy drugs for Medicare patients starting in 2027. The Trump administration said that round of discounts, covering 15 drugs, will mean $12 billion in savings compared with 2024 list prices.
  • “The cases at the high court involved the previous year’s negotiated discounts, which covered 10 drugs and took effect in January. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in 2024 that the deals would reduce out-of-pocket costs by $1.5 billion this year.”

• Per a Justice Department news release,
  • “A New York man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for conspiring to launder nearly $1.5 million in illicit health care fraud proceeds through multiple domestic and global banks on behalf of a Transnational Criminal Organization (Organization).
  • “According to court documents, Elnar Zarbailov, 42, of Staten Island, New York, and dual citizen of the United States and Azerbaijan, was a fixer and money launderer for the foreign-based  Organization that spearheaded the largest health care fraud case ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice, as uncovered by Operation Gold Rush. The Organization, based in Russia and elsewhere, orchestrated a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to target, exploit, and steal from Medicare and private health insurance companies.”

From the public health and medical / Rx research front,

• The Washington Post reports,
  • “The CDC announced Monday that an American tested positive for Ebola this weekend while working in Congo and is being transported to Germany for treatment along with six other Americans who are high-risk contacts. 
  • “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also is enhancing public health screening and traveler monitoring amid a growing Ebola outbreak, and non-U.S. passport holders face entry restrictions if they have been to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.
  • “To the American public, the risk to the United States remains low,” said Satish Pillai, CDC Ebola response incident manager. “Travelers to the region should avoid contact with sick people, report symptoms immediately, and follow our travel guidance.”

• Health Exec points out,
  • “A healthcare research firm that provides trend analysis to stakeholders released a new report that examined usage of behavioral health services post-COVID, showing that demand and utilization for mental healthcare and addiction mitigation have intensified since the pandemic.
  • “According to the data from Trilliant Health, while the utilization of care related to emotional health, mental health, autism, and alcohol and drug dependency stand at new highs since the COVID lockdowns, outcomes may not be improving.
  • “Using publicly available data on utilization, provider numbers and demand, Trilliant’s data paints a picture of a mental healthcare system that is overburdened. From 2018 to 2024, the group reports that the number of behavioral health visits jumped 62.6%, standing at 1,346 visits per 1,000 people.
  • “People seeking care for anxiety led the trend, accounting for 89.3% of growth. Women aged 18-44 made up the majority of that cohort. However, Trilliant noted that childhood developmental disorders—autism, attention deficit disorder, speech problems and other issues including anxiety—including attempted self-harm, have risen nearly 48% over 20 years, from 2004-2024.”

• Health Day adds,
  • Many older adults see cannabis as a more effective or nonpharmaceutical option to manage sleep, pain, or mental health, according to a study published online May 8 in JAMA Network Open.
  • Rebecca K. Delaney, Ph.D., from the University of Utah Intermountain Health Department of Population Health Sciences in Salt Lake City, and colleagues explored the motivations of older adults in Colorado interested in purchasing edible cannabis products to improve sleep, pain, or mental health concerns, as well as the perceived benefits and drawbacks of different cannabinoid profiles. The analysis included 169 interview participants aged 60 years and older.

• The New York Times relates,
  • “A study of insurance claims for 1.8 million children found that the number of families raising mental health issues at visits to general practitioners rose sharply over a decade, with anxiety by far the fastest-growing complaint.
  • “The study, which was published on Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open, found that the number of pediatric visits rose to 9.7 percent in 2023 from 5.7 percent in 2014.
  • “The study included all insurance claims for children from ages 1 to 18 in Massachusetts, for a total of more than 1.8 million children. Visits were counted as mental health visits if a diagnostic code was included in the claim, either because the child or the family raised the issue or because the child screened positive for mental health symptoms during the visit.
  • “Visits for anxiety rose by more than 250 percent during that period, to 6.1 percent in 2023 from 1.7 percent in 2014.”

• The American Medical Association lets us know “nine things patients should know about taking creatine.”
  • “The ‘Health vs. Hype’ AMA podcast explores what creatine is, its association with bodybuilders, and whether it’s safe for the general public.”

• Medpage Today tells us,
  • “A course of azithromycin for preschoolers who presented to the emergency department (ED) with wheezing didn’t improve their symptoms, the AZ-SWED trial showed.
  • :Among children, ages 18-59 months, the 5-day sum of scores on the Asthma Flare-up Diary for Young Children (ADYC) did not differ significantly compared with placebo in either those who initially tested positive for pathogenic bacteria (median 9.59 vs 9.72, P=0.70) or those who tested negative (9.30 vs 9.10, P=0.69). ADYC scores range from 5-35 points, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms.
  • “While the trial was stopped early for futility — reducing the statistical power of the trial — it was sufficient to show that “a moderate or large true effect is implausible,” Richard M. Ruddy, MD, of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, reported at the American Thoracic Societyannual meeting in Orlando. The findings were published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.”
• and
  • “The 2025/2026 seasonal COVID vaccination was associated with a roughly 50% reduced risk for illness up to 9 weeks post-vaccination, especially in older Canadian adults, according to an interim analysis by the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network. The seasonal vaccine, which was specifically formulated to target the LP.8.1 variant, also appeared to offer protection from other strains.
  • “An important aspect of the 2025/2026 season was the simultaneous circulation of influenza and other respiratory viruses, which suggested the need to consider the role that respiratory virus co-circulation might play in estimating vaccine effectiveness (VE).
  • “This year, we were especially interested to check the effects of co-circulating respiratory viruses (eg, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus [RSV]) since COVID circulated at only low levels through the current season,” lead author Danuta M. Skowronski, MD, epidemiology lead for influenza and emerging respiratory pathogens at the BC Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver, told Medscape News Canada.”
    
• The American Journal of Managed Care points out,
  • “A retrospective VA cohort (2006–2019) compared ≥75-year-olds with adenoma vs no adenoma at ages 65–75 using registry and National Death Index outcomes. 
  • “Ten-year CRC incidence and CRC death were statistically higher with prior adenoma, but absolute differences were small and clinically overshadowed by competing non-CRC mortality. 
  • “Frailty stratification showed progressively lower CRC incidence and sharply higher non-CRC death, with severe frailty demonstrating <1% CRC versus 82% non-CRC death. 
  • “Advanced adenoma status did not significantly alter CRC risk, and follow-up colonoscopy rates after 75 were not higher among patients later developing CRC. 
  • “Generalizability is limited by a 98% male veteran population, reinforcing the need for confirmatory analyses in cohorts with greater female representation.”

• Per BioPharma Dive
  • “An experimental cancer immunotherapy from Regeneron failed a late-stage study in melanoma in a surprise setback for the big biotechnology company’s oncology business.
  • “A regimen involving the prospect, fianlimab, and Regeneron’s marketed medicine Libtayo didn’t significantly delay cancer progression compared to Merck & Co.’s Keytruda in patients with unresectable metastatic melanoma. A high-dose combination held tumors in check for a median of 11.5 months, compared to 6.4 months for Keytruda recipients, a difference that narrowly missed statistical significance.
  • “Regeneron didn’t provide additional details but will present them at a future medical meeting. Another Phase 3 study testing fianlimab against Opdualag, a similar cancer immunotherapy sold by Bristol Myers Squibb, is ongoing. Company shares fell by double digits early Monday, erasing billions of dollars in market value.”

From the U.S. healthcare business front

• Kauffman Hall reports,
  • Key Takeaways
    • March was the best month for hospitals in 2026 so far, despite mixed volumes. Month-over month discharges rose while patient days fell, indicating increased focus on improving average length of stay and a continued shift to outpatient care.
    • Operating margins improved month-over-month but remain below 2025. While bad debt and charity care declined month-over-month, gross revenue continues to outpace net, highlighting eroding payor mix.
    • Expenses declined in March, yet remain elevated year-over-year. Favorable improvements across the board are likely correlated to the decrease in average length of stay. However, drug expenses remain a primary driver of expense growth year-to-date.
    • Two notable outliers emerged in otherwise steady regional trends. The Northeast saw margin improvement, despite historical underperformance, while the West experienced the most dramatic increase in drug expense.
  • To view more insights on trends affecting hospitals and steps you can consider taking to address them, download the latest issue of the National Hospital Flash Report.

• Beckers Payer Issues notes,
  • “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts reported a net income of $59.6 million in the first quarter of 2026, a return to profitability after back-to-back annual losses in 2024 and 2025.
  • “The insurer posted revenue of $2.6 billion in the first quarter, reflecting a 2% net margin. Operating and other income came in at $17.4 million (0.6% operating margin), with investment income contributing $42.2 million.
  • “The company attributed the improved results to disciplined cost management, a milder-than-expected flu season and changes to its coverage of GLP-1 medications.
  • “Our first-quarter results reflect the challenging but necessary actions we’ve taken over the past year, including pricing our benefit plans to their true cost, identifying medical and pharmacy spending that doesn’t add value for our members, and keeping rate increases to our provider network at or below the state benchmark,” CFO Ruby Kam said May 15.”

• Fierce Healthcare relates,
  • “Now three quarters into its fiscal year, Ascension has chopped down its operating losses by more than half and more than tripled its bottom-line gain. 
  • “The nonprofit system reported Friday a $203 million operating loss (-1.1% operating margin) for the nine months ended March 31, 2026, improving on the $466 million operating loss (-2.3%) for the prior fiscal year. 
  • “Both its total operating revenue and operating expenses dipped from the prior year due to a slew of divestitures. The former declined by 7.2% to $18.1 billion while the latter fell by 8.1% to $18.3 billion; on a same-facility basis, total operating revenue grew 9.3% while expenses increased 5.7%.” 

• Healthcare IT News explains “How one practice combines in-clinic, telehealth and in-home care.”
  • “Dr. Payam Zamani is a practicing family medicine physician and founder and CEO of My Dr Now, one of the largest primary care providers in the Southwest. It’s designed as a hybrid in-person/telehealth/in-home health system.”
  • “When patients engage earlier and follow through consistently, the health system operates more efficiently, My Dr Now’s physician CEO reports: “This is not about technology for its own sake, it’s about designing care delivery around real life.”

• Modern Healthcare tells us,
  • “Oregon gave the green light for Compassus to acquire a 50% stake in Providence’s home health and hospice operations across the state.
  • “After more than a year of review, Oregon Health Authority’s Health Care Market Oversight program said in a Friday news release it approved the joint venture with conditions.
  • “The Oregon deal is expected to close in the fall, Providence said in an email.”
• and
  • “RWJBarnabas Health has opened a $7 million food-is-medicine hub to take on chronic disease, making it a potential standard bearer in the Make America Healthy Again movement.
  • “Last week, the New Jersey academic health system opened Harvest — an 8,000-square-foot facility in Newark that is a combination food bank, commercial kitchen and classroom. The center is designed to teach people living in nearby food deserts how to eat healthier and provide them with the food to do it.”

• Health System CIO informs us,
  • “Epic added 77 acute care hospitals in 2025 while Oracle Health shed 56, according to the new KLAS report, “US Acute Care EHR Market Share 2026.” The five-year picture is even starker. Epic has gained a net 568 hospitals since 2021 while Oracle Health has lost 173. In total, the report covers EHR contracts executed from January through December 2025. Epic now holds 43.7% of acute care hospital market share and 56.9% of beds. Oracle Health, meanwhile, sits second at 21.9% of hospitals and 20.4% of beds, followed by Meditech at 14.7% and 12.5%.” * * *
  • “Hospitals impacted by EHR decisions fell about 40% from 2024 as buyers shifted investment toward AI and operational efficiency tools.”
    
• Per MedTech Dive,
  • “Boston Scientific said Monday it has invested $1.5 billion to acquire a 34% equity stake in MiRus, a company developing a balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valve replacement system.
  • “The agreement gives Boston Scientific an exclusive option to acquire the MiRus TAVR system, subject to additional payments and the completion of certain clinical and regulatory milestones. Boston Scientific said it may opt to acquire the rest of the TAVR business for additional cash payments totaling $3 billion.
  • “The deal comes about a year after Boston Scientific stopped selling its Acurate Neo2 and Acurate Prime TAVR devices, which were CE-marked in Europe, and ended plans to pursue approvals in the U.S. and other locations.”