Healthcare, Pharma & Life Sciences

CANTON, Mass. – October 29, 2026 -- More than 2,000 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care members have enrolled in the Hinge Health digital musculoskeletal (MSK) program since its July launch, the Point32Health company said as it announced new and expanded clinical partnerships.

Hinge Health MSK program comes at no added cost to members

The program combines personalized exercise therapy with a care team of physical therapists and health coaches. It covers injury prevention, MSK pain management, mobility improvement, and rehabilitation before or after surgery. Members get 24/7 access, movement analysis to track progress, real-time feedback on exercises and adherence, and referrals to in-person care when needed.

New York – October 29, 2026 -- Formation Bio, an AI-native pharmaceutical company, has launched the Formation Bio Drug Development Accelerator Fund with $600 million in capital commitments to expand its portfolio of clinical-stage medicines. The company aims to acquire 10-15 drug programs over the next 3-5 years and advance them through key clinical milestones.

Fund draws research foundations, endowments and hospitals as limited partners

The Fund's limited partners include research foundations, institutional endowments, hospitals and philanthropic organizations. Formation Bio acts as general partner through a wholly owned subsidiary and has committed its own capital alongside them. The amount of that commitment was not disclosed.

The Fund exclusively finances the acquisition and development of programs within Formation Bio's portfolio, scaling the company's hub-and-spoke model.

THE BRONX – October 29, 2026 -- Holliswood Center and Bushwick Center, two skilled nursing facilities in the Centers Health Care network, have earned the American Heart Association's Skilled Nursing Facility Heart Failure Certification, aimed at cutting preventable readmissions in a patient population projected to exceed 8 million U.S. adults by 2030.

Certification audits six operating areas of heart failure care

The framework evaluates facilities against science-based requirements for heart failure (HF) patients. The six areas are program management, staff education, patient and caregiver education and support, care coordination, clinical management and quality improvement.

Moshe Blackstein, administrator at Amsterdam Nursing Home, another Centers Health Care facility, said the certification reflects a multidisciplinary team approach and tighter communication and coordination at every stage of care.

TAIPEI – October 29, 2026 -- The 2026 Global Health and Welfare Forum brings together 43 speakers and moderators from 11 markets on Oct. 19–20 to test how AI, interoperable health data and precision medicine can move from research into hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical-device companies and care networks. The program runs under the theme "The Future of Global Care: Achieving Trust-Centric Digital Health."

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – October 29, 2026 -- Illuminate Rx, a low-net-cost pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) and affiliate of RxBenefits, will make Sempre Health's manufacturer-funded savings available to its members on January 1, 2027, at no additional cost to employers or members.

Sempre uses pharmacy claims data to find eligible members

Manufacturer copay assistance exists for certain medications, but consumers must know it exists, locate it and enroll. Sempre removes that step by using pharmacy claims information to identify eligible Illuminate Rx members.

When a member fills a participating medication, Sempre flags the savings opportunity and contacts the member directly. The savings are then applied at the pharmacy, which lowers the member's out-of-pocket payment.

DALLAS – October 29, 2026 -- U.S. Anesthesia Partners, Inc. (USAP) mobilized 400 participants across 24 events during its 2026 USAP Cares Week, logging more than 1,300 volunteer hours and $36,800 in donations. The company estimates the effort affected 45,000 lives.

USAP directs Cares Week toward food insecurity, homelessness and education

The annual week of service is part of the USAP Cares program, which focuses company resources and personnel on three areas: health and well-being, education and civic enrichment. Activities run year-round, with extra emphasis during Cares Week. This year's teams prepared meals, assembled care kits and supported children, families and underserved populations.

NEW YORK – October 29, 2026 -- Andel, a direct-to-employer medication marketplace, has agreed a collaboration with Novo to offer Wegovy, including the once-daily Wegovy pill and Wegovy HD, to its employer network. Both products launched earlier in 2026.

Employers set their own contribution toward obesity treatment

Under the model, employers decide how much to contribute toward each employee's treatment. This lowers out-of-pocket costs for staff while employers keep control of spending. Andel manages the process from prescription verification to delivery through its app.

Andel pitches the offering at employers facing rising medication expenses and sells it as a route outside traditional pharmacy benefits. Large companies, small businesses and startups can all choose a contribution level that fits their budgets. Employees receive manufacturer-direct pricing across Andel's medication platform.

FREDERICK, Md. – – October 29, 2026 -- CellectGen has secured Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding to develop a saliva-based, point-of-care diagnostic for periodontal disease, targeting early detection of active tissue destruction. The company is building the platform with reagent supplier Kemp Proteins and lateral-flow developer DCNDx.

Periodontal disease affects 42% of U.S. adults over 30 and costs an estimated $154 billion

Periodontal disease is a leading cause of adult tooth loss. Clinicians still struggle to identify patients with active disease before irreversible damage appears. Current diagnostics mostly detect existing clinical disease or risk factors, and commercial saliva tests mainly measure bacterial or host biomarker signatures rather than tissue destruction itself.

London – October 29, 2026 -- Genefluence has begun using its near-patient PCR platform to screen for urinary tract infections (UTIs) at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, returning results in around one hour compared with the days typically needed for laboratory urine culture.

Test detects bacteria and resistance genes in a single run

The lab-free test identifies UTI-causing bacteria and specific antibiotic resistance genes. Clinicians can prescribe a targeted antibiotic immediately rather than start broad-spectrum drugs on a trial-and-error basis. Genefluence says this helps prevent deterioration that can lead to sepsis and further hospital admission, and reduces the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

AUSTIN – October 29, 2026 -- Genprex (NASDAQ: GNPX) will present research on the TUSC2 gene, the therapeutic payload of its lead lung cancer candidate REQORSA, in mitochondrial biology and cellular aging at the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, widening the scientific case for the asset beyond oncology.

Poster scheduled for Nov. 4 in National Harbor, Maryland

The poster, titled "TUSC2 Gene Therapy in Humans Induces a Cellular-Resilience Program," will run in Late Breaking Poster Session I from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. ET at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Exhibit Hall C-D. Mark S. Berger, MD, Genprex's Chief Medical Officer, will present under Abstract ID 2489375. The meeting runs Nov. 4-7, 2026.