Healthcare & Biotech

New York – September 25, 2026 -- Spring Health has expanded VERA-MH, the first open-source AI safety benchmark for mental health, to add a second clinical safety area covering harm from others, as more users turn to AI systems for emotional support.

New rubric measures AI response to interpersonal violence risk

The VERA-MH Harm-From-Others rubric evaluates how AI systems respond when an adult describes being at risk of physical or sexual violence from another person. It scores responses across five areas: detecting risk, confirming it, guiding the person to human care, supportive conversation, and adherence to AI boundaries. The rubric draws on 100 realistic personas and was developed with clinicians, subject-matter experts in interpersonal violence, and people with lived experience.

Piscataway, N.J. – September 25, 2026 -- Parker Health Group has named Mark Lenhard, MS, LNFA, as its next President & CEO, succeeding Roberto Muñiz after nearly 28 years of leadership at the nonprofit aging services provider.

Lenhard joins Parker in December 2026 from United Methodist Communities

Lenhard currently serves as President & CEO of United Methodist Communities (UMC) and the UMC Foundation, a faith-based nonprofit network spanning nine senior living communities, a home- and community-based services platform, a consulting arm, and a philanthropic foundation. He is expected to join Parker in December 2026.

North Las Vegas, Nev. – – September 25, 2026 -- Wriggle Box LLC has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for Wriggleworm, a full-body sensory regulation play structure aimed at autistic individuals, neurodivergent children and sensory seekers.

Wriggleworm delivers full-body pressure input paired with physical movement

The structure is engineered to mimic the sensation of digging through earth, delivering mild-to-moderate or deep, even pressure across the entire body as users move through it. Unlike single-point sensory tools such as squeeze devices or compression tubes, Wriggleworm combines tactile and proprioceptive feedback with active gross motor exertion.

New York – September 25, 2026 -- ADAPT Community Network opened its Smart Living Center in the Bronx, a home-like facility built to test and demonstrate accessible technology for people with disabilities across New York City and the Hudson Valley.

ADAPT launches dedicated space linking disability tech vendors, families and regulators

The nonprofit, which operates 100 programs serving more than 20,000 children and adults with disabilities, held an Open House and Resource Expo to mark the launch. The event combined timed tours of the Center with a vendor showcase and a panel discussion titled 'Adaptive Technology Progress and Innovation through Partnership.'

Bad Homburg, Germany – September 25, 2026 -- Fresenius Medical Care will exit its peritoneal dialysis business in China and discontinue local production and sales of its 4008A hemodialysis system, triggering one-time costs of approximately €110 million in the third quarter of 2026.

The charge, tied to impairment, scrappage and termination costs, will be treated as a special item and is not expected to meaningfully affect the future revenue outlook for the China business within the Company's Care Enablement segment.

China accounts for 6-7% of Care Enablement segment revenue

Fresenius Medical Care has operated in China for more than two decades, a market the Company says offers long-term growth tied to rising chronic kidney disease prevalence and expanding dialysis care.

New York – September 25, 2026 -- Global healthcare, investment, philanthropy and government leaders convened at a roundtable on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly to address a women's health gap that the World Economic Forum projects could exceed $1 trillion annually by 2040 if unaddressed. The session, titled "The $1 Trillion Case for Women's Health," was convened by Burjeel Holdings, a super-specialty healthcare provider operating across the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud calls for lifelong, integrated women's healthcare investment

HRH Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's envoy to the United States, opened the roundtable with a virtual address urging governments to treat women's physical and mental health as interconnected rather than episodic. She argued that no nation can rely on half its population to drive economic growth while leaving their healthcare needs to chance.

South Carolina -- A new Public Television segment filmed on May 6, 2026, at Sterling Contract Packaging's South Carolina facility examines how consolidating packaging design, engineering, and manufacturing under one operator is reshaping healthcare product distribution. The feature, part of the nationally syndicated "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia" series, positions single-source packaging models as an alternative to fragmented, multi-vendor supply chains that have historically caused delays and compliance failures in the medical device and OTC pharmaceutical sectors.

Pune, India – September 24, 2026 -- The global nanomedicine market reached USD 207.91 billion in 2025 and is projected to hit USD 581.2 billion by 2034, expanding at a 12.1% compound annual growth rate, according to a new report from Maximize Market Research.

North America commands the largest share on pharmaceutical R&D strength

North America held the largest share of the market in 2025, driven by advanced healthcare infrastructure, deep pharmaceutical and biotechnology research pipelines, and high healthcare expenditure. The United States anchors regional growth through its established research ecosystem and rising adoption of nanotechnology-based drug delivery, diagnostics and precision medicine platforms. Canada and Mexico are contributing through expanding healthcare capabilities and research initiatives.

Friendswood, Texas – September 24, 2026 -- More than half of atopic dermatitis (AD) patients who used targeted systemic therapies modified treatment because the drugs failed to work, according to a new study published in Dermatology and Therapy by Castle Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSTL).

Study finds 55% of systemic therapy users switched due to lack of efficacy

The research surveyed 43 AD patients and caregivers who completed a 32-question assessment at the 2024 National Eczema Association Eczema Expo. Among respondents who had used targeted systemic therapies, 55% reported modifying treatment because of insufficient results. Inadequate skin clearance and persistent itching were cited as the most frequent reasons for switching drugs or adding topical treatments.

New York City – September 24, 2026 -- NYU Langone Health has recruited three senior orthopedic surgeons -- Dr. Sabrina M. Strickland, Dr. F. Winston Gwathmey, and Dr. Andreas H. Gomoll -- to lead new specialty centers within its orthopedics division, currently ranked No. 2 nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

NYU Langone builds out joint-preservation leadership with three senior hires

Dr. Strickland arrives from the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, where she practiced for more than two decades, to become the inaugural director of NYU Langone's new Center for Patellofemoral Disorders. Her clinical focus spans knee cartilage repair, patellar stabilization, ACL and meniscus surgery, and joint preservation; she also uses 3D-printed joint models to refine surgical techniques for patients with atypical bone structures, addressing a gap left by biomechanical research that relies primarily on cadaveric 'normal' joints.