Healthcare & Biotech

San Ramon, Calif. – September 22, 2026 -- MediKarma, Inc. reported that its proprietary health score achieved a 90.6% correlation with actual claims costs within an 8 million-patient cohort, as the company positions its JackTM and JillTM AI infrastructure as the clinical backbone for direct-to-patient healthcare offerings.

MediKarma's health score correlates at 90.6% with real claims costs across a high-risk patient cohort

The company drew the 8 million-patient cohort from a de-identified population of 65 million patients, selecting individuals based on a minimum claims threshold and membership in the highest-cost disease categories. MediKarma says the correlation demonstrates the value of building patient engagement on an organized, longitudinal clinical picture spanning multiple providers rather than fragmented records.

Milwaukee – September 22, 2026 -- More than 90% of patients carrying a documented penicillin allergy in their electronic medical records can safely take the drug after clinical evaluation, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), which is marking National Penicillin Allergy Day on September 28 with a push for wider adoption of allergy "de-labeling" protocols.

Inaccurate allergy labels block access to first-line infection treatment

Penicillin remains the most effective therapy for many bacterial infections, yet patients with unverified allergy labels are routinely steered toward alternative antibiotics. The AAAAI states that removing inaccurate labels through evaluation improves patient outcomes, lowers healthcare costs and supports efforts against antimicrobial resistance.

Sheridan, Wyoming – – September 22, 2026 -- The global lateral flow assay market is set to expand from $11.04 billion in 2026 to $16.37 billion by 2031, a compound annual growth rate of 8.2%, according to a new study by Wissen Research.

Brookfield, Conn. – September 22, 2026 -- ROM Technologies Inc. (ROMTech) said its PortableConnect Rehab System can address two structural barriers facing Department of Veterans Affairs knee-replacement patients: distance from rehabilitation sites and fractured coordination between VA and Community Care providers.

Rural Veterans face outsized travel burdens for post-surgical rehabilitation

Approximately 3 million rural Veterans are enrolled in VA health care, and 54% are age 65 or older. A national VA knee-replacement study found 40.8% of patients lived in rural areas, making repeated long-distance travel a barrier to consistent rehabilitation. The VA's 2026 revised budget request includes roughly $2.29 billion for Beneficiary Travel, though the agency does not break out spending attributable to rehabilitation or rural Veterans specifically.

San Diego – September 22, 2026 -- BRIJ Medical reported zero documented cases of wound dehiscence, infection, allergic dermatitis, adhesive-related skin injury or wound-related reoperation across a 100-case retrospective study of its Brijjit Force-Modulating Tissue Bridges in sports medicine incision management.

Single-surgeon study spans three years of orthopedic procedures

The study, published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Experience & Innovation (Volume 7, Issue 2), evaluated 100 consecutive outpatient sports medicine procedures performed by a single surgeon, John A. Grotting, MD, between January 2023 and December 2025. Cases spanned ACL, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle procedures, with co-author Ege Karadag.

Charlottesville, Va. – September 22, 2026 -- RIVANNA has filed its 100th patent, U.S. application #64/080,862, covering an AI-powered ultrasound pathology detection pipeline for automated computer-aided diagnosis on its Accuro XV platform, marking 15 years of continuous intellectual-property development at the medical technology company.

Newark – September 22, 2026 -- Medscape has expanded its strategic partnership with the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology (SBOC) under a new two-year agreement to widen access to global oncology insights for physicians across Brazil.

Two-year deal targets Portuguese-language oncology content for Brazilian clinicians

The agreement will focus on developing and publishing Portuguese-language educational and medical content aimed at supporting the day-to-day clinical practice of oncology professionals in Brazil. It builds on an editorial partnership first announced in 2022 to combat misinformation in online health content.

Fremont, Calif. – September 22, 2026 -- THINK Surgical, Inc. has appointed Rick McDowell as Vice President, Sales, tasking him with leading the orthopedic robotics maker's national sales organization as it scales commercial operations.

McDowell reports directly to Executive Vice President Chris Marrus

McDowell will drive market strategy and growth for THINK Surgical's commercial team, reporting to Chris Marrus. He arrives with more than 20 years in medical device commercialization, clinical strategy, and capital sales across the surgical robotics sector.

New York – September 22, 2026 -- Hone Health and BODYBAR Pilates have launched a partnership integrating biomarker testing and physician-guided care into 40+ Pilates studios across seven states, marking a deeper convergence between clinical longevity care and mainstream fitness franchising.

Partnership spans 40+ studios in seven states

The collaboration covers BODYBAR Pilates locations in California, Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Utah and Colorado. Hone Health, described as a physician-led longevity clinic, will offer its comprehensive biomarker testing and one-on-one physician consultations to participating BODYBAR members, who can review results, symptoms and health history to receive personalized treatment plans.

San Francisco – September 22, 2026 -- Teal Health has closed $22 million in Series A funding to scale its at-home cervical cancer screening device ahead of January 2027, when federal guidelines will require most U.S. health plans to cover self-collection HPV testing.

Funding round brings Teal Health's total capital raised to $45 million

The round was led by .406 Ventures, with continued participation from Emerson Collective (managed by Yosemite), Forerunner, and Serena Ventures, plus new backing from Japan-based MPower Partners. The capital will fund hiring across clinical, commercial, technology and operational teams as the company expands partnerships with payors, health systems, employers and providers.