Healthcare, Pharma & Life Sciences

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.

BOSTON – October 29, 2026 -- Dechra, a global veterinary specialty care company, reported a 27% cut in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions since its baseline year and R&D spending equal to 9.6% of global revenue in fiscal 2026. The figures come from its 2026 Sustainability Report.

Dechra recycles, reuses or recovers 98% of its waste

The report is organized around four pillars: Sustainable Innovation, Resilient Planet, Thriving People and Strong Communities. Dechra used sustainable sources, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, for more than 98% of its paper-based product packaging. Its 98% waste figure includes incineration with heat recovery, composting, anaerobic digestion and solvent recovery.

Dechra Academy logged 33,785 learning hours across 40 countries

Under the Thriving People pillar, employees accrued 33,785 hours of learning through Dechra Academy, which operates in 40 countries.

SINGAPORE – October 29, 2026 -- Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the National University Hospital (NUH) have signed a Memorandum of Intent giving technology firms direct access to hospital-defined problems, in IMDA's first Open Innovation Platform (OIP) partnership with a public healthcare institution.

NUH will participate through its Kent Ridge Office of Innovation (KROI), established in April 2024. The deal connects the hospital's clinical and operational teams with the OIP network of about 21,000 innovators and solution providers, spanning startups, technology firms and research institutions. IMDA frames the tie-up as support for Singapore's National AI Strategy in key sectors such as healthcare.