Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Johnson & Johnson CEO Says Cancer 'Cure' Is Within Reach
Fox News: Johnson & Johnson CEO Says Cancer Cure Could Come Within A Decade
A cure for cancer could be on the horizon in the next decade, according to experts. During the WSJ Leadership Institute CEO Summit in London last week, Johnson & Johnson Chairman and CEO Joaquin Duato reflected on the pharmaceutical company’s projections on the future of cancer treatment. In the next 10 years, the goal is to "try to eliminate cancer," Duato shared. (Stabile, 6/17)
Bloomberg: Johnson & Johnson Shifts Focus To Cancer, Skips Obesity Drug Market
Johnson & Johnson has no plans to enter the booming obesity market, opting instead to focus on diseases such as cancer, Chief Executive Officer Joaquin Duato said in an interview for an upcoming episode of The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations. The comments set J&J apart from many of its rivals trying to develop or acquire obesity medicines following blockbuster weight-loss drugs from Eli Lilly & Co. and Novo Nordisk A/S. (Muller, 6/17)
Becker's Hospital Review: AdventHealth Is Retrofitting 13,000 Rooms Across 57 Hospitals — The Largest Smart Room Rollout Ever
The modern healthcare visit typically comprises a clinician facing a computer monitor and the patient waiting to be looked at. Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth is hoping to reverse this trend. The health system is rolling out smart technology across 13,000 acute care rooms at 57 hospitals in nine states — the largest on record. (Bruce, 6/17)
Becker's Hospital Review: Atrium Files CON For Hospital In One Of North Carolina’s ‘Fastest-Growing’ Counties
Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health has filed a certificate of need application to build a full-service hospital in New Hanover County, N.C., becoming the latest health system seeking to expand in one of the state’s fastest-growing regions. (Condon, 6/17)
Fierce Healthcare: One Medical Seniors Reports Data Security Event
Amazon One Medical reported a security event impacting a "limited number" of patients of its senior care clinics business. (Landi, 6/17)
Pharma and tech developments —
Bloomberg: UniQure Jumps As FDA Allows Huntington’s Gene Therapy Filing Without New Trial
UniQure NV shares soared after the company announced it will be able to seek US approval for its Huntington’s disease gene therapy before conducting a new study, a dramatic reversal that shows the Trump administration is relaxing its previous hard-line stance on drug reviews. The US Food and Drug Administration told the company during a recent meeting that data from its existing study would be acceptable for an expedited approval filing, UniQure said in a statement. It plans to submit an application in the third quarter of this year. (Langreth, 6/17)
Bloomberg: AI Startup Midjourney Pivots To Health With Ultrasound Machine
AI startup Midjourney Inc. announced its first hardware project at an event in San Francisco, outlining an unexpected move into the personal health and medical industries. Chief Executive Officer David Holz revealed what he described as a “full-body ultrasound machine” called the Midjourney Scanner. “No such device has ever been built until now,” he claimed, touting the new technology as superior to MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in numerous ways. (Welch, 6/18)
Bloomberg: AI Health Startup Telepatia Aims To Reach 950,000 Latin American Doctors By 2027
An Andreessen Horowitz-backed healthcare startup born in Latin America wants to put its AI assistant in the hands of half the region’s 1.9 million doctors by the end of 2027, a bet that technology can help bridge a shortage of medical professionals across strained health systems. Telepatia, launched in Colombia in July 2025 and now headquartered in Sao Paulo, sees the region’s overstretched hospitals and physicians as both a growth opportunity and a testing ground for technology that promises to make them more productive. (Dahl, 6/17)
Fierce Healthcare: Whoop, HealthEx Connect Medical Records And Biometric Data
Fitness wearable company Whoop announced Wednesday a partnership with health platform HealthEx that allows users to connect their medical records directly within the Whoop app, combining medical history with biometric data. (Gleeson, 6/17)
