The FDA expanded the approval of a first-in-class immunotherapy to include a new subgroup of people with bladder cancer.
Nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln (Anktiva, Altor BioScience LLC/ImmunityBio) is now indicated for use with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for adults with high-grade papillary-only bladder cancer that has not spread into the bladder muscle and hasnot responded to prior BCG treatment. It is the first therapy approved specifically for this setting.
The agent — an interleukin-15 receptor agonist administered into the bladder through a catheter — was previously approved for use

OCT angiography may help detect glaucoma progression earlier than standard OCT or visual field exams, although its specificity was lower than that of structural OCT, according to data published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
“Glaucoma progression is commonly monitored with structural OCT and visual field testing, but these tests do not always show progression at the same time,” Takashi Nishida, MD, PhD, associate project scientist at the Shiley Eye Institute, told Healio. “We conducted this study to compare when progression is detected by OCT-A, structural OCT and visual field

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Patients with Crohn’s disease achieved significantly higher clinical remission and endoscopic response rates at week 12 with subcutaneous risankizumab induction than with placebo, study results showed.
In addition, subcutaneous risankizumab (Skyrizi, AbbVie) induction demonstrated a similar safety profile to other indications for the drug, according to a speaker at ACG Annual Scientific Meeting.
“One of the things that we as gastroenterologists want to do is use the safest, most effective therapy to hopefully treat [inflammatory bowel disease] early, achieve mucosal healing

Cases of plague are rare but not unheard of in the United States. Cases of pneumonic plague, the type at the center of a mysterious story in Russia, are even rarer.
The death of a man from pneumonic plague last year in Arizona was linked to contact with sick cats, according to a recently published report in MMWR.
“Pneumonic plague is a rare and serious form of plague caused by Yersinia pestis,” the flea-borne bacterium that causes the disease, Grace Marx, MD, medical officer in the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, told Healio.
“It develops when bacteria spread to

Higher levels of physical activity were associated with slower cognitive and motor decline in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to research published in Neurology.
Past research has shown how physical activity can improve motor symptoms in people with PD in the short term, but the new findings indicate that physical activity could have longer-term benefits when it comes to modifying disease trajectories and slowing cognitive decline, said Dong-Woo Ryu, MD, PhD, a neurologist with the University of Cincinnati.
“Our study was observational, so we cannot establish causality,” Ryu told

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A novel DNA methylation test using the EndoSign capsule-sponge detected Barrett’s esophagus with 90% sensitivity and 86% specificity, excelling in longer segments and patients with dysplasia or esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Late-breaking clinical trial data presented at ACG Annual Scientific Meeting suggest that this minimally invasive approach with Cyted Health’s biomarker test could expand screening for at-risk individuals and help reduce esophageal adenocarcinoma mortality through earlier detection.
“Ninety percent of patients with Barrett’s esophagus are undiagnosed right

Three women experienced transient neurological symptoms after receiving unapproved botulinum neurotoxin injections from a licensed provider at a Colorado medical spa, according to a study published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
An investigation led by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), in collaboration with the CDC, FDA and the local public health agency, found that potential causes of the reactions included unknown product concentration, product contamination, improper preparation and improper administration or storage of the product, according to

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — AI tools were less likely to flag emergencies and deliver accurate, comprehensive gastroenterology advice in the six most common U.S. languages after English, according to a presenter at ACG Annual Scientific Meeting.
“AI is already part of everyday life, and people are turning to it with health questions, often before speaking with a physician,” Harika Dadigiri, MD, resident physician at New York Medical College at Saint Mary’s and Saint Clare’s Hospital in New Jersey, told Healio regarding her presentation. “For patients who struggle to find reliable medical information in

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gastroenterologists in rural areas performed 37% more general endoscopies per physician than their urban peers, but 14% fewer advanced procedures, according to a study presented at ACG Annual Scientific Meeting.
Despite performing more endoscopic procedures per physician, rural gastroenterologists saw workforce growth stagnate over 11 years, rising just 8% compared with 18% growth in the urban gastroenterologist workforce.
“These findings suggest that workforce planning should consider not only how many gastroenterologists we have, but also where they practice and what

Centinel Spine LLC announced it has received FDA approval for two-level use of the prodisc C Nova cervical total disc replacement device, according to a company press release.
In clinical use outside of the U.S. since 2009, the release noted the prodisc C Nova is available on a limited-release basis in the U.S. It features flat endplates with low-profile keels designed to match particular vertebral anatomy, according to the release.
This approval adds to the prodisc portfolio of cervical devices that have been FDA approved for both one- and two-level use, including the prodisc C Vivo and