Last summer, Anna Ramsey suffered a flare-up of juvenile dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune condition, posing a terrifying prospect for the Los Angeles resident: She might have to undergo chemotherapy, further compromising her immune system during a pandemic.

Breast tumors that are both estrogen-receptor (ER)- and HER2-positive are typically slow-growing, while ER-negative, HER2-positive cancers are more aggressive. Now, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a pathway by which ER/HER2-positive breast tumors can transform into more aggressive, ER-negative-like subtypes—a discovery they believe could eventually change the way breast cancer is tracked and treated.

After Boston Scientific retired its entire line of Lotus Edge replacement heart valves late last year amid a flurry of issues with its delivery system, Abbott has stepped up to fill in the gap in the transcatheter aortic valve replacement market.

The consumer healthcare technology space just got a little more crowded, thanks to CardieX’s decision to launch a new subsidiary devoted to developing blood pressure monitoring devices for at-home and on-the-go use.

Blueprint Medicines rejigged its R&D organization last fall, bringing its research and clinical development teams under one roof and putting Fouad Namouni, M.D., Bristol Myers Squibb’s former oncology head, in charge. Now, the company is adding another BMS veteran to the team: Percy Carter, Ph.D., who will spearhead research and preclinical development as the new chief scientific officer.

Using artificial intelligence to forecast and ward off oncoming changes in blood sugar levels has served as the new frontier in managing Type 1 diabetes for years—but beyond that remains a largely untapped and massive market, as people with Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes and gestational diabetes hope to see the same daily data.

The FDA is re-upping its public warnings about the need for people to keep their cell phones away from implanted pacemakers and defibrillators—especially because newer smartphones may contain stronger magnets.

Device makers have been trying to prove they can treat stubbornly high blood pressure by toning down overactive nerves in the blood vessels around the kidneys. Now, with new clinical trial data, they’re beginning to make headway.

Remember the FDA’s cautions on paclitaxel-laden devices? Think again: An audit of nearly four years of Medicare data spanning more than 168,000 beneficiaries found no evidence of additional harm with balloons and stents coated with the chemotherapy drug compared to bare ones.

Otonomy may have hit a snag with development of its lead ear disorder candidate Otividex, but the biotech is trumpeting an early win for a gene therapy designed to treat congenital hearing loss.