State Policymakers Act to Reform Health Plans' Downcoding Practices Reducing Physician Payments

• Researchers publishing in JAMA Network Open found that noncitizens in the U.S. have lower screening rates for cervical, colorectal, and breast cancers due to socioeconomic barriers and limited healthcare access. • The FDA has declined to approve 177Lu-edotreotide, an investigational radiotherapeutic for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, citing specific manufacturing issues.

• The AACR will host a participant training and advocate reception on September 16, followed by "Rally Hill Day" on September 17. • During the event, participants will meet with congressional offices to advocate for sustained National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.

• A new "double-punch" strategy using specialized particles to target aggressive brain cancer has shown promise, according to a recent study. • A randomized trial involving 315 overweight Chinese adults aged 18+ found that a single focused workout can provide meaningful health benefits for those with central obesity.

• The provided text discusses a commentary or excerpt involving Dr. Suzanne Humphries and potentially Pierre Kory regarding their book "Sacrifice." • The author argues that while individual accounts are not clinical trials, they serve as critical warnings that should prompt formal scientific research.

• NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE American: NNVC) received regulatory approval on August 10, 2026, to launch a Phase II clinical trial for its NV-387 oral gummies. • The trial will take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo to treat patients affected by the current largest and most rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak.

• NanoViricides, Inc. (NASDAQ:NNVC) has received regulatory approval to initiate a Phase II Clinical Trial for NV-387 oral gummies. • The drug is being developed as a treatment for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, addressing an urgent need for effective antivirals during the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• Bipartisan House Armed Services Committee amendments propose using the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act to extend military clinical trials of MDMA and psilocybin for active-duty service members. • Louisiana launched a regulated clinical pilot program this week using psilocybin and related compounds to treat substance use and treatment-resistant mental health conditions, funded by opioid-settlement money.

• GlobalRPH has released a curated list of the top 20 medical news topics for clinicians covering the week of August 3-9, 2026. • The update includes a specific focus on the changing geography of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) within the United States.

• Texas Children's Hospital is set to open the first detransition clinic in the U.S. for transgender youth this October, according to Attorney General Ken Paxton. • The medical community is mourning the loss of Dr. Maura Gillison, who died at age 61 from small intestine cancer after previously proving the link between HPV and head and neck cancers.

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially approved a new mRNA-based vaccine designed to combat influenza. • Despite this milestone, experts caution that the approval does not necessarily signal a broad government embrace of mRNA technology for all vaccines.

• The FDA has approved mFLUSIVA, the first flu vaccine to utilize mRNA technology similar to that used in COVID-19 vaccines. • Clinical trial data published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that 2% of mFLUSIVA recipients developed flu-like illnesses, compared to 2.8% for those receiving a standard-dose vaccine.

• A new oral antiviral drug called Xocova has been developed to prevent COVID-19 infections in individuals who have been exposed to the virus. • Unlike treatments administered after symptoms appear, Xocova is specifically designed as a post-exposure prophylactic to reduce the likelihood of contracting the illness.