Weekly Roundup

• Virescent Ventures completed its seventh investment from Fund II, which has secured over $155 million in commitments from investors including Westpac, QIC, and Breakthrough Victoria. • New York-based Pie, an AI-powered growth platform designed for small businesses, raised a $19.5 million Series A led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. • Pie's total funding now stands at $23.7 million, with participation from Capital One Ventures, SciFi VC, F-Prime, and Commerce Ventures.

• A recent AJMC podcast highlighted the critical underutilization of the FIB4 liver screening tool, which Dr. Chika Anekwe describes as a noninvasive, guideline-supported method for detection. • Dr. Naim Alkhouri noted that FDA approvals for resmetirom and semaglutide to treat aggressive metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) have increased the urgency for early screening. • The report also addresses broader health equity concerns, including racial disparities in cancer pain care and reimbursement hurdles for cell and gene therapy (CGT) programs.

• The Supreme Court ruled in *Gaurav Mehla & Ors. v. State of Haryana & Ors.* that curable irregularities in the final appointment process do not automatically invalidate an entire recruitment cycle. • Separately, a judicial officer from Himachal Pradesh has filed a writ petition challenging the High Court Collegium's recommendations for judge appointments. • These developments highlight the court's current focus on refining administrative law regarding public employment and the transparency of the judicial appointment process.

• The June 26, 2026, Health Equity & Access roundup highlights critical gaps in obesity coding and rising rates of Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) among women. • Dr. Bhavana “Tina” Bhatnagar of the West Virginia University Cancer Institute notes that Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is now viewed as a collection of molecularly distinct diagnoses. • Treatment access for AML and ALL has expanded significantly, with 10 approved drugs now available across 17 specific indications.

• The Cyber Express weekly roundup highlights a surge in global cyber risks driven by AI acceleration, massive data breaches, and increased international law enforcement activity. • Key security incidents reported include a cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL) and a significant data breach at the Japanese telecommunications company KDDI. • The report notes a critical AI warning issued by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance and a technological milestone achieved by Garfield AI.

• A new study reveals that Texas's abortion ban has led to a 2.52 percentage-point increase in maternal mental health issues, with the impact more than doubling for mothers using Medicaid or CHIP. • Data presented by Dr. Julie Kanter at the European Hematology Association 2026 Congress shows that current clinical trial eligibility for sickle cell disease (SCD) therapies excludes 90% of adults living with the condition. • These findings highlight critical systemic gaps in healthcare equity, specifically regarding maternal psychiatric support and access to cutting-edge genetic therapies for SCD.

• New data highlight how structural racism, policy, and pricing continue to drive racial and ethnic disparities in U.S. healthcare access and outcomes. • Sickle cell disease (SCD), which primarily affects non-Hispanic Black or African American individuals, remains a critical focus as it can shorten life expectancy by approximately 20 years. • Treatment options have evolved from the 1994 approval of hydroxyurea to include newer medications like voxelotor and crizanlizumab, culminating in the 2023 approval of gene therapies.