Texas Children's Hospital

A roundup of the most newsworthy healthcare press releases from PR Newswire, including business strategies shaping the future of healthcare and three major health news trends. NEW YORK, March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each month, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help healthcare journalists and consumers stay on top of the month's most popular releases and newsworthy trends, here's a recap of some of the past month's most read- and engaged-with stories. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. Continue Reading PR Newswire Monthly Health Press Release Roundup, February 2025. Photos provided by CINDE, Sebela Pharmaceuticals Inc and WeWard. BD Announces Intent to Separate Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions Business to Enhance Focus, Drive Growth and Unlock Value "Our BD 2025 strategy has transformed the company into a faster-growing, more profitable organization positioned at the forefront of long-term growth trends in health care," said Tom Polen, chairman, CEO and president of BD. FDA Approves MIUDELLA®, the First Hormone-Free Copper Intrauterine System (IUS) in the U.S. in Over 40 Years, from Sebela Women's Health Inc. "This innovative intrauterine device may allow for improvements in discontinuation rates due to pain and bleeding and in expulsion rates. This would be very meaningful for women looking for hormone-free options," said Principal Investigator David K. Turok, MD, MPH, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah. Lilly launches additional Zepbound vial doses and offers new savings for self-pay patients Self-pay patients with obesity now have additional Zepbound vial options, including 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg and 10 mg doses. In addition to expanding the doses available, Lilly has reduced prices of the 2.5 mg and 5 mg vials to $349 per month and $499 per month, respectively. Costa Rica Continues to Strengthen Its Position as a Leading Hub for Life Sciences Companies Since 2017, Costa Rica's medical device exports have grown at an average annual rate of 18%, surpassing $8 billion in 2024. This rapid expansion has positioned the country as Latin America's second-largest exporter of medical devices and the fifth-largest supplier of these products to the United States. The Cigna Group Launches Actions to Drive Positive Change for Customers and Patients "The health care system in America needs to be better, and we have challenged ourselves to help lead and drive systemic change," said David M. Cordani, chairman and CEO of The Cigna Group. "We do a lot of good for many people, but we need to do better for everyone. We are committed to implementing tangible actions across our company to help drive better health outcomes and health care experiences." Biohaven Announces FDA Acceptance and Priority Review of Troriluzole New Drug Application for the Treatment of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Troriluzole has a well-established safety profile and if approved, would be the first and only FDA-approved treatment for Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA), a rare, genetic, life-threatening neurodegenerative disease. AbbVie and Xilio Therapeutics Announce Collaboration and Option Agreement to Develop Novel Tumor-Activated Immunotherapies The collaboration will combine AbbVie's oncology expertise and Xilio's proprietary tumor-activation technology to develop novel immunotherapies, including masked T-cell engagers. Solventum Announces Sale of its Purification & Filtration Business to Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. for $4.1B "We are confident that Thermo Fisher will provide the Purification & Filtration business – which offers filters and membranes for use in the manufacturing of biopharmaceutical and medical technologies, microelectronics and food, beverage products and drinking water – the strategic investment and resources needed for sustaining growth and delivering customer solutions," said Bryan Hanson, Solventum CEO. FDA Approves First Rapid-Acting Insulin Biosimilar Product for Treatment of Diabetes As a rapid-acting insulin, Merilog helps to lower mealtime blood sugar spikes to improve control of blood sugar in people with diabetes. The approval is for both a 3 milliliter (mL) single-patient-use prefilled pen and a 10 milliliter (mL) multiple-dose vial. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Launches Billion Cells Project with 10x Genomics and Ultima Genomics to Advance AI in Biology "Biology not only needs more data – the field needs more data faster and in interoperable formats to support AI models that address specific problems, and this project represents a unique approach to scaling and standardizing scientific outputs for AI and more," said Jonah Cool, Cell Science Senior Science Program Officer at CZI. Medtronic earns U.S. FDA approval for the world's first Adaptive deep brain stimulation system for people with Parkinson's DBS is similar to a cardiac pacemaker, but for the brain. It uses a surgically implanted neurostimulator via a minimally invasive procedure to transmit electrical signals to specific parts of the brain affected by debilitating neurological disorders. Illumina unveils first-of-its-kind spatial transcriptomics technology Illumina has announced a new spatial technology program that will empower researchers to map complex tissues and understand cellular behavior at an unprecedented scale. "With this innovation, we are setting a new bar that will drive the next wave of scientific discoveries and unlock a deeper understanding of biology," said Steve Barnard, PhD, chief technology officer of Illumina. U.S. FDA Approves EMBLAVEO™ (aztreonam and avibactam) for the Treatment of Adults With Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections With Limited or No Treatment Options "As bacteria evolve, industry, government, and clinical experts must work together to ensure that the infectious disease community has the tools to advance public health," said Roopal Thakkar, M.D., executive vice president, research & development, chief scientific officer, AbbVie. "We're proud to offer this important novel treatment option to urgently address the significant threat of antimicrobial resistance." U.S. FDA Approves Expanded Label for Astellas' IZERVAY™ (avacincaptad pegol intravitreal solution) for Geographic Atrophy Since receiving a permanent J-code in April 2024, IZERVAY has had month-over-month growth in the U.S. with more than 210,000 vials distributed through the end of December 2024. Texas Children's Hospital and UT MD Anderson Announce Joint Venture to End Childhood Cancer The partnership forms the nation's largest complement of pediatric subspecialty care and services to children diagnosed with all types of cancer within a single entity, with operations planned to launch in early 2026. For more news like this, check out all of the latest health-related releases from PR Newswire. Trending Topics Among the health news that was distributed in February, the PR Newswire team was able to spot several larger stories that highlight the trends shaping the industry. American Heart Month: February featured extensive focus on cardiovascular health with diverse awareness initiatives across multiple sectors. Prevention took center stage as Venus Williams invested in the WeWard walking app, Planet Fitness promoted strength training accessibility, and Texas advocates rallied for cardiac emergency response plans in schools during Heart Month. Former Miss Ohio Lindsay Davis joined cardiologists to raise awareness for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, while NFL Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis partnered with the CDC Foundation's Live to the Beat campaign to address hypertension's impact on Black adults. HIMSS25: The healthcare technology sector generated significant wire activity surrounding the 2025 HIMSS Global Health Conference in Las Vegas (March 3-6). AI innovation dominated announcements, with companies unveiling solutions ranging from Kontaktio's agentic AI for care orchestration to Amtelco's AI-powered virtual agent Ellie. Industry collaboration also emerged as a key theme, with major EHR providers MedAllies, Epic, Netsmart, and eClinicalWorks announcing a joint demo, while Microsoft partnered with Canary Speech to advance digital health transformation. Rare Disease Day: As Rare Disease Day approached on Feb. 28, PR Newswire distributed numerous announcements highlighting advocacy efforts and research breakthroughs. The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) released a critical report on newborn screening programs and later partnered with Paramount Pictures to amplify awareness. The Rare Disease Diversity Coalition prepared to host its 2nd Annual RISE Awards, while NFL legends joined advocates from 49 states for the 14th annual Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill. Additional mainstream support for the rare disease community came from the New York Stock Exchange with a special pre-market update commemorating Rare Disease Day. Looking ahead: This March, women's health themes will likely dominate coverage surrounding International Women's Day (March 8) and throughout Women's History Month. PR Newswire also anticipates significant activity around National Nutrition Month, with releases spotlighting dietary innovations and wellness campaigns. Do you have a health press release to distribute? Sign up with PR Newswire to share your story with the audiences who matter most. Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists. Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers, and freelancers have access to the following free features: Customization: Users can create customized newsfeeds that will deliver relevant news right to their inbox. Newsfeed results can be targeted by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include in a journalist or blogger's next story. Subject Matter Experts: Journalists will have access to ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in their articles. Related Resources: Our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, features regular media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more. 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New Initiative in Partnership with Africa Centers for Disease Control (Africa CDC) and Local Ministries of Health Builds on Decades of Capacity Building to combat HIV and Pediatric Cancer HOUSTON, Jan. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Children's Global HOPE and Baylor College of Medicine Global Health, with support from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, an independent charitable organization, announced the next front in their joint efforts to dramatically improve children's health in Sub-Saharan Africa with the launch of a groundbreaking program to address one of the most urgent threats facing the region: sickle cell disease (SCD). Continue Reading Partnership staff celebrate the program's launch in sub-Saharan Africa Sickle cell disease is a lifelong, inherited disorder affecting red blood cells and is one of the leading causes of childhood illness and death in sub-Saharan Africa. It is characterized by lifelong anemia, bone-crushing pain episodes that last for days or weeks, disability from brain strokes in childhood, and early childhood death from infections. In 2023, an estimated 7.7 million people were living with SCD, with more than 80% residing in sub-Saharan Africa. The three organizations are initially launching their joint programs in Tanzania and Uganda. In Tanzania, Texas Children's Global HOPE Program and Baylor College of Medicine Global Health, backed by funding from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, will collaborate with Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation – Tanzania, Bugando Medical Centre, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, and the Ministry of Health on the Sickle Cell Access and Lifelong Care Program (SCALE). SCALE is designed to improve the survival and quality of life for children living with sickle cell disease through early screening, infection prevention and accessible treatment. In Uganda, starting in Kayunga, a mostly rural region, a new program led by the Ministry of Health unites Texas Children's Global HOPE, Baylor College of Medicine Global Health and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation with Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation-Uganda, Uganda National Health Laboratory and Diagnostic Services (UNHLDS), Makerere University, Uganda Pediatric Association and Mulago National Referral Hospital to integrate SCD care in primary health services. The initiative, in partnership with the Africa CDC, is part of a phased approach for a broader pan-African program. With a focus on building local healthcare capacity, the program will integrate three essential lifesaving SCD interventions into primary care services: (1) screening all infants for SCD at birth or vaccination visits, (2) administering timely childhood vaccinations and penicillin to prevent fatal infections, and (3) supplying hydroxyurea, a drug that reduces sickling of blood cells to prevent complications of SCD. The program will also train local health workers and supplement medical supplies to help provide sustainable, long-term care. This program marks the next phase of a 25-year partnership between Baylor College of Medicine Global Health, Texas Children's Global Health and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation in the region that has been transformational for children's health. In 1999, these partners launched a response to HIV/AIDS at the height of the epidemic, providing care for more than 396,000 mothers and children across the region. Their efforts helped transform pediatric HIV and AIDS from an acute health crisis to a manageable chronic disease in some countries through improved healthcare system capacity, training tens of thousands of local healthcare workers, and establishing independent foundations that operate in partnership with governments to deliver care. Texas Children's leveraged these partnerships and launched the Global HOPE Program in 2016 to address the unconscionable suffering and mortality of children with cancer, sickle cell disease and other blood diseases in Africa and similar underserved regions around the world. Since 2016, Texas Children's Global HOPE Program has trained 35 pediatric cancer and blood disease specialist doctors and 180 pediatric cancer nurses across east and southern Africa. These teams provide specialist care for about 2,500 children diagnosed with cancer every year at 12 tertiary centers in eight countries. They have treated more than 26,000 children with cancer, SCD and blood disorders to date. The dramatic improvement these African pediatric hematologists are making for children with SCD by providing basic medical interventions at tertiary centers reveals the neglect for the many more children with SCD that never make it to large city hospitals in Africa. These African specialists, in collaboration with Global HOPE, have concluded that a public health strategy for controlling SCD in Africa is urgently needed. "In response to the outcry by the public and Ministries of Health to address sickle cell disease in Africa, together with colleagues and partners in Africa we have resolved to depart from the status quo by integrating interventions into the existing primary health systems to rapidly scale-up, save resources, and lives," said Dr. Joseph Lubega , associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine and director of Texas Children's Global HOPE Program. "This is the beginning of bringing an end to thousands of years of intolerable pain, disability and tragic deaths because of sickle cell disease across Africa. These children and families cannot wait any longer." "Families in Sub-Saharan Africa know the devastating impact of sickle cell disease all too well," said Catharine Grimes, president of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation . "For people living outside of major urban centers, finding care is a significant challenge and sometimes not even possible. Our new initiative will integrate lifesaving early-stage interventions into primary care facilities in non-urban areas. Leveraging the infrastructure and local healthcare capacity we have already built to address previous urgent crises like HIV/AIDS, we are focused on empowering local health workers to provide sustainable, long-term care. The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation is proud to be working in partnership with these local health care professionals to turn the tide against this dire public health threat and deliver a brighter, healthier future for families around the region." About Texas Children's Texas Children's, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children's hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children's has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women's health. The system includes the Texas Children's Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children's care for communities north of Houston and Texas Children's Hospital North Austin, the new state-of-the-art facility providing world-class pediatric and maternal care to Austin families. The organization also created Texas Children's Health Plan, the nation's first HMO focused on children; Texas Children's Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children's Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that is channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit . About Baylor College of Medicine Baylor College of Medicine in Houston is recognized as a health sciences university and is known for excellence in education, research and patient care. Baylor is a top-ranked medical school and listed 20th among all U.S. medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding and No. 1 in Texas. Located in the Texas Medical Center, Baylor has affiliations with seven teaching hospitals and jointly owns and operates Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, part of St. Luke's Health. Currently, Baylor has more than 3,000 trainees in medical, graduate, nurse anesthesia, physician assistant, orthotics and genetic counseling as well as residents and postdoctoral fellows. About the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, an independent charitable organization, works to improve global health by empowering local communities and health systems to create lasting impact in regions of the world that are underserved and heavily burdened. The BMS Foundation embraces innovative approaches that have the potential to reshape healthcare systems by engaging in partnerships that build capacity in the geographies where they work. Through these strategic partnerships, the BMS Foundation can transform how care is delivered and help to ensure improved health now and in the future. For more information, visit bms.com/foundation. MEDIA CONTACTS Texas Children's Hospital Kelley Murfin [email protected] Baylor College of Medicine Molly Chiu [email protected] Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation Michael Dominick [email protected] SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

HOUSTON, Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Children's Hospital is proud to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its pioneering heart transplant program. The Texas Children's Heart Transplant Program is one of the largest pediatric heart transplant programs in the nation. Since 1984, Texas Children's has performed nearly 600 heart transplants in children — a benchmark reached by few other programs in the United States — with successful outcomes among the very best in the nation. Continue Reading "We are incredibly proud to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our heart transplant program at Texas Children's," said Dr. William J. Dreyer, Medical Director, Heart Failure, Cardiomyopathy and Cardiac Transplantation at Texas Children's Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. "Our program has grown so much over the past four decades, and I am deeply grateful for the hard work, expertise and commitment of every single member of our team. It takes the resources of the entire Heart Center and Transplant Center to create a successful heart transplant program like ours — where cutting-edge research and comprehensive care have led to the best outcomes in the nation." Texas Children's Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Pioneering Heart Transplant Program. Post this Texas Children's Heart Center has been ranked No. 1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for eight consecutive years. The multidisciplinary transplant team, integrating more than 40 different subspecialties and services, has transplanted hearts in patients of all ages, from newborns to adults. Texas Children's patient, 15-month-old Laken, received his new heart last month. He was diagnosed in utero with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), and a few months before his first birthday, his family was told that he did not have a chance of survival. After Laken and his family traveled to Texas Children's for a second opinion, our specialized team conducted a detailed evaluation and placed him on the transplant list. "I couldn't be more thankful for the exceptional care Texas Children's has provided for Laken and for our entire family," said Laken's mother, Whitney. "In addition to saving his life by providing his heart transplant, the team has advocated for him, gotten to know him as an individual and consistently had his best interest in mind." Over the last decade, Texas Children's Hospital has performed 935 pediatric organ transplants in total, over 100 more transplants than any other pediatric hospital in the nation. In 2023 alone, Texas Children's Hospital Transplant Services team performed 99 organ transplants, outpacing all other children's hospitals by 14 complex surgeries, as reported by the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OPTN), the country's unique public-private registry for organ matching. That same year, Texas Children's celebrated the milestone of transplanting its 550th heart. "The heart transplant program at Texas Children's Hospital is a wonderful example of the pioneering work in pediatric cardiovascular surgery that Texas Children's Hospital has consistently led for the past 40 years," said Dr. Jeffrey Heinle, Chief of Congenital Heart Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital and Professor and Chief of the Division of Congenital Heart Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. "We are so proud to be able to continue bringing hope to patients with incredibly complex and rare heart conditions." The multidisciplinary team of experts within the Texas Children's Heart Transplant Program includes pediatric cardiologists, heart transplant surgeons, transplant immunologists, transplant infectious disease experts, transplant coordinators, dietitians, child life specialists, social workers, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists and more. As the largest volume pediatric heart transplant program in the country, Texas Children's provides patients from all over the world with access to the latest technologies and cutting-edge treatments. For children who need mechanical circulatory support while waiting for a transplant, Texas Children's offers numerous ventricular assist device (VAD) options and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). "Our heart transplant program is truly exceptional because of our clinical expertise and depth of experience," said Dr. Iki Adachi, Surgical Director, Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Texas Children's Hospital and Associate Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. "As we celebrate 40 years of saving children's lives, we are dedicated to leading in research and providing the very best specialized care to our patients." ABOUT TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL Texas Children's, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children's hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children's has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women's health. The system includes the Texas Children's Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children's care for communities north of Houston and Texas Children's Hospital North Austin, the new state-of-the-art facility providing world-class pediatric and maternal care to Austin families. The organization also created Texas Children's Health Plan, the nation's first HMO focused on children; Texas Children's Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children's Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that is channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit . Media Contact: Kelley Carville 818-720-4040 | [email protected] SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED