Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1: Promising Monoclonal Antibody for Lupus Nephritis 

A phase-3 trial evaluated obinutuzumab combined with standard therapy in adults with active lupus nephritis. At 76 weeks, 46.4% of patients receiving the antibody achieved complete renal response, compared to 33.1% with standard treatment alone — supporting its use in this population.

2: Planting Potential: Dopamine Cell Transplant in Parkinson’s Disease

This phase-1 trial assessed the safety of stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s. After bilateral transplantation of dopaminergic progenitor cells into patients’ brains, there were no serious adverse effects or graft overgrowth on MRI. The cells survived and produced dopamine — a promising sign for further trials — and eventual clinical use.

3: Cholecystitis in Adults with Comorbidities - To Operate or Not to Operate?

A cohort study of 32K older adults with multimorbidity and cholecystitis compared surgical and nonoperative care. Cholecystectomy was associated with similar mortality but lower 90-day readmissions, fewer ED revisits, and reduced costs — suggesting it should be strongly considered in this complex population.

Doctors’ Interests on the Ballot 

With just days left before the federal election, you might be wondering which candidates are looking out for physicians’ interests? 

Since the race began last month, party platforms have focused on the cost of living, taxes, and crime. But their healthcare platforms have been bleak. The NDP has promised to hire 35,000 nurses by 2030, but overall, candidates seem more focused on Trump’s tariff policies than Canada’s healthcare crisis. 

Here’s a breakdown of where the major parties stand: 

Long-term care/ Primary Care Reform

• PC: Train more specialists, physicians, and nurses. Speed up the accreditation process for internationally trained healthcare workers.

• Liberal: $52M for Foreign Credential Recognition program to help international healthcare professionals work in Canada.

• NDP: Expedite licensing US doctors and sponsor residencies for international doctors.

Canada Health Act & Health Transfers

• PC: No cuts to existing programs.

• Liberal: Maintain full healthcare coverage, including diabetes medicine and contraceptives.

• NDP: Enforce the CHA to limit privatization and increase CHT by 1% to support access to family doctors.

Pharmacare

• PC: No cuts to current pharmacare programs, but they’ve been fairly non-specific.

• Liberal: Preserve existing drug coverage programs.

• NDP: Strengthen universal healthcare and expand pharmacare, dental care, and mental health support. Full public pharmacare would roll out in four years, starting with pain meds, antibiotics, and antipsychotics — estimated to cost about $3.5 billion. 

But — what about the inclusion rate increase to the capital gains tax?

More than 50% of Canadian doctors are incorporated — a structure that allows us to save for sick days, time off, and retirement. You probably already know that if our ability to save using it is threatened, we risk losing a portion of their retirement savings and could face new taxes on earnings made through their practice. 

• The Liberals and the PC party oppose the proposed increase, arguing it could hurt the economy and employment (Carney cancelled it about a month ago)

• The NDP supports the increase and says it will ensure the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share to the public — and use the extra money to hire more doctors and expand pharmacare. 

Bottom line: We know our own physician issues may be only one small part of the overall decision - hopefully that helps get you closer to a decision by election day (and of course, don’t forget to vote).

Hot Off The Press

1: 🇺🇸 The NIH just rolled out new rules — echoing Trump-era policies — cutting off grant funding to institutions with DEI programs or ties to Israeli boycotts. Effective April 21, recipients must certify they do not promote “discriminatory equity ideology” or limit commercial relations with Israeli companies — or risk cancelled grants and clawbacks. The message is clear: choose your values, or keep your funding — not both.

2: 📚 The CASPer test — a situational judgment exam used by 12 of 17 Canadian med schools — is under investigation after a CBC report found applicants receiving identical scores despite submitting different answers. The findings have reignited concerns about fairness in admissions and the role of unregulated testing tools.

3: Pfizer has dropped its once-daily GLP-1 pill, danuglipron, after a trial participant showed signs of possible liver injury. It’s the second danuglipron formulation to get pulled — and another reminder that oral GLP-1s aren’t a slam dunk, even in a $150B market.

4: 🤖 Humanoid robots are making strides — literally. In Beijing, 21 robots participated in a half-marathon, with varying degrees of success. Meanwhile, tech giants like Apple, Nvidia, Meta, Tesla, and Google are heavily investing in humanoid robotics. China has poured $10 billion into building out mass production and supply chains for core robot components over the past 3 years.

Notable Numbers 🔢

$4,245: what one Ontario patient was asked to pay to keep seeing her family doctor after they moved to a private clinic. With 6.5 million Canadians still without a regular provider, she had one message: “Think about 20 years in the future and vote accordingly.”

4.1 million: how many kids under 5 got measles in 2021 — a spike researchers link to pandemic-era drops in vaccine coverage. A new global analysis shows steady progress from 1990 to 2019, but then a sharp reversal: MCV1 coverage fell in 75 countries, including a 42% drop in Montenegro. Deaths, DALYs, and incidence surged in places like Somalia and Mali.

$1.1 billion: the amount of NIH grant funding revoked under the new DEI and Israel boycott rules, according to a federal lawsuit filed by researchers and the ACLU. The cuts have halted studies on LGBTQ health, vaccine hesitancy, and minority health outcomes.

Picks

😂Laugh: at this meme about atherosclerosis ↓

🤑Save: on a Nespresso Coffee and Espresso machine courtesy of Amazon.

👂Listen: to this episode of the Funny Medicine Podcast discussing the secrets of biohacking.

⚙️Work smarter: AI-powered charting, patient intake & coding with Empathia — 2+ hours back in your day, every day. Start free.*

*this is a sponsored post

Relax

First Question: Bony condition (fractures, genu varum, beadlike costochondral junctions) resulting from vitamin D deficiency

Need a rematch? We’ve got you covered — check out the new Crossword Archive — every puzzle we’ve ever made, all in one place. (Credit to Jacob Hershenhouse, our in-house crossword wizard.)

If you enjoyed the puzzle, challenge your physician friends and see if they can beat your time.

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