Researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine filed for protection of the development of a lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) visual prosthetic device with implantable electrode arrays that stimulate the LGN and restore vision.

Histoindex Pte Ltd. launched its laboratory-developed test for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), Fibrosight, in the U.S. as the company’s first in a suite of next-generation digital pathology solutions.

Several American states are forging into a legislative vacuum where regulation of AI is concerned as Congress continues to delay action. Adoption of AI regulations on a state level increases the risk of a fragmented regulatory landscape, as already exists in U.S. privacy law, further complicating the path forward for med-tech companies deploying AI algorithms.

Sanofi SA is getting deeper into oncology and immunology therapy development through buying Dren Bio Inc.’s myeloid cell engager for deep B-cell depletion, DR-0201. The deal could reach as high as $1.9 billion for privately held Dren. Sanofi is paying a hefty $600 million up front, and milestone payments to come could add up to $1.3 billion.

Researchers from The Ohio State University have filed for protection of Neurothread, a wire-type neurotransmitter-sensing platform that utilizes the cross-section of commercially available ultrathin microwires as microelectrodes.

The final U.S. Medicare national coverage determination for transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) devices comes with an expected coverage with evidence development mandate, but some analysts expect that TTVR devices will face competition from tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) devices, the subject of an impending national coverage analysis.

The unrelenting pressure on medical practice in the U.S. has sparked some innovations, but a legislative innovation is now in the works that would fundamentally shift how at least some drugs are prescribed. The Healthy Technology Act of 2025 (H.R. 238) would allow AI and machine learning algorithms to write prescriptions for pharmaceuticals, although the lack of co-sponsors for H.R. 238 suggests that this bill is not ready for prime time just yet.

The politicization of the U.S. FTC continued March 18 with President Donald Trump firing the two remaining Democratic commissioners, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya. The action leaves what’s supposed to be a five-member bipartisan panel with just two members, both of whom are Republicans. The commission already was down one member, as former Chair Lina Khan’s term expired last year and Trump’s appointee, Mark Meador, is awaiting Senate confirmation with a vote expected yet this month.