Medlines

Healthcare is changing at breakneck speed, and let’s face it, staying informed is getting harder by the day. If only there were a way to get the industry news you need in less time than it takes to get prior auth approved. (Spoiler: There is.)

Every Friday, start your day with Dr. Will Flanary (aka Dr. Glaucomflecken), Dr. Alok Patel, Dr. Jen Lincoln, Adam Rose, and Eva Johnson as they bring you the week’s most important headlines across clinical care, health policy, groundbreaking publications, medical pop culture, and more. Presented with clear, unbiased, fact-first reporting made strictly for healthcare professionals, by healthcare professionals.

Prepare to wow your colleagues with how informed you are, all without risking another evening doom-scrolling through 5% actual news and 95% videos of, well, if you know you know.

Medicine moves fast… So do we!

Learn More: www.medlinespod.com

Medlines is A Human Content Production

Latest Episodes:

Schizophrenia Gets an App and Your Dog Is Losing Sleep Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Friday, October 16, 2026

In today's episode, Dr. Alok Patel (@alokpatelmd) & Eva Johnson cover the FDA clearance of Motivista as the first prescription app for negative symptoms of schizophrenia. They break down the 16 week CONVOKE trial and what a 2.6 point edge over a control app means for stable patients on antipsychotics. They also review new ACP guidance placing menopausal hormone therapy first for hot flashes and night sweats, with second and third line options. Plus: they discuss early feasibility data on a medical AI chatbot for pre visit histories, new federal recommendations on concentrated kratom products, and more.

Coverage Timeline:

(00:00) Intro

(01:08) Schizophrenia App Cleared

(03:50) Hot Flashes Guidance

(04:47) Dogs & Sleep Study

(06:51) AI In Urgent Care

(08:37) Awards & Dahlias

Have a story, think we missed something, want to say hi, or curious to learn about the Medlines team? Visit www.medlinespod.com or email medlines@human-content.com.

Sources & Media Attributions for Today's Episode Available At: www.medlinespod.com/sources

Medlines is a Human Content Production

GLP-1 Shakeups and Airline Emergency Kit Upgrades Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

Friday, October 9, 2026

In today's episode, Dr. Will Flanary (@drglaucomflecken) & Adam Rose (@adjoro) cover Phase 3 results for retatrutide with up to 28.3% average weight loss at 80 weeks. They explain dosing, tolerability and what remains unproven for heart and kidney outcomes and how retatrutide compares with current GLP-1 options. They also break down a federal proposal to modernize airline emergency kits around nine life threatening categories with airline level discretion. Plus: they discuss a growing pediatric heart valve, the return of Doc, Best Medicine, Chicago Med and Grey’s Anatomy, and more.

Coverage Timeline:

(00:00) Intro (00:50) Retatrutide Weight Loss Trial (03:27) FAA Airline Medical Kits (06:56) Growing Heart Valve (07:26) Fasting Before Blood Work (08:18) Medical Drama Premieres

Have a story, think we missed something, want to say hi, or curious to learn about the Medlines team? Visit https://www.medlinespod.com or email medlines@human-content.com.

Sources & Media Attributions for Today's Episode Available At:

https://www.medlinespod.com/sources

Medlines is a Human Content Production

The Future of Cancer Screening and... Horse Therapy? Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

Friday, October 2, 2026

In today's episode, Dr. Jennifer Lincoln (@drjenniferlincoln) joins Medlines as a new anchor! She and Eva Johnson cover an FDA advisory panel vote on an early cancer detection blood test for adults 50 and older. The panel called the test safe, then split on whether it works. The agency still has to rule. They also walk through a UCSF comparison of myomectomy and radiofrequency ablation for uterine fibroids. Both treatments improved symptoms over two years, and neither difference reached the study threshold for a clinically important advantage. Plus: new findings on animal therapy, and more.

Coverage Timeline:

(00:00) Intro (02:01) FDA Backs Multi-Cancer Blood Test (05:08) Uterine Fibroids: Surgery vs. Heat Therapy (07:47) Gambling ER Visits Surge (09:01) Miniature Horses Lift Teen Mood

Have a story, think we missed something, want to say hi, or curious to learn about the Medlines team? Visit www.medlinespod.com or email medlines@human-content.com.

Sources & Media Attributions for Today's Episode Available At:

www.medlinespod.com/sources

Medlines is a Human Content Production

Life with AI Scribes and Elizabeth Holmes Explained Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Friday, September 25, 2026

In today's episode, Dr. Will Flanary (@drglaucomflecken) & Adam Rose (@Adjoro) cover new research on colonoscopy surveillance after high risk adenomas. A large randomized trial found that waiting five years instead of three led to nearly identical colorectal cancer rates. They explain what the interim results mean for screening guidance and what remains unanswered. Then they turn to a Washington court ruling on whether raw audio from an AI scribe counts as part of the medical record. Plus: they discuss Nathan Fielder’s documentary on Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, prenatal diet and food allergy risk, and more.

Coverage Timeline:

(0:00) Intro (0:54) Colonoscopy Intervals (3:55) AI Scribe Ruling (7:25) Theranos Doc (9:07) Conjoined Twins

Have a story, think we missed something, want to say hi, or curious to learn about the Medlines team? Visit www.medlinespod.com or email medlines@human-content.com.

Sources & Media Attributions for Today's Episode Available At: www.medlinespod.com/sources

Medlines is a Human Content Production

The Pitt's Big Night and Modernizing Migraine Relief Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Friday, September 18, 2026

In today's episode, Dr. Alok Patel (@AlokPatelMD) & Eva Johnson cover new migraine prevention guidelines that put CGRP targeted therapies up front as first line options without requiring older drugs first. They explain who qualifies at four or more headache days per month, how to assess response after 8 to 12 weeks, and safety notes for pregnancy. They also break down The Pitt's second Emmy run, with 25 nominations and back to back wins for Noah Wyle and Outstanding Drama. Plus: rising rabies exposures, an MRSA outbreak tied to bouncy castles, and more.

Coverage Timeline:

(00:00) Intro (01:08) New Migraine Guidelines (04:15) The Pitt Sweeps Emmys (08:22) Rabies on the Rise (09:22) MRSA from Bouncy Castles

Have a story, think we missed something, want to say hi, or curious to learn about the Medlines team? Visit www.medlinespod.com or email medlines@human-content.com.

Sources & Media Attributions for Today's Episode Available At: www.medlinespod.com/sources

Medlines is a Human Content Production

Pig Kidney Transplants and ER Violence Concerns Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Friday, September 11, 2026

In today's episode, Dr. Alok Patel (@AlokPatelMD) & Adam Rose (@Adjoro) cover a record pig kidney bridge that kept a New Hampshire man off dialysis for 271 days with no sign of rejection and without blocking his next human transplant. They break down the 69 edits behind the eGenesis organ and why The Lancet case matters for over 100,000 Americans waiting for a kidney. They also dig into new UK and US surveys showing most emergency staff face violence and what leaders say must change. Plus: a sharp rise in GLP-1 prescriptions for young children, fake weight loss drugs tied to liver injury, and more.

Coverage Timeline:

(00:00) Intro (01:03) The Pig Kidney Record (03:59) Violence in the Hospital (08:57) Brain Aneurysm Detection Rates (09:26) Teen Illicit Drug Use Trends

Have a story, think we missed something, want to say hi, or curious to learn about the Medlines team? Visit www.medlinespod.com or email medlines@human-content.com.

Sources & Media Attributions for Today's Episode Available At: www.medlinespod.com/sources

Medlines is a Human Content Production

Robots Can Draw Your Blood and Rethinking Statins After 70 Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

Friday, September 4, 2026

In today's episode, Dr. Will Flanary (@drglaucomflecken) & Eva Johnson cover the FDA authorization of Aletta, the first standalone robot that draws blood without hands on operator intervention. The Vitestro system uses near infrared light and Doppler ultrasound to find veins, and one phlebotomist can supervise three units at a 94.5 percent first stick rate. They also break down a trial of atorvastatin in nearly 10,000 healthy adults over 70, where a 30 percent relative reduction in cardiovascular events came with no significant gain in disability free survival. Plus: new FDA decisions on skin and tobacco products, teen safety updates from Meta, and more.

Coverage Timeline:

(00:00) Intro

(01:00) Aletta: Autonomous Blood Draw Robot

(04:23) Statins for Healthy Older Adults

(07:19) Lysria for Dermatomyositis

(09:16) Ebola Vaccination & Slow Running

Have a story, think we missed something, want to say hi, or curious to learn about the Medlines team? Visit www.medlinespod.com or email medlines@human-content.com.

Sources & Media Attributions for Today's Episode Available At: www.medlinespod.com/sources

Medlines is a Human Content Production

Prior Auth Gets Adrenalized and Dangerous Trials in China Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Friday, August 28, 2026

In today's episode, Alok Patel (@AlokPatelMD) & Adam Rose (@Adjoro) cover Epic bringing prior authorization checks directly into the EHR.

New federal rules will require Medicare Advantage Medicaid and ACA marketplace insurers to support electronic prior authorization APIs by January 1. Epic's Coverage Requirements Discovery shows coverage requirements and documentation needs inside the chart without payer portals or phone calls. They also break down undisclosed deaths in Chinese gene editing trials involving high dose AAV9 vectors and what the delays reveal about safety oversight.

Plus: they discuss the Oura sleep tracking lawsuit and new real world psilocybin data from Oregon and more.

Coverage Timeline:

(00:00) Intro

(01:03) Electronic Prior Auth

(03:41) Gene Editing Deaths

(06:41) Measles Outbreak

(07:23) MyChart Phishing Scam

(08:05) Mediterranean Diet

(08:47) Legal Psilocybin

Have a story, think we missed something, want to say hi, or curious to learn about the Medlines team? Visit www.medlinespod.com or email medlines@human-content.com.

Sources & Media Attributions for Today's Episode Available At: www.medlinespod.com/sources

Medlines is a Human Content Production

Milestone Prescription Price Drops and the CTE Diagnostic Puzzle Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

Friday, August 21, 2026

In today's episode, Dr. Will Flanary (@drglaucomflecken) & Eva Johnson cover a historic drop in prescription drug prices. Prices fell 3.1% over the past year, the steepest annual decline since 1963, and the anchors unpack what is actually driving it from generics to GLP-1 competition to the Inflation Reduction Act. They also break down why the national index does not always match what patients pay at the pharmacy counter. Plus: a split between two studies on whether CTE can be diagnosed in living patients, and more.

Coverage Timeline:

(00:00) Intro

(01:04) Drug Prices Drop

(04:25) Diagnosing CTE in Living Patients

(08:18) Waist Size vs BMI

(09:26) C. Diff Treatment Updates

Have a story, think we missed something, want to say hi, or curious to learn about the Medlines team? Visit https://www.medlinespod.com or email medlines@human-content.com.

Sources & Media Attributions for Today's Episode Available At: www.medlinespod.com/sources

Medlines is a Human Content Production

FDA Approves mRNA Flu Shot and AI Learns to Build Viruses Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Friday, August 14, 2026

In today's episode, Adam Rose (@adjoro) & Dr. Alok Patel (@alokpatelmd) cover the FDA's landmark approval of Moderna's first mRNA flu vaccine for adults. They break down the phase-three trial showing the mRNA shot produced fewer confirmed influenza cases than standard vaccines, and what a complicated insurance landscape means for access this flu season. Plus: researchers at the Arc Institute fed millions of viral DNA sequences to a language model. It wrote new genomes that had never existed in nature, and sixteen of them came to life in the lab. Then, they look at a new narcolepsy drug targeting the underlying orexin deficiency, a Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeños spreading through 27 states, and over 2,400 measles cases putting U.S. elimination status in jeopardy.

Coverage Timeline:

(0:00) Intro

(1:01) First mRNA Flu Vaccine Approved

(4:52) AI Designs Functional Viruses

(8:54) Salmonella Jalapeño Outbreak

(9:44) Measles Resurgence

(10:04) Women's Pro Baseball

Have a story, think we missed something, want to say hi, or curious to learn about the Medlines team? Visit www.medlinespod.com or email medlines@human-content.com.

Sources & Media Attributions for Today's Episode Available At: www.medlinespod.com/sources

Medlines is a Human Content Production

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