Congo Ebola outbreak passes 9,000 cases as FDA expands diagnostic and cancer options

Congo’s Ebola outbreak surpassed 9,000 confirmed cases and 4,300 deaths across seven provinces. FDA approvals expanded Alzheimer’s testing and cancer treatment options, while clinical studies clarified choices in HIV, diabetes and multiple sclerosis care.

Key developments

Ebola spreads across seven provinces

Confirmed Ebola cases in Congo surpassed 9,000, with more than 4,300 deaths, according to government figures. Health authorities are struggling to contain the outbreak across seven provinces.

Transmission across several provinces complicates containment and exposes more communities to infection.

Oct 13 · Medical Xpress

Alzheimer’s blood tests approved

The FDA approved two blood tests to detect Alzheimer’s disease in adults with cognitive symptoms. One is approved for people as young as 40.

Younger adults being evaluated for cognitive symptoms now have an approved blood-based diagnostic option.

Oct 13 · JAMA

Pancreatic cancer treatment approved

The FDA approved a first-in-class treatment for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer gain another treatment option.

Oct 13 · JAMA

Bladder cancer treatment approved

The FDA approved the first treatment for certain patients with BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer.

Eligible patients whose cancer does not respond to BCG gain a treatment option.

Oct 14 · FDA Press

Infusion-set recall updated

BD and its subsidiary CareFusion are removing certain BD Alaris pump infusion sets. The FDA classified the recall as its most serious type, warned of possible serious injury or death, and updated the affected products and recommendations.

The revised recall changes which infusion sets are affected and the safety actions applicable to their use.

Oct 14 · CDRH New - News and Updates | FDA

Long-acting HIV therapy meets trial goal

Long-acting antiretroviral therapy was noninferior to daily treatment in a phase 3b trial involving adults with adherence challenges in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

Long-acting treatment offers an alternative for people who struggle to take daily HIV medication consistently.

Oct 15 · The New England Journal of Medicine

Glucose monitoring benefits non-insulin users

Continuous glucose monitoring produced greater reductions in glycated hemoglobin and a lower risk of hyperglycemia than usual care in adults with type 2 diabetes not treated with insulin in primary care.

The benefits of continuous monitoring extend to a group whose diabetes treatment does not include insulin.

Oct 14 · The New England Journal of Medicine

B-cell drugs reduce MS relapses

People receiving intravenous drugs that lower B-cell levels had a 62% lower relapse rate than those taking pills frequently prescribed for early multiple sclerosis. The study found no difference in disability outcomes.

Better relapse control did not translate into a demonstrated disability advantage in this comparison.

Oct 16 · Medical Xpress

Menopause guidance favors hormone therapy

A leading U.S. doctors’ group strengthened its endorsement of hormone therapy in an expanded guideline, recommending it as a first-choice treatment for hot flashes, night sweats and the sleep problems they cause.

The guidance places hormone therapy among the initial treatment choices for disruptive menopause symptoms.

Oct 16 · Medical Xpress

Psilocybin benefit loses durability

A single dose of psilocybin eased depression within days, but its advantage over placebo faded within a year.

Rapid symptom relief does not establish a lasting advantage for longer-term depression care.

Oct 18 · PsyPost

Also this week

Approvals and safety

• European regulators recommended approval of Revolution Medicines’ Rasonque for pancreatic cancer following FDA approval, moving it toward a final European decision. STAT

• The FDA approved RYZUMVI for presbyopia, and Viatris is seeking a commercial partner. The Clinical Trial Vanguard

• The FDA issued an early alert about a potentially high-risk issue with Edwards Lifesciences delivery systems for SAPIEN M3 transcatheter mitral valve replacement, and Edwards sent affected customers a letter. CDRH New - News and Updates | FDA

• A study found that manufacturers’ bulk summaries of medical-device adverse events often fail to promptly detect potential safety signals, prompting researchers to call for reporting improvements. Medical Xpress

Treatment trials

• An open-label randomized trial in critically ill adults with acute kidney injury failed to establish that intermittent hemodialysis was noninferior to continuous renal-replacement therapy. The New England Journal of Medicine · The New England Journal of Medicine

• An analysis of more than 7,800 patients found drug-coated balloons performed as well as conventional stents at preventing heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths. Medical Xpress

• Once-daily oral icotrokinra produced clinical responses at week 12 more often than placebo at all three tested doses in a phase 2 trial of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. The New England Journal of Medicine

• Mosnodenvir showed protection in a human dengue challenge model, with weekly dosing providing adequate blood levels. The New England Journal of Medicine

• Enhanced CAR T-cell therapy showed early promise in a first-in-human phase I trial led by Ohio State researchers in relapsed or treatment-resistant B-cell blood cancers. Medical Xpress

• Novartis ended a mid-stage Fabhalta trial targeting a serious kidney condition. Reuters

• A UBC Okanagan–led clinical trial found that exercise prescribed according to international spinal cord injury guidelines reduced chronic pain intensity in everyday settings. Medical Xpress

Surgery and recovery

• The largest trial comparing the two main general anesthesia techniques used in the NHS found no difference in recovery after major surgery, supporting continued choice based on patient and clinician preference. Medical Xpress

• Mobile app-based monitoring after surgery was linked to fewer serious complications, emergency room visits and readmissions, with benefits dependent on clinician involvement. Medical Xpress

• A study of more than 2 million adults undergoing surgery linked GLP-1 use to lower rates of major heart-related complications and infections, with findings presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2026. Medical Xpress

• A study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2026 linked cannabis use to higher heart attack risk during and after surgery but lower risk of dangerous venous blood clots. Medical Xpress

Diagnosis and biology

• A study of more than 6,600 patients found females with autoimmune diseases were more likely than males to receive psychiatric or psychosomatic misdiagnoses and experienced longer diagnostic delays. Medical Xpress

• Menopause research identified abrupt changes across multiple body systems before the final menstrual period, with some early signs appearing more than a decade beforehand. Nature (Nature Medicine) · Medical Xpress

• Northwestern Medicine researchers identified a stem-like state in small-cell lung cancer associated with exceptionally poor outcomes after chemoimmunotherapy. Medical Xpress

• An NIH-funded clinical study found that conversational AI enabled two-way communication between patients and epilepsy monitors and improved seizure detection. News Releases · Nature (Nature Medicine)

• An Alzheimer’s genetic study using long-read sequencing from 11 people and short-read data from 3,190 in a Chinese population identified a risk-associated regulatory CCG repeat in FAM193B. Nature (Nature Neuroscience)

• FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase showed the highest sensitivity for ruling out at-risk metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis among the imaging-based approaches compared. Medical Xpress

Population health

• U.S. surveillance data suggest clade IIb mpox is transitioning toward endemic circulation. JAMA

• About 40% of high school students reported binge eating in the past month in a new survey. STAT

Medication and guidance

• A population-based cohort study found comparable rates of major congenital malformations in pregnancies exposed and unexposed to benzodiazepines during the first trimester. Medical Xpress

• A UCL-led study identified the first 90 days after starting antipsychotics as a crucial period for blood-sugar and weight changes. Medical Xpress

• More than 50 experts reached consensus on the first recommendations for recognizing, diagnosing and managing traumatic brain injury in first responders. Medical Xpress

What to watch

• Watch for a final European approval decision on Rasonque for pancreatic cancer following the regulatory recommendation.

• Watch for a commercial partner and availability plans for RYZUMVI following its presbyopia approval.

• Watch for further FDA updates on affected SAPIEN M3 delivery systems and recommended actions; timing for these pending decisions and updates has not been announced.