Abigail Brooks is an assistant managing editor for 

She joined MJH Life Sciences in August 2023 shortly after graduating from Monmouth University where she earned her BA in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations/Journalism and later an MA in Interactive Digital Media. She enjoys traveling, running, and reading books. She can be reached at abrooks@mjhlifesciences.com.

The US Food and Drug Administration has cleared MiniMed’s MiniMed Flex™, a next-generation discreet, smartphone-controlled insulin pump designed to fit seamlessly into everyday life.

As described in a March 18, 2026, release from the Company, the MiniMed Flex is about half the size of the MiniMed™ 780G pump and roughly the size of 2 stacked insulin vials. It is cleared for individuals ≥ 7 years of age with type 1 diabetes and for individuals ≥ 18 years of age with insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes. MiniMed Flex is the company's first screenless design created in partnership with people living with diabetes to deliver an intuitive, lifestyle‑friendly way to manage the condition.

"MiniMed Flex™ represents an important leap forward for MiniMed," Anders Carlson, MD, Medical Director of the International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet, Director of the HealthPartners Diabetes Program, and an assistant professor in the University of Minnesota Medical School, said in a statement. "For many people living with diabetes, the burden of daily management can be overwhelming. By combining a discreet, screenless form factor with a powerful adaptive algorithm that responds quickly to changes in glucose, MiniMed Flex™ brings meaningful innovation exactly where it's needed—into the flow of everyday life. This level of automation, paired with the freedom of smartphone control, has the potential to improve consistency, confidence, and ultimately clinical outcomes for a broad range of patients with diabetes."

In January 2026, the FDA granted 510(k) clearance to Medtronic’s MiniMed Go Smart Multiple Daily Injection (MDI) app for use by patients with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes aged ≥7 years, as well as for children between 2-6 years under adult supervision.

The new MiniMed Flex™ is powered by MiniMed’s most advanced SmartGuard™ algorithm with Meal Detection™ technology, which has proven clinical performance that exceeds worldwide Time in Range recommendations. At commercial launch, MiniMed Flex™ will support the company's newest sensor portfolio, including Simplera Sync™ sensor and the Instinct sensor, made by Abbott.

Key product features include the small, sleek design with high insulin capacity, delivering a 300-unit insulin reservoir to support a range of insulin needs; the ability to manage the product through a compatible mobile app; sensor compatibility with the Company's newest sensor portfolio, including Simplera Sync™ sensor and the Instinct sensor, made by Abbott; extended infusion set options; and proven AID performance, with real-world results demonstrating 80% Time in Range with recommended settings.

MiniMed additionally announced the MiniMed™ Forward Program, which allows customers who start on the MiniMed™ 780G system to upgrade to the MiniMed Flex™ system at no cost.

"At MiniMed, our Mission is to make every day a better day for people with diabetes," said Que Dallara, chief executive officer of MiniMed. "MiniMed Flex™ embodies that promise. It's designed to work quietly and reliably in the background — advanced automation wrapped in a compact, smartphone‑controlled pump. The result is technology that lets people spend less time managing diabetes and more time living their lives. Securing FDA clearance for our first product as a standalone, public company — just one week after our IPO — marks a major milestone and underscores our commitment to delivering the breakthrough innovation our customers deserve."

MiniMed. MiniMed Announces FDA Clearance of MiniMed Flex™, the Company's Smallest Insulin Pump Featuring Its First Smartphone-Controlled Design. March 18, 2026. Accessed March 16, 2026. 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/minimed-announces-fda-clearance-of-minimed-flex-the-companys-smallest-insulin-pump-featuring-its-first-smartphone-controlled-design-302716864.html

Livingston R. FDA Clears MiniMed Go Smart MDI App for Adults and Children with T1D, T2D. HCPLive. January 12, 2026. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/fda-clears-minimed-go-smart-mdi-app-for-adults-and-children-with-t1d-t2d

Articles

FDA clearance enables commercialization of MiniMed Flex, a compact, screenless, smartphone-controlled insulin pump positioned to reduce daily management burden in diabetes. The device is approximately half the size of the MiniMed 780G and supports a 300‑unit reservoir. Indications include type 1 diabetes in patients aged ≥7 years and insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes in adults. Flex runs the latest SmartGuard algorithm with Meal Detection and is slated to pair with Simplera Sync and Abbott-made Instinct sensors, with reported real-world performance near 80% time-in-range.

The MiniMed Flex is a discreet, smartphone-controlled insulin pump that is roughly the size of 2 stacked insulin vials.

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Type 2 Diabetes

FDA News

FDA Clears MiniMed Flex, A Smaller and Smartphone-Controlled Insulin Pump

Viet Le, DMSc, PA-C, is a preventive cardiology PA at Intermountain Health and the former president of the Academy of Physician Associates in Cardiology.

ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guidelines Refocus Hypertriglyceridemia Treatment, With Viet Le, DMSc, PA-C

On March 13, 2026, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) released an updated clinical guideline for the management of 

, replacing the 2018 Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol.

Another core focus of the new guidelines is hypertriglyceridemia. In the updated document, patients with a triglyceride measurement of 150-999 mg/dL with 

atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD)

 and LDL-C or non-HDL-C above goal on max statins should receive intensified LDL-C lowering therapy first. Additionally, olezarsen, a new apoC3 inhibitor, has received the guidelines’ recommendation for patients with familial chylomicronemia syndrome with triglycerides ≥1000 mg/dL as an adjunct to diet.

“Hypertriglyceridemia gets a strong voice with the guidelines here, and it’s important to recognize that statins are still foundational,” Viet Le, DMSc, PA-C, associate professor of research and preventive cardiology PA at Intermountain Health and ACC editor in chief, told 

 in an exclusive interview. “When we talk about ASCVD risk, there’s still a dichotomy when we think about hypertriglyceridemia as either a risk for cardiovascular disease or as a pancreatitis risk.”

Le also breaks down the 5 most important takeaways from the guidelines, emphasizing the cornerstones of dyslipidemia management and care moving forward. These takeaways include the following:

Switch from the Pooled Cohort Equations to the AHA’s PREVENT calculator to predict ASCVD risk in patients with dyslipidemia

Monitor LDL-C and non-HDL-C targets, with >100 and >55, respectively, as key goals to shoot for in managing dyslipidemia

Monitor lipoprotein(a) in all patients, as it is a universal cascade predictor of ASCVD in patients with dyslipidemia and their relatives

Continue to monitor coronary artery calcium (CAC), a major predictor of ASCVD risk

Use the CPR model – Calculate 10-year ASCVD risk, Personalize the estimated risk by considering factors not included in the PREVENT equations, and Reclassify with selective use of CAC

Additionally, Le also addresses dietary supplements, a substantial player in modern lipid management despite not possessing clinical evidence of their efficacy. Supplements are widely used for their ostensible lipid-lowering effects, and Le recommends accepting this while encouraging patients to rely on medically proven therapies first and foremost.

“Folks should know that dietary supplements are not recommended for lipid lowering,” Le said. “Please recognize that we need to go to those things that have clinical evidence. Don’t frown on patients who want to use dietary supplements, but it has to be made clear that in the guidelines, we don’t have evidence that dietary supplements help in lowering LDL-C.”

Editors’ Note: Le reports disclosures with Janssen, Pfizer, Novartis, Idorsia, Amarin, and Lexicon.

Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M, et al. 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APHA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline on the management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. Published online March 13, 2026. 

Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APHA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline on the management of blood cholesterol: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2019;139(25). 

Videos

Le discusses the AHA/ACC clinical guidelines for the management of dyslipidemia, highlighting the shifting attitude towards hypertriglyceridemia treatment.

Cardiology

Cardiology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for heart disease and cardiovascular events, as well as associated diabetes, renal failure, and more...

Dyslipidemia

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Strategic Alliance Partnership

Natasha Mesinkovska, MD, PhD, is a dermatologist and researcher at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine Department of Dermatology.

Networking, Niches, and Why Authenticity Is Your Biggest Career Asset in Dermatology

, the conversation opened with both physicians sharing the speakers they most admire and actively try to emulate. Host Mona Shahriari, MD, named Linda Stein Gold as a formative influence, praising her ability to translate complex material through analogy and metaphor in a way that made audiences not just understand a topic, but feel it emotionally.

Guest Natasha Mesinkovska, MD, PhD, pointed to Ted Rosen as her model, drawn to his stripped-down presentation style, big letters, two words on a slide, a photograph, humor and a relaxed presence that made him feel like someone you just happened to know. She also credited Dirk Elston with teaching her the value of the pause, an acknowledgment that she naturally tends to run through material quickly. The throughline for Mesinkovska was clear: the speakers she gravitates toward are those who lead with images and simplicity, and that is the presenter she is working to become.

From there, Shahriari raised a more pointed question: whether women are judged differently on stage. Mesinkovska answered directly and without hesitation. She acknowledged that audiences scrutinize what women wear, down to their jewelry and shoes, in ways that simply do not apply to their male counterparts.

Rather than treating that reality as a liability, she reframed it as an opportunity. Women on stage, she argued, hold a particular kind of power and should lean into whatever makes them feel confident and authentic, whether that means a red dress, heels, or a sweatshirt. The message was simple: own it. Shahriari echoed the sentiment, noting that her own heels are a source of personal confidence she has never felt the need to apologize for.

The discussion then turned to authenticity and the pressures of personal branding in an era of social media and influencer culture. Mesinkovska was candid about the professional trade-offs that come with her commitment to honesty, acknowledging that her directness is not always considered industry-friendly. She has made peace with that, viewing the credibility she has built through institutional rigor and independent research as its own form of currency. She also admitted she is not well-suited to social media, finding the environment too harsh for someone who describes herself as sensitive.

Closing out the episode, Mesinkovska offered practical advice for women hoping to build a national presence. Her playbook started with human connection: find the people you admire and simply introduce yourself. From there, she stressed the importance of identifying genuine areas of interest rather than chasing prestige, finding a niche that excites you personally, and growing within it through research, collaboration, and willingness to change direction when your passions evolve. Her parting thought was characteristically direct: carve your own path, then carve a whole lot more of them.

Editor’s note: This episode was produced with the help of AI tools.

This discussion reflects on great speakers, the unique pressures women face on the podium, and what it takes to build a national platform in academic medicine.

Dermatology

The HCPLive dermatology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on skin disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for dermatologic conditions, and more.

Andrea Kossler, MD, describes her multidisciplinary co-management model with ophthalmologists and outlines a forward-looking vision for earlier diagnosis, precision medicine, and optimized surgical integration in thyroid eye disease.

Combination Strategies, Multidisciplinary Care, and the Future of TED Management

Optimal care for thyroid eye disease increasingly depends on close collaboration between endocrinologists and ophthalmic specialists. In this final segment, Andrea Kossler, MD, explains how she structures multidisciplinary care in her practice. Patients are often referred by community providers with an interest in TED; she conducts a thorough systemic workup, ensuring that thyroid status is stable and that secondary contributing factors such as diabetes or other autoimmune conditions are addressed. Imaging is obtained selectively, as TED remains primarily a clinical diagnosis.

Andrea Kossler, MD, underscores the value of parallel follow-up with both an endocrinologist and an ophthalmologist or oculoplastic surgeon. While she focuses on systemic disease control, metabolic risk factors, and access to biologic therapy, her ophthalmology colleagues monitor proptosis, optic nerve health, and other anatomic and functional parameters. This bidirectional communication helps determine whether and when patients may benefit from surgical interventions, including orbital decompression, strabismus surgery, or eyelid procedures.

Looking 3 to 5 years ahead, Dr Kossler anticipates a TED care model characterized by earlier recognition, risk-based screening, targeted induction therapy, and more selective use of surgery. She notes that patients currently may see multiple providers over 2 to 4 years before reaching a clinician equipped to manage TED comprehensively. Expanded education for both clinicians and patients, combined with greater access to biologic agents and potential combination strategies, could shorten this journey. Although she expects that oculoplastic surgeons will remain essential given the heterogeneity of disease, she envisions operating on patients earlier in the disease course and under more favorable tissue conditions, ultimately preserving vision and quality of life for a larger proportion of patients.

Andrea Kossler, MD, outlines a multidisciplinary framework in which endocrinologists and ophthalmologists share responsibility for thyroid eye disease. Her role includes confirming the diagnosis, stabilizing thyroid function, evaluating for diabetes and other autoimmune conditions, and assessing candidacy for systemic therapies such as teprotumumab. Ophthalmology partners, particularly oculoplastic surgeons, provide detailed assessments of proptosis, eyelid position, extraocular motility, and optic nerve status, ensuring that local complications are identified and managed promptly.

Communication between disciplines is central to her model. Serial evaluations on both the endocrine and ophthalmic sides inform decisions about when to escalate medical therapy or to proceed with surgical interventions. Andrea Kossler, MD, notes that late referral remains common, with many patients navigating multiple providers over years before accessing comprehensive TED care. She advocates education and streamlined referral pathways to reduce these delays and align treatment with periods of maximal potential for disease modification.

Projecting into the near future, Dr Kossler anticipates that optimal TED care will integrate early, risk-based screening; targeted biologic induction; combination or sequential immunologic strategies; and judicious surgical intervention. She suggests that greater understanding of disease heterogeneity, supported by evolving biomarkers and imaging tools, will enable a precision medicine approach in which therapy is tailored to individual inflammatory profiles, structural changes, and relapse risks. In this envisioned paradigm, earlier and more coordinated intervention could reduce irreversible disfigurement, minimize vision loss, and improve long-term quality of life for patients with TED.

Video Series

Andrea Kossler, MD, explores the management of thyroid eye disease in special populations, emerging IGF‑1R agents and alternative targets such as interleukin 6 (IL‑6) and FcRn, and the potential role of serologic biomarkers in predicting response and relapse.

Special Populations, Emerging Targets, and Biomarkers

Managing thyroid eye disease in special populations requires careful attention to both disease activity and treatment-related risks. In this segment, Andrea Kossler, MD, discusses the complexity of caring for pregnant patients, individuals with diabetes, and those with coexistent neuropathies or autoimmune conditions. She notes that pregnancy represents a state of immunologic fluctuation in which Graves disease and TED may flare during or after gestation. Teratogenic and safety considerations preclude the use of teprotumumab in pregnancy, and patients who receive this biologic therapy must avoid conception for a prolonged period after treatment.

For patients with diabetes mellitus, Andrea Kossler, MD, stresses strict glycemic control before and during therapy, given the potential for corticosteroids and IGF‑1R inhibitors to exacerbate hyperglycemia. She also highlights the need for baseline and ongoing assessment of comorbid conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, hearing impairment, and other autoimmune disorders, which may influence the safety profile of newer agents. Close collaboration with ophthalmology is particularly important when coexistent optic neuropathy or myopathy is suspected.

The discussion then turns to emerging therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Dr Kossler describes a pipeline that includes additional IGF‑1R–directed agents and drugs targeting IL‑6 or the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). She suggests that combination or sequential approaches may ultimately be necessary to fully address the heterogeneity of TED, where some patients experience durable remission after a single biologic course while others manifest persistent or relapsing disease. She also anticipates a growing role for serologic markers, such as thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAb), thyroid‑stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI), and potentially IGF‑1R‑related antibodies, to help stratify relapse risk and guide duration of therapy.

In special populations, Andrea Kossler, MD, emphasizes the need to align thyroid eye disease therapy with broader systemic considerations. Pregnancy is associated with dynamic changes in immune function that can precipitate flares of Graves disease and TED in the antepartum or postpartum periods. Dr Kossler notes that teprotumumab is contraindicated during pregnancy and requires an extended washout period before conception, necessitating alternative strategies and careful preconception counseling. For patients with diabetes mellitus, she prioritizes aggressive glycemic control, recognizing that both systemic corticosteroids and IGF‑1R–targeted therapy can significantly worsen hyperglycemia.

Dr Kossler also highlights the importance of screening for coexisting conditions—such as inflammatory bowel disease, preexisting hearing deficits, and other autoimmune disorders—prior to initiating biologic therapy. These comorbidities may influence both drug selection and monitoring strategies. In patients with coexistent optic neuropathy or restrictive myopathy, she advocates particularly close coordination with ophthalmology and oculoplastic surgery to balance medical therapy and potential surgical interventions.

Regarding emerging therapies, Andrea Kossler, MD, describes an expanding field that includes next-generation IGF‑1R antibodies, IL‑6 inhibitors, and FcRn blockers. She envisions scenarios in which combinations of anti-inflammatory agents and disease-modifying biologics are used sequentially or concurrently, tailored to individual phenotypes (eg, inflammation-predominant vs proptosis-predominant disease). In parallel, she foresees increased reliance on biomarkers such as TRAb, TSI, and potentially IGF‑1R–specific assays, drawing analogies to how serologic profiles are already used in Graves disease to inform timing of antithyroid drug withdrawal. These tools may ultimately enable more precise prediction of treatment response and relapse risk in TED.

Le discusses the AHA/ACC clinical guidelines for the management of dyslipidemia, highlighting the return of LDL-C target goals for ASCVD prevention.

AHA/ACC Dyslipidemia Guidelines Reinstate LDL-C Goals, With Viet Le, DMSc, PA-C

Désirée Larenas-Linnemann, MD, from Hospital Médica Sur

High costs, limited insurance coverage, and adherence challenges remain key barriers to broader SLIT use in the US, Larenas-Linnemann says in an interview at AAAAI 2026.

Conference

 conference coverage page features articles, videos, and expert-led live coverage from major medical meetings throughout the year.

Allergy

Allergy condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on allergic and inflammatory diseases. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for food and seasonal allergies, as well as allergic asthma and related conditions.

Barriers to Using SLIT, With Désirée Larenas-Linnemann, MD

Alex Hillenbrand is an assistant editor for 

. She earned her BA in English from Lafayette College in 2023 and went on to write for pop culture, entertainment, and sports media outlets before joining MJH Life Sciences in 2025. In her free time, Alex enjoys cooking, going on walks, and meeting new people. Contact her at mjhlifesciences.com.

KDIGO Launches Focused Update to 2024 CKD Guideline on Emerging Therapies


Chronic Kidney Disease

Nephrology

The HCPLive nephrology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on kidney disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments in nephrology, and more.

KDIGO Launches Focused Update to 2024 CKD Guideline on Emerging Therapies

Allocating lower but acceptable quality kidneys to high-risk patients could introduce equity. 

Expanding Use of Lower-Quality Kidneys Could Boost Transplants, Improve Equity, With Matthew Kaufmann, PhD

This segment of the latest episode of The Medical Sisterhood highlights insights into the career of Natasha Mesinkovska, MD, PhD.

Resilience, Rejection, and Recognition in Academic Dermatology

Nicole Ramsey, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics in the division of pediatric allergy and immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

At AAAAI 2026, Ramsey discussed the shift toward race-neutral spirometry equations, their clinical implications, and barriers to widespread adoption.

Pulmonology

Infectious Disease condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on respiratory health. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, COVID-19, and more.

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COPD condition center page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on COPD research, treatment, and drug development.

Lung Cancer

Race-Neutral Spirometry Gains Support as Standard Practice, With Nicole Ramsey, MD, PhD

Ryan Livingston joined the MJH Life Sciences team in March of 2025, shortly after graduating from TCNJ with a bachelor’s degree in English. He enjoys creative writing, reading, and scuba diving. He can be reached at rlivingston@mjhlifesciences.com.

The FDA has issued its third CRL to topical ocular reproxalap for the treatment of signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.

Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into ophthalmic disease can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on eye disease research, treatment, and drug development.

FDA Issues Third Reproxalap CRL for Dry Eye Disease

Martinez and Harper outline practical workflows for initiating and titrating cardiac myosin inhibitors, emphasizing multidisciplinary team structure, telemedicine, and logistics around REMS and imaging.

Implementing Cardiac Myosin Inhibitors in oHCM: Workflow and Team-Based Care

Martinez and Harper describe a hub-and-spoke model for HCM care, follow-up cadence, and a structured “4-pillar” framework for longitudinal management, including imaging, biomarkers, and family-based risk strategies.



Comprehensive oHCM Follow-up: Hub-and-Spoke Care and 4-Pillar Framework

Martinez and Harper review real-world REMS data on cardiac myosin inhibitors, refine approaches to safety monitoring, and question how frequently echocardiography is truly needed in stable oHCM patients.

Latest News

FDA Clears MiniMed Flex, A Smaller and Smartphone-Controlled Insulin Pump

ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guidelines Refocus Hypertriglyceridemia Treatment, With Viet Le, DMSc, PA-C

Networking, Niches, and Why Authenticity Is Your Biggest Career Asset in Dermatology

Combination Strategies, Multidisciplinary Care, and the Future of TED Management

Special Populations, Emerging Targets, and Biomarkers