NYC Health News

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NY Secures $400M Sandoz Generic Drug Settlement

New York has joined a $400 million settlement with Sandoz Inc. and Fougera Pharmaceuticals stemming from multistate litigation over generic drug pricing. Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 47 other attorneys general alleged that pharmaceutical companies coordinated the supply and sale of generic drugs to inflate prices and reduce competition. Sandoz will pay approximately $320.6 million plus interest over seven years, bringing the total to $400 million, with funds designated for impacted consumers across participating states and territories. New Yorkers who purchased certain generic prescription drugs between May 2009 and December 2019 may qualify for compensation. The broader litigation against other generic drug manufacturers remains ongoing.

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NYU Launches NYC Center to Study Microplastics and Health

NYU has launched a new research center bringing engineers and medical researchers together to study the health and environmental effects of plastics and develop safer materials. The NYC Center for Healthier Plastic Solutions is a joint initiative of NYU Tandon School of Engineering and NYU Grossman School of Medicine and is described by NYU as the first U.S. research center dedicated to addressing the full range of health and environmental threats posed by plastics. Researchers will develop and test hundreds of new plastic formulations, including non-petroleum materials, while using artificial intelligence to analyze results and identify promising alternatives. The initiative is supported by more than a dozen active NYU Grossman research projects and nearly $20 million in funding underway in 2026.

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900,000 NYC Medicaid Enrollees Could Risk Coverage

The New York City Health Department is expanding outreach to help Medicaid recipients prepare for new federal requirements taking effect in 2027. Of nearly 3.6 million Medicaid enrollees in the city, the department estimates that up to 900,000 could be at risk of coverage termination under the new requirements. Certain adults ages 19 to 64 will be required to document at least 80 hours per month of work, school, job training or community service, meet an income threshold, or qualify for an exemption. The requirements begin January 1 for new applicants and apply to existing Medicaid recipients beginning with March 2027 renewals. NYC Health has launched resources to help New Yorkers understand the changes and maintain coverage.

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Bronx Recreation Center Reopens After $20.7M Upgrade

St. Mary’s Recreation Center in the Bronx has reopened following a $20.7 million renovation that upgraded the historic facility and expanded accessibility. Improvements include a reconstructed façade, entrance and lobby, a new elevator, widened doorways, updated mechanical and electrical systems and repairs to the center’s indoor swimming pool. The facility also received new fitness equipment, upgraded flooring and improved lighting. The city says 33 new staff positions have been funded to support programming, operations and maintenance at the center. St. Mary’s has served the South Bronx for generations and includes the only indoor public swimming pool operated by NYC Parks in the borough.

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NYU Langone Uses AI to Improve Radiology Training

NYU Langone Health researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-based approach designed to identify gaps in radiology residents' clinical training and provide personalized teaching cases. The system tracked the types of conditions residents encountered during their regular clinical work and identified important pathologies they had seen less frequently. Researchers then used ChatGPT-4o to help select three to five supplemental cases for each resident, which appeared alongside their regular clinical work and were reviewed with supervising physicians. The study found that the AI could identify exposure gaps and recommend needed case pathologies with more than 90% accuracy. Researchers say the approach could eventually be expanded to additional radiology specialties.

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NYC-Based AFSP Awards $9.47M for Suicide Research

The New York City-based American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is awarding $9.47 million through 29 new research grants examining ways to prevent suicide and improve treatment for people at risk. The projects address subjects including suicidal behavior among adolescents, rapid responses to suicide clusters, prevention strategies for Indigenous youth and treatment approaches combining ketamine with cognitive behavioral therapy. Other research will examine suicide risk among women who have experienced interpersonal violence and the relationship between cannabis use, cognitive processing and suicide risk in young adults. AFSP says the latest awards bring its total investment in research above $100 million and approximately 900 funded grants since the organization was founded in 1987.

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New Bronx Mental Health Clubhouse Opens in Fordham

A newly constructed clubhouse has opened in the Bronx to provide free community support for New Yorkers living with serious mental illness. Venture House Bronx in Fordham Heights includes a commercial kitchen, dining area, wellness center and art and media studios, with programs designed to help members build relationships, pursue employment and education and participate in community activities. The facility is part of New York City's expanded clubhouse network for adults with conditions that can include schizophrenia, major depression and bipolar disorder. The Health Department says approximately 5,000 people are active clubhouse members citywide, with roughly half joining during the past two years. Membership is available regardless of insurance, immigration or housing status.

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Mount Sinai, J&J Partner on New Brain Tumor Treatment

Mount Sinai researchers are collaborating with Johnson & Johnson to evaluate an experimental technology designed to deliver radiation directly to brain tumors through their blood supply. Developed by clinical researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the approach combines Iodine-131 with Johnson & Johnson's TRUFILL n-BCA in an effort to simultaneously restrict blood flow to a tumor and concentrate radiation within targeted vessels. Initial research will focus on meningiomas, the most common primary brain tumors in adults. Researchers will use patient-derived 3D-printed vascular models and advanced imaging to study how the agent is distributed before moving to preclinical evaluation. The research could provide a foundation for potential future clinical studies.

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NYC Hospitals Complete $10M Energy-Saving Upgrades

NYC Health + Hospitals has completed nearly $10 million in energy-efficiency improvements at two public healthcare facilities in Queens and Manhattan. More than 16,000 aging light fixtures at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens in Jamaica and NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler on Roosevelt Island were replaced with high-efficiency LED technology and modern controls. The projects are expected to save approximately 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and about $461,000 in energy, maintenance and related costs annually while eliminating roughly 600 metric tons of carbon emissions each year. The upgrades were funded through the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and implemented by the New York Power Authority as part of broader efforts to reduce energy consumption and emissions from municipal buildings.