August in Review: 13 Top Health Press Releases

A roundup of the most newsworthy healthcare press releases from PR Newswire, including ATI Physical Therapy going private, Community Hospital Corporation's $400M medical center in Texas, and more.

NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each month, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help healthcare journalists and consumers stay on top of the month's most popular releases and newsworthy trends, here's a recap of some of the past month's most read- and engaged-with stories.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. Wegovy^® approved by FDA for the treatment of adults with noncirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis 
   "The decision by the FDA reflects the continued progress in how we understand and treat patients with MASH, bringing us closer to care that meets the needs of people living with this disease," said Arun Sanyal, MD, Director, Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health, Virginia Commonwealth University.
2. SBI Life launches 'SBI Life - Smart Shield Plus', a future-ready term insurance plan designed for consumer's evolving insurance needs
   This individual, non-linked, non-participating, pure risk life insurance product is designed to address the evolving protection needs of today's consumers. With its future-ready approach, SBI Life – Smart Shield Plus offers a flexible and scalable term insurance plan that adapts seamlessly to an individual's growing responsibilities across life's key milestones.
3. In a Major Win for Vanda, a Federal Appeals Court Overturns FDA's Order Denying Approval of Hetlioz for the Treatment of Jet Lag Disorder 
   Vanda has spent more than a decade undertaking innovative clinical studies, now published in peer-reviewed journals, developing HETLIOZ^® so that jet lag sufferers may finally have access to a meaningful therapeutic. HETLIOZ^® has the potential to fundamentally change the landscape of circadian resetting during transmeridian global travel. This is a treatment that Americans want and need.
4. Viking Therapeutics Announces Positive Top-Line Results from Phase 2 VENTURE-Oral Dosing Trial of VK2735 Tablet Formulation in Patients with Obesity 
   The Phase 2 VENTURE-Oral Dosing Trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and weight loss efficacy of VK2735 dosed as an oral tablet once daily for 13 weeks. The trial enrolled 280 adults who are obese or adults who are overweight with at least one weight-related co-morbid condition.
5. Cardinal Health announces the addition of Solaris Health, the country's leading urology MSO, to The Specialty Alliance 
   Cardinal Health will provide approximately $1.9 billion in cash to The Specialty Alliance to enable the acquisition and will own approximately 75% of The Specialty Alliance after its acquisition of Solaris Health. Solaris Health physicians and several members of management will join GI Alliance physician owners and management as equity holders and operators in The Specialty Alliance.
6. Novo Nordisk expands legal action to protect US patients from unsafe, non-FDA-approved compounded "semaglutide" 
   New legal actions are directed at organizations involved in illegal activities, including violating laws prohibiting the corporate practice of medicine, interfering with doctors' decisions and steering patients toward unapproved knockoff drugs under the false guise of personalization.
7. The Galien Foundation Announces 2025 Prix Galien USA Nominees for "Best Digital Health Solution," "Best Medical Technology," "Incubators, Accelerators and Equity," and "Best Startup"
   To qualify, each candidate must be U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for marketing within the last five years and demonstrate tremendous potential to improve human health. Sales data are not considered by the nominating committee in their award nominee selection, only science and health impact.
8. Skyhawk Therapeutics Announces Strategic Collaboration with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany to Discover Novel RNA-Targeting Small Molecules for Neurological Disorders 
   The collaboration aims to expand the potential of RNA modulation in diseases where traditional approaches have proven challenging, leveraging Skyhawk's industry-leading capabilities in RNA splicing modulation and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's expertise in drug development and commercialization.
9. Community Hospital Corporation Announces $400 Million Heritage Regional Medical Center in Sherman, Texas 
   The initial phase of the HRMC development will include 100 inpatient beds and the infrastructure to support future expansion of all major departments - surgery, imaging, emergency, and outpatient services - with capacity for up to 200 additional inpatient beds. HRMC will employ over 400 employees in the initial phase and future expansion will increase the employee count to over 1,000.
10. 10x Genomics to Acquire Scale Biosciences
    The acquisition provides 10x with key inventions and technologies that will advance innovation across the company's Chromium platform. It also helps broaden access to single cell analysis by making it more powerful, affordable, and accessible to researchers worldwide.
11. ATI Physical Therapy Goes Private 
    "Returning to private ownership is a timely next step in ATI's evolution," said Sharon Vitti, Chief Executive Officer of ATI. "This structure allows us to focus on our patients, providers, and partners—investing in what matters most, without the added expense and constraints of quarterly reporting cycles."
12. AbbVie to Acquire Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals' Bretisilocin, a Novel, Investigational Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder, Expanding Psychiatry Pipeline 
    Gilgamesh's lead asset, bretisilocin (GM-2505), is a novel, next-generation psychedelic compound designed to address development challenges observed within this class of compounds. Bretisilocin has been shown to exert a shorter duration of psychoactive experience, while retaining an extended therapeutic benefit.
13. OIKOS^® Launches First-of-Its-Kind Cultured Dairy Drink Featuring A Patented Blend of Nutrients Designed to Help Build & Retain Muscle Mass During Weight Loss 
    Made with the patented Advanced FUSION Blend™, OIKOS FUSION delivers 23g of complete protein, 5g of prebiotic fiber, and key vitamins like D, B3, and B12, in a compact, lactose-free, 0g added sugar drink. It's available in three flavors: Strawberry, Mixed Berry, and Vanilla.

For more news like this, check out all of the latest health-related releases from PR Newswire.

Trending Topics

Among the health news that was distributed in August, the PR Newswire team was able spot several larger stories that highlight the trends shaping the industry.

• AI & Digital Health Expansion: The continued advancements in AI and digital health highlight how technology is reshaping the ways care is delivered. In August, Reid Health announced the deployment of hellocare.ai smart-hospital systems in every room, enabling virtual care and streamlined nurse EHR integration. Elemeno Health and Cohere Health were both recognized on the Inc. 5000 list for their rapid growth driven by AI clinical intelligence. Meanwhile, CERTIFY Health was named a 2025 Red Hot Company for its unified digital platform.
• Patient Experience: In August, we saw companies emphasize community engagement and comfort in care. The Red Cross partnered with PEANUTS^® on a Snoopy-themed t-shirt campaign to encourage blood donation, blending nostalgia with public health outreach efforts. The Ontario International Airport and UCR Health collaborated to upgrade nursing stations, improving accessibility for traveling families. And Crunch Fitness improved its member experience by launching a massive personal training giveaway, aiming to make wellness resources more accessible and inclusive.

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Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

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