NEJM This Week — February 19, 2026

This week, we explore new evidence comparing oral anticoagulants for acute venous thromboembolism, treatment for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, and early results of gene therapy for inherited deafness. We also examine evolving strategies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, review the management of polymyalgia rheumatica, and present a case discussion of a woman with chest pain, dyspnea, and syncope. We explore gastric cancer prevention, competency-based billing, the health consequences of immigration enforcement, access to high-cost gene therapies, and we present a Perspective on good compressions.

This week, we explore a phase 3 trial of finerenone in type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease and guidance on timing of nonculprit-lesion PCI after STEMI. We cover an investigational therapy for Dravet syndrome and neoadjuvant treatment for high-risk intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. We review the effects of radiotherapy on normal tissue, a puzzling case of progressive neurologic decline after suspected foodborne illness, and Perspectives on private equity, the AHEAD model, and medical credit cards.

This week, we explore a new standard of care for high-risk HER2-positive early breast cancer, long-acting therapy for people with HIV facing adherence challenges, a first-in-class trial of a p53 reactivator, and tecovirimat for mpox. We review group B streptococcal disease and a revealing case of prosthetic joint infection. Perspectives examine the role of folate therapy, Medicare drug-price negotiation, AI in medical education, and incidental findings.

This week, we highlight major advances in multiple myeloma, gene therapy for cystinosis, and experimental treatments for myotonic dystrophy. We review long-term outcomes of aortic-valve replacement, strategies for secondary stroke prevention, and a revealing diagnostic case of eosinophilic disease in an older adult. A Sounding Board explores FDA approval standards. Perspectives delve into tobacco cessation, influenza evolution, and the uncertainty patients and clinicians share when facing life-altering diagnoses.

This week includes studies on promising new therapies for IgA nephropathy, evolving antithrombotic strategies after coronary stenting, and the inciting antigen in rare vaccine-related clotting syndromes. We review the urgent challenge of mucormycosis and follow the case of a young woman with headaches and hypertension. We discuss human-subjects research. Perspectives examine rural health, data interoperability, drug labels in the courts, and a pediatrician’s dilemma.

This week, we look at new evidence on oral cholesterol-lowering therapy, the evolving role of beta-blockers after myocardial infarction, and advances in breast and prostate cancer treatment. We review the inherited risk of coronary disease. We also work through a revealing diagnostic case in a young woman and reflect on science under pressure, corporatized insurance, the reach of FDA law, and what it means to live with life-sustaining technology.

This week, we explore new therapies to reduce pancreatitis risk in severe hypertriglyceridemia, advances in breast cancer treatment, and long-term results of gene therapy for hemophilia B. We discuss vision-threatening vascular emergencies, the mental health effects of firearm injury on families, and care for peripheral artery disease. We also follow a revealing diagnostic case in an older woman with respiratory failure. Perspectives reflect on hypertension control, immunization access, chronic disease policy, and on the inherited risk of disease.

In this episode, we explore evolving evidence on anticoagulation after atrial fibrillation ablation, long-term outcomes with immunotherapy for melanoma, and promising new treatments for hepatitis D and triple-negative breast cancer. We review advances in physiologic pacing for heart failure and work through a challenging case involving fever, rash, and neurologic symptoms. An article considers fairness for late-career physicians, and Perspectives discuss misconceptions about autism, access to contraception, and the financial pressures shaping health care.

This week, we explore new evidence on managing asymptomatic carotid stenosis, restoring vision in advanced macular degeneration, and preventing migraine in children. We discuss innovative cellular therapy for autoimmune disease, review sudden cardiac arrest in athletes, and describe a case of severe systemic infection with vision loss. Perspectives examine global tobacco risks, the future of telehealth payment, Medicare coverage of new technologies, and the things physicians carry.

This week, we explore new options in cardiovascular prevention, fish-oil supplementation in dialysis patients, RSV vaccination, and cutting-edge cellular therapy for leukemia. We discuss advances in lung cancer treatment, approaches to functional dyspepsia, and a complex case of severe infection after travel. Perspectives examine access to and cost of weight-loss drugs, the promise and risks of AI in clinical care, and what it means to care for others while carrying personal loss.