Eli Lilly Wants to Join Lawsuit Over Compounded Weight-Loss Drugs
The lawsuit was brought against the FDA after the agency declared an end to the shortage that allowed pharmacies to sell compound versions of the popular weight loss drugs, but Eli Lilly said it cannot rely on the FDA to protect its interests. Other news is on the surge of GLP-1 use; insurance coverage of obesity medicine; and more.
Reuters:
Lilly Asks To Join Lawsuit Over Compounded Versions Of Its Weight-Loss Drugs
Eli Lilly has asked to join in opposing a lawsuit brought by compounding pharmacies against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over the agency's decision that Lilly's blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drugs are no longer in short supply. In a motion filed in Fort Worth, Texas federal court late on Wednesday, Lilly said it could not rely on the FDA to fully defend its interests in the case, which will determine whether compounding pharmacies and facilities can keep selling cheaper versions of the company's weight-loss drug Zepbound and diabetes medicine Mounjaro, which have the same active ingredient, tirzepatide. (Pierson, 1/2)
Stat:
Ozempic's Logistical Challenges Have Doctors Look To Team Approach
Life was getting better for Carlos Campos, 72, a retired machinist who lives with his wife and daughter in Tukwila, Wash. Diagnosed about 20 years ago with type 2 diabetes, he was delighted to see his blood sugar levels improve dramatically about a year ago, when he started taking Ozempic. (Cooney, 1/3)
Axios:
Use Of Diabetes And Anti-Obesity Drugs Surges Nationwide
The number of prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs jumped roughly 10% in 2024, according to insurance claims data provided to Axios by health analytics company PurpleLab. The data, which shows double-digit growth in 23 states, offers a snapshot of the sustained growth in demand across the U.S. for the drugs hailed as game-changers in the fight against obesity. (Reed, 1/3)
AP:
West Virginia Patients Are Left In Limbo Over Changing Insurance Coverage Of Obesity Medications
Citing a gross cost of $1.4 million a month, West Virginia abruptly announced in March it would indefinitely pause a pilot program covering weight loss drugs for 1,000 public employees, leaving patients ... scrambling. West Virginia’s Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA) will continue covering the popular and expensive GLP-1 drugs to treat Type 2 diabetes. Other state and private insurers have adopted similar stances for the drugs, which can cost patients more than $1,000 monthly out-of-pocket. (Willingham, 1/2)
