Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
European Drug Regulators Find No Suicide Links To Wegovy, Ozempic
AP: No Link Between Ozempic, Wegovy And Suicide, Drug Regulators In Europe Find
Drug regulators in Europe have found no evidence that popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are linked to a higher risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. The European Medicines Agency regulatory committee announced the results of its review on Friday. It’s the latest group to conclude there’s no known tie between a new class of obesity drugs and suicide. (Aleccia, 4/12)
AP: It's The First Drug Shown To Slow Alzheimer's. Why Is Is It Off To A Slow Start?
The first drug shown to slow Alzheimer’s disease hit the U.S. market over a year ago, but sales have lagged, major hospital systems have taken months to start using it and some insurers have rejected coverage. Doctors also expect some patients will hesitate to take Leqembi due to its limited impact and potential side effects. They say it will take years to learn how best to deploy the drug and that work must be done to improve diagnosis. (Murphy, 4/13)
The Conversation: How Personalized Drug Treatments Can Lead To Better, Faster Outcomes In Cancer Patients
An approach called functional precision medicine, based on testing a patient’s cancer genomic profile and drug response, promises better outcomes for children with cancer. (Azzam, 4/12)
San Francisco Chronicle: Genentech And Sanofi To Lay Off Hundreds Of Bay Area Employees
Biotech giants Genentech and Sanofi are set to lay off hundreds of Bay Area workers in the coming months. Genentech disclosed in regulatory filings this week that it will lay off 436 employees at its South San Francisco headquarters at 1 DNA Way. The layoffs are expected to begin June 5. (Vaziri, 4/12)
