Judge Sides With FDA Over Removing Zepbound From Shortage List
As Stat reports, the federal judge's ruling means patients will lose access to less-expensive versions of Eli Lilly's weight loss drug, as well as diabetes treatment Mounjaro, from compounding pharmacies. Also in industry news: Hims & Hers Health, the Lorna Breen Act, medtech innovations, and more.
Stat:
Compounders Lose Battle Over Eli Lilly Weight Loss Drug And FDA Shortage List
A federal judge has sided with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over a decision last year to remove two Eli Lilly drugs — the Zepbound weight loss medicine and the Mounjaro diabetes treatment — from a shortages list kept by the agency. The move means that patients will no longer have access to cheaper versions from compounding pharmacies. (Silverman, 5/7)
Bloomberg:
Hims CEO Andrew Dudum Is A Billionaire On Weight-Loss Drug Demand
A post-earnings rally in Hims & Hers Health Inc. has turned co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Dudum into a weight-loss billionaire. Shares surged 25% since Tuesday after Hims reported better-than-expected sales for the first quarter. That sent Dudum’s net worth to $1.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which is valuing his fortune for the first time. (Carson, 5/7)
Other news from the health care industry —
Modern Healthcare:
The Lorna Breen Act Lapsed In 2024. Can It Pass Congress Again?
Five years to the week after Dr. Lorna Breen died by suicide, her brother-in-law could be found walking the halls of Congress trying to persuade lawmakers to renew the law named in her honor, which sought to aid healthcare workers struggling with mental health. Congress allowed the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act of 2021 to expire at the end of 2024 when they bowed to pressure from Elon Musk and then-President-elect Donald Trump to kill a healthcare package that included an extension of the grant program. (McAuliff, 5/7)
Modern Healthcare:
Cleveland Clinic, Regent Surgical Form ASC Joint Venture
Cleveland Clinic and Regent Surgical are working together to build ambulatory surgery centers. The nonprofit health system and the ASC developer announced a joint venture Wednesday. Cleveland Clinic is the majority owner of the venture, which will feature the Cleveland, Ohio-based system's brand, according to a news release. The system did not say how many facilities will be built or when they will open. (Kacik, 5/7)
Modern Healthcare:
The Medtech Innovations Paying Off For Kaiser, Mayo Clinic
Artificial intelligence and digital health tools are commonplace in healthcare and they may soon be joined by other emerging technologies benefiting patients and providers. Physicians at Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente and Mayo Clinic are already using some of these technologies in clinical practice, actively testing others and eagerly awaiting those still on the horizon. The health systems are investing in the devices and tools to stay on the cutting edge and remain competitive. (Dubinsky, 5/7)
Becker's Hospital Review:
The Strategies Boosting Operational Efficiency At 4 Health Systems
In today’s healthcare landscape, operational efficiency is not a luxury — it is a necessity, according to Paul Hinchey, MD, COO of Cleveland-based University Hospitals. Operational challenges, including access to care and capacity constraints, remain top of mind for health system executives in 2025. (Kuchno, 5/7)
MedPage Today:
Taking Time For A Second Opinion About Breast Cancer Treatment
Taking time to get a second opinion on breast cancer treatment did not significantly alter the time to treatment, which still occurred within the currently recommended timeframe, a retrospective cohort study showed. Overall, the median time from biopsy to treatment was 35 days, but differed significantly between patients whose diagnosis and treatment occurred at the same center (31 days) versus those who sought a second opinion (42 days). The median time from consultation (or second opinion) to treatment did not differ between the two groups. (Bankhead, 5/6)
Also —
Bloomberg:
Blackstone’s Jon Gray Gives $125 Million To Tel Aviv Medical School
Blackstone Inc. President Jon Gray and his wife Mindy have donated $125 million to Tel Aviv University’s medical school, the largest gift ever to the school and among the largest to an academic institution in Israel. The Grays’ donation to the medical school, which will now bear their name, will enable Tel Aviv University to increase the number of students there by about 25% a year to more than 400. Israel has been grappling with a shortage of physicians, mainly due to too few spots in the country’s institutions. (Odenheimer, 5/7)
