Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Just Weeks After Launch, Wegovy Pill Sees High US Demand
NBC News: More Than 170,000 People In U.S. Are Taking Wegovy Pill, Novo Nordisk Says
Novo Nordisk said Wednesday that demand for its Wegovy pill got off to a strong start after it launched in the U.S. in early January. By Jan. 23 — less than three weeks after it became available — about 50,000 prescriptions were being filled each week, according to the drugmaker. In total, more than 170,000 people are taking the drug. Roughly 9 in 10 of those prescriptions were paid for out of pocket, rather than through insurance. (Lovelace Jr., 2/4)
MedPage Today: GLP-1 Pill Cut Heart Failure Events In Some Diabetes Patients
Oral semaglutide (Rybelsus) protected against heart failure events in type 2 diabetes patients with a history of heart failure and either atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, or both, according to findings from a randomized trial. (Monaco, 2/2)
NPR: GLP-1 Obesity Drugs And Eating Disorders Are Not Well Understood Yet
Jason Krynicki will never forget how obesity made him a target for vicious bullying from the time he was little. Those memories haunt him even now, even though he weighs a willowy 127 pounds at age 43. "You try to eat, and in the back of your mind, your mind still goes back to what people said to you 20 years ago," Krynicki says, recalling how he was derided for his large appetite or the food he ate. Other kids — his doctors, even — called him fat, and worse. (Noguchi, 2/4)
Bloomberg: Novo Brings In New US Chief To Take On Rivals In Obesity Market
Novo Nordisk A/S hired a new US chief charged with turning around the company’s most important market where mounting pricing pressure and intensifying competition are eroding its grip on the obesity-drug boom. Jamey Millar joins the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy Thursday as executive vice president of US operations. He succeeds Dave Moore, who is leaving the company for personal reasons after just a year in the role. (Wass and Kresge, 2/4)
Modern Healthcare: Hims & Hers, Ro, Eli Lilly To Push GLP-1s In Super Bowl LX Ads
Hims & Hers is returning to the Super Bowl one year after its controversial ad sparked a backlash from lawmakers and pharmaceutical companies. The telehealth company, which offers medications and treatments for weight loss, hair loss and mental health, is returning to the Big Game with a 60-second spot on the economic gaps that exist within the healthcare delivery system. They aren’t the only healthcare company willing to dig deep into their pockets to get in front of viewers. Ad rates for a 30-second spot this year have surged to as much as $10 million, according to media reports. (Perna, 2/4)
In other pharmaceutical developments —
Stat: FDA Officials Call For Expanded Follow-Up In Autoimmune CAR-T Therapy
Food and Drug Administration officials are advising drug developers to study the long-term effects of using CAR-T to treat patients with autoimmune conditions, out of concern the therapies could cause cancer or fertility issues. (DeAngelis, 2/2)
Stat: Vertex's CRISPR Sickle Cell Treatment Faces A Costly Bottleneck
Vertex executives warned that Casgevy, its curative treatment for sickle cell disease, would be slow to reach patients. But few expected it to be this slow. (Mast, 2/5)
AP: Merck's Experimental Pill Enlicitide Sharply Lowered Cholesterol In A Large Study
A new kind of pill sharply reduced artery-clogging cholesterol in people who remain at high risk of heart attacks despite taking statins, researchers reported Wednesday. It’s still experimental but the pill helps rid the body of cholesterol in a way that today can be done only with injected medicines. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the pill, named enlicitide, could offer an easier-to-use option for millions of people. (Neergaard, 2/4)
