Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Nightmare For A Pharmacist': Current Conditions Set Stage For Mistakes
CNN: Pharmacists Say They Can’t Do Their Jobs Safely. Here’s What That Means Legally
It’s every pharmacist’s worst fear: To come home from a busy day at work and realize that they failed to consult with a patient about a potentially dangerous interaction, or filled a prescription incorrectly. Workers at chain pharmacies across the US have told CNN that increased demand for prescriptions, shots and other services without sufficient staff to fulfill those orders has made it nearly impossible for the workers to do their jobs properly and has created potentially unsafe conditions for customers. (Goodkind, 12/17)
On weight-loss drugs —
Reuters: Novo Owner Commits $265 Mln Of Wegovy Windfall To Respiratory Diseases
The Novo Nordisk Foundation, which controls drug maker Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), said on Monday it would commit up to 1.8 billion Danish crowns ($265 million) to setting up an initiative aimed at improving vaccines for respiratory diseases. A huge windfall from the runaway success of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy has bulged coffers of the foundation, potentially making it a major philanthropist and environmental, social and governance (ESG) investor. (Gronholt-pedersen, 12/18)
Axios: Ozempic At Christmas: Why Some Are Taking A Holiday Pause From GLP-1 Medication
Wanting to enjoy Christmas cookies and other holiday treats, some people on diabetes and weight management drugs like Ozempic are considering a pause in treatment. Doctors caution that stopping and starting the medications known as GLP-1 agonists can lead to unwanted side effects like nausea — and can contradict the way the drugs are meant to be used. (Mallenbaum and Tyko, 12/17)
CNBC: Weight Loss Drugs: 2024 Expectations For Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound
Weight loss drugs exploded into the public eye this year, and 2024 will bring more change to the evolving market. The drugs skyrocketed in popularity in 2023 as they helped patients shed significant weight, despite hefty price tags, mixed insurance coverage and a handful of unpleasant side effects. Demand for the drugs is unlikely to slow down in 2024, especially as treatments gradually become more accessible. (Constantino, 12/17)
In other pharmaceutical industry news —
The Wall Street Journal: Illumina To Shed Cancer-Test Maker Grail After Antitrust Battle
Gene-sequencing company Illumina said Sunday it will divest itself of cancer blood test maker Grail, following Illumina’s loss in its legal battle against U.S. antitrust regulators.Illumina said it will pursue the divestiture through a third-party sale or capital markets transaction, with a goal of completing terms by the middle of next year. (Loftus, 12/17)
Stat: Why Stealth BioTherapeutics May Give Up On Its Ultra-Rare Disease Drug
Jamie Dubuque faces the future with a mixture of gratitude and trepidation. Her son, Declan, who turns 2 years old in January, survived a life-threatening episode of cardiac arrest that sent him to a hospital emergency room a year ago. But since being diagnosed with an ultra-rare disease, he has been treated with an experimental medicine that has transformed his day-to-day existence. (Silverman, 12/18)
Stat: CVS-Oak Street And The Other Major Health Care Deals Of 2023
Every year, the health care industry behaves more and more like a balloon: Squeeze one side, and the other expands. Companies that were once just insurers or just pharmacies are tacking on new business lines. The idea is that when profit inevitably gets squeezed in one, it’ll expand in another. (Herman and Bannow, 12/17)
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Axios: Trump Embraces Medical Conspiracies To Attack Big Pharma
In his first campaign for president, Donald Trump tapped into bipartisan anger over high drug prices to bash pharmaceutical companies. In his latest run, Trump's echoing the extreme elements of his party to suggest the industry's products may be hurting Americans, particularly children. The GOP frontrunner's airing of unfounded, innuendo-filled claims about the pharmaceutical industry could undermine public health. And it reflects how deeply mistrust of health institutions and anti-science rhetoric have become embedded within a sizable faction of the Republican party following the pandemic. (Owens, 12/18)
Axios: How FDA Could Boost Gender-Affirming Care For Trans Patients Despite State Restrictions
An effort to get the Food and Drug Administration's approval of hormone therapies for gender-affirming treatment could help preserve patients' access to the therapies as states restrict them. For years, transgender patients have received hormone therapies "off label" — a common medical practice in which doctors prescribe treatments for a use the agency hasn't approved. (Goldman, 12/15)
