Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Novo Nordisk Ups Ante Against Lilly, Offers GLP-1 Cash Subscription Plans
Bloomberg: Novo Nordisk Launches Wegovy Subscription Plan To Compete With Lilly
Novo Nordisk A/S is launching a subscription program with lower monthly prices on its Wegovy pill and shot, the latest in a series of moves the Danish drugmaker has taken to win back share from rival Eli Lilly & Co. Starting on Tuesday, patients who pay in cash can sign up for a three-, six- or 12-month subscription through select telehealth partners, including Ro, Weight Watchers and LifeMD Inc. Patients who sign up for a 12-month subscription will pay just $249 a month for the Wegovy pen, undercutting Lilly’s lowest monthly price by about $50. (Muller, 3/31)
FiercePharma: Novo Nordisk Cuts 400 Roles At Troubled Bloomington Site
Amid a major corporate overhaul, Novo Nordisk is pruning the ranks at its production facility in Bloomington, Indiana, which chips in on the blockbuster GLP-1 medications Ozempic and Wegovy. All told, Novo plans to eliminate some 400 positions at the Bloomington site "at the beginning of May," a company spokesperson told Fierce Tuesday. Once the downsizing is complete, roughly 1,400 workers will remain at the site, according to the spokesperson. (Kansteiner, 3/31)
More pharma and tech news —
CIDRAP: Antidepressant Relieves Fatigue In People With Long COVID, Study Finds
An antidepressant called fluvoxamine reduces fatigue in people with long COVID, at least in the short term, according to a new study that tested the drug against a placebo. In a randomized clinical trial of 399 people, all participants had significant fatigue, measured by a score of at least four points on a seven-point scale called the Fatigue Severity Scale, a validated measure in which people rate their level of tiredness or exhaustion. Seven points on the scale indicates the worst fatigue. (Szabo, 3/31)
CIDRAP: Rapid Antibiotic Susceptibility Test For UTIs Shows Promise
A new test developed by scientists in the United Kingdom could provide urinary tract infection (UTI) patients with quicker antibiotic treatment, according to a study today in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance. (Dall, 3/31)
The New York Times: Eli Lilly Will Buy A Narcolepsy Drug Developer For $6.3 Billion
Eli Lilly reached a deal on Tuesday to buy Centessa Pharmaceuticals, a company developing treatments for the sleep disorder narcolepsy and other neurological conditions. Lilly, which is flush with cash from sales of its weight-loss drug and has been on a deal-making spree, agreed to initially pay $6.3 billion in cash for the company. Lilly could end up paying an additional $1.5 billion if U.S. regulators were to eventually approve a pair of drugs that Centessa is developing. (Robbins, 3/31)
Stat: Baby KJ Researchers Face FDA Hurdle On Scaling Custom Treatments
The scientists behind treating Baby KJ say they’ve hit a stumbling block in their efforts to create more custom gene editing treatments for children with rare diseases. Food and Drug Administration reviewers, they say, are imposing high manufacturing and quality control standards that could make it too expensive and complicated for them — or any academics — to bring such bespoke therapies to approval. (Mast, 3/31)
