Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ozempic Approved To Treat Chronic Kidney Disease With Type 2 Diabetes
CNBC: Novo Nordisk's Ozempic Wins FDA Approval For Chronic Kidney Disease
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic to treat chronic kidney disease in patients who also have Type 2 diabetes, expanding the use of the wildly popular injection in the U.S. (Constantino, 1/28)
Newsweek: Medicare Change Backed By 20,000 People In New Letters
A coalition of around 20,000 advocates and twelve major health care groups has called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand Medicare and Medicaid to include FDA-approved anti-obesity medications. The letters are being led by the Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease (HECCD) and they say the change would potentially benefit up to 7.5 million Americans enrolled in these federal programs who are living with obesity, per the press release. (Dickey, 1/28)
Chicago Tribune: University Of Chicago Enters Partnership To Develop New Drugs
The University of Chicago is partnering with a health care investment firm that has pledged up to $130 million to help turn the school’s research and discoveries into medications more quickly. The university and Deerfield Management are partnering on the initiative, called Hyde Park Discovery. Deerfield will spend up to $130 million over the next 10 years, and offer its expertise to help advance the university’s discoveries, in hopes of bringing them to the health care market. (Schencker, 1/28)
Stat: Super Bowl Ad From Hims And Hers Exploits A Regulatory Gray Area
The Super Bowl ad for weight loss medications from direct-to-consumer telehealth company Hims & Hers released Tuesday is optimized to engage and infuriate. Over the refrain of Childish Gambino’s anti-racist anthem “This Is America,” its narrator makes the case that the weight loss industry, including drugmakers, are extracting profits from overweight and obese Americans without really helping them. (Palmer, 1/28)
