Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Patients Lose 20% Of Weight With New Once-A-Month Shot MariTide
The New York Times: New Obesity Drug MariTide Helps Patients Lose Up To 20% Of Weight, Early Data Shows
The pharmaceutical manufacturer Amgen announced on Tuesday that an experimental obesity drug helped patients lose up to 20 percent of their weight in a year. The drug, MariTide, is given by injection once a month, compared with once a week for other obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound that are already on the market. Those drugs have stunned longtime obesity researchers, who had all but given up on ever seeing safe and effective weight loss drugs. Now, dozens of similar drugs are in development, as companies try to improve on the current ones. Amgen’s is among the first to show what might be possible. (Kolata, 11/26)
MedPage Today: U.K. Data Tie Acetaminophen To Increased Ulcer Risk
Widespread belief holds that the popular over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen does not cause stomach ulcers, but a new study from Great Britain puts that in doubt. Acetaminophen use was also associated with increased rates of more general health problems including heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension, the group reported in Arthritis Care & Research. (Gever, 11/26)
The Wall Street Journal: A Scientist’s Final Quest Is To Find New Schizophrenia Drugs. Will He Live To See Them?
Edward Scolnick led the development of dozens of medicines while at Merck; his current mission pits him against time and the mental illness of millions, including his son. (Marcus, 11/26)
Bloomberg: Sanofi Boosts Preparedness With $600 Million Singapore Plant
Sanofi SA added a new plant in Singapore to make vaccines and other medicines, as the French pharmaceutical group seeks to bolster preparedness for emergencies, including potential pandemics. The facility, named Modulus, came up at investment of S$800 million (nearly $600 million) at Tuas Biomedical Park in the city-state, according to a statement. It can be adapted to manufacture up to four vaccines or biopharmaceuticals at the same time, and will be fully operational in mid-2026 and create 200 skilled jobs in Singapore. (Kan, 11/27)
In biotech developments —
Stat: BIOSECURE Act On Chinese Biotechs Is Harder To Pass Next Year
Legislation targeting Chinese biotechnology companies caused a ruckus early this year. None of that may matter if Congress doesn’t pass it in December. The BIOSECURE Act would restrict U.S. pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies from doing business with certain Chinese companies, including WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics. The bill would increase costs for drugmakers. (Wilkerson, 11/27)
Stat: AI Biotech Recursion Cuts Jobs After Exscientia Merger
Recursion Pharmaceuticals, one of the most advanced companies using artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to expedite drug development, laid off employees after closing a merger last week. (DeAngelis, 11/26)
The Boston Globe: Tufts Is Developing A Tiny Wearable To Detect Cognitive Decline
From sleek wrist watches to gleaming rings, wearable sensors that track a growing array of your daily activities ... are getting smaller, more sophisticated, and pricier. But one large group of consumers that could greatly benefit from such precise trackers, older adults with chronic health problems, are the least likely to don them. Now a team at Tufts University is developing a tiny, gel-like patch that would detect both cognitive decline and a person’s risk for falling in real time and be unobtrusive and appealing to older adults, as well as affordable. (Lazar, 11/26)
Modern Healthcare: How GE HealthCare's AI-Enabled Devices Are Aiding Oncologists
GE HealthCare is betting big on artificial intelligence, with plans to ramp up development of AI-enabled devices by adding more than 120 new ones to its portfolio in the next three years. The company, which reported $1.2 billion in revenue from its digital platforms and software in 2023, told investors at an event last week it seeks to increase that revenue number by 50% by 2028. (Dubinsky, 11/26)
Stat: New Report Urges Guidelines For Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models
Policymakers and scientific groups need to specify guidelines for the burgeoning field that uses stem cells to mimic aspects of embryonic development, including by establishing certain red lines on research, an influential U.K. bioethics group said Wednesday in a new report. (Joseph, 11/26)
On health data and privacy —
Axios: HHS Enforcement Of Health Data Privacy Is Lacking: Report
The Health and Human Services Department is meeting a requirement for auditing health care organizations' data privacy standards but could be doing more to safeguard patient data, a federal watchdog found. Cyberattacks affecting health care providers and vendors have become more common in recent years, often exposing individuals' private health information. (Goldman, 11/26)
Modern Healthcare: Epic, Particle Health Propose Briefing Schedule For Lawsuit
Epic and Particle Health are briefly working together as their conflict continues to play out in court. On Monday, the two companies jointly filed a proposed briefing schedule for Epic's motion to dismiss Particle's antitrust suit against the electronic health record vendor. Particle Health, a startup that helps providers and health technology companies aggregate and share data, filed the suit in September. The startup alleges Epic is using its market power to prevent products that would compete with the EHR company's payer platform. (DeSilva, 11/26)
