Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
People Taking GLP-1s Might Be Forced To Delay Certain Medical Procedures
MedPage Today: Hold GLP-1s Before Endoscopy? Clinical Trial Finds Retained Gastric Contents
Patients on GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP agonists had significant residual gastric volume (RGV) if the medication wasn't held prior to upper endoscopy unless they were on a clear liquid diet the day before, the OCULUS randomized trial showed. (Monaco, 3/16)
MedPage Today: GLP-1 Drugs Show Growing Promise For Afib Control
For patients with obesity and atrial fibrillation (Afib), GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs may be the weight loss approach that better addresses their arrhythmia, observational data suggested. (Lou, 3/16)
The Wall Street Journal: When ‘Food Noise’ Returns For GLP-1 Users So Does Dieting To Keep Off The Weight
Cyndy Dowling struggled with her weight for decades until she found what she thought was a lifelong solution: a monthly injection of one of the popular new weight-loss drugs. The 69-year-old easily lost 60 pounds in the span of a year and a half. But in early 2025, something changed. (Reddy, 3/16)
Stat: Structure's Obesity Pill Shows Weight Loss Promise In Phase 2 Trial
Structure Therapeutics said Monday that its daily obesity pill led patients to lose about 16% of their body weight relative to placebo after 44 weeks. (Mast, 3/16)
The Boston Globe: Boston Wants To Limit GLP-1 Drug Coverage Amid Rising Costs
Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration said Monday it is seeking to limit coverage of GLP-1 weight loss medications for city employees amid what it called skyrocketing health insurance costs, warning that without changes, the city and its workers will face “massive and immediate” consequences. The city raised the alarm bell as it stares down an already tightening budget, for which Wu has told department heads to prepare for potential cuts. (Griswold, 3/16)
In other pharmaceutical news —
CIDRAP: Antibiotic Use Linked To ‘Persistent’ Gut Microbiome Changes
It’s long been known that antibiotics can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut, typically causing short-term symptoms like diarrhea. Some research suggests the disruption can last for several months. But a new study led by researchers in Sweden indicates certain antibiotics may have a far longer impact on the gut microbiome. (Dall, 3/16)
NPR: Sleeping Sickness Could Be Wiped Out With This New Drug
Sleeping sickness is a notorious disease — immortalized in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. A single bite from a tsetse fly carrying the parasite is all it takes to infect someone. Without treatment one form of the illness can progress from mild symptoms to death in a matter of weeks. Now, a new drug holds the promise of helping the World Health Organization meet its goal of eliminating the disease by 2030. A committee of the European Medicines Agency has given an important green light to the first single-dose treatment — a medication called acoziborole, which could be in use by early next year. (Kritz, 3/16)
PolitiFact: The Birth Control Pill And Cancer: What Does Research Say About The Risks?
A flood of recent social media posts described hormonal birth control pills as cancer causing. “The WHO has just released a statement labeling birth control pills as a Group 1 cancer-causing agent,” one conservative commentator wrote March 8 on X. His post was viewed more than 2.2 million times. (Czopek, 3/16)
