Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
People Who've Lost Weight Via Ozempic Lead Plastic Surgery Surge
Bloomberg: Ozempic Weight Loss Leads To Plastic Surgery Boom To Shed Extra Skin
Jennifer Witherspoon can’t stop sharing photos of her new body. After losing more than 100 pounds on a weight-loss drug, the 47-year-old in Austin got a tummy tuck and breast lift to get rid of the loose, sagging skin she was left with. Now, she’s flaunting washboard abs in a bikini for the first time in 20 years. “I am literally living my best life,” she said. (Muller, Furlong, and Kresge, 6/25)
Bloomberg: Weight-Loss Drug Saxenda Reduced Bone Density Health In Study
New research added to concerns about the downsides of shedding pounds with popular weight-loss shots. A study done on Saxenda, an older daily weight-loss shot made by Novo Nordisk A/S that’s similar to newer treatments like Ozempic but considered less effective, reported that patients on the drug experienced a decline in bone density in the hips, spine and forearm. (Vahanvaty, 6/25)
The New York Times: Some States Say They Can’t Afford Ozempic And Other Weight Loss Drugs
Joanna Bailey, a family physician and obesity specialist, doesn’t want to tell her patients that they can’t take Wegovy, but she has gotten used to it. Around a quarter of the people she sees in her small clinic in Wyoming County would benefit from the weight-loss medications, which also include Ozempic, Zepbound and Mounjaro, she says. The drugs have helped some of them lose 15 to 20 percent of their weight. But most people in the area she serves don’t have insurance that covers the cost, and virtually no one can afford sticker prices of $1,000 to $1,400 a month. (Whang, 6/25)
Reuters: Nestle Launches Website For Individuals On Weight Loss Drugs
Nestle's health unit on Tuesday launched a web platform to provide nutritional support for individuals on weight loss programs, including those using GLP-1 medications. Nestle Health Science said the website will address specific needs such as preserving lean muscle mass, supporting gut health, and offering personalized diet assistance. (6/25)
More pharmaceutical updates —
Reuters: Lilly Partners With OpenAI To Develop Medicines For Drug-Resistant Bacteria
Eli Lilly said on Tuesday it will collaborate with OpenAI to leverage its generative AI to develop antimicrobials that can be used to treat drug-resistant bacteria. (6/25)
Stat: Q&A: How Flagship’s Cellarity Is Using AI To For Drug Discovery
Flagship Pioneering launched Cellarity in December 2019. The startup says it’s using artificial intelligence and other computational technologies “to move away from reductionist drug discovery, and unravel the complexities of disease biology to produce ‘game-changing’ medicines out of reach previously.” (Trang, 6/26)
Stat: Vaping Studies Corrected To List Authors' Undisclosed Ties To Juul
A journal published by the American Medical Association has corrected four articles from two of the nation’s top tobacco researchers, Ray Niaura and David Abrams, after STAT uncovered undisclosed ties the New York University professors had with the e-cigarette company Juul. (Florko, 6/25)
