Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
GLP-1 Use Before Surgery May Have Unexpected Positive Results: Study
Newsweek: Millions Of Surgery Records Raise New Questions About GLP-1 Drugs
For most people, GLP-1 drugs are associated with diabetes and weight loss. But their potential benefits may go much further. Researchers found that people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists before elective surgery were less likely to experience serious cardiovascular complications or postoperative infections than those who were not using the drugs. (Gray, 10/18)
MedPage Today: ACOG Guideline Backs Early Hormone Therapy For Menopause Symptoms
Updated guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) expand on previous recommendations and align with a growing cross-specialty consensus on how to manage menopause symptoms. For managing vasomotor symptoms and related sleep disturbances, ACOG strongly recommended systemic hormone therapy with estrogen and a progestogen for women with a uterus, or estrogen alone for those who do not require endometrial protection. This applies to women without contraindications to hormone therapy and is based on moderate-quality evidence. (Robertson, 10/16)
MedPage Today: First At-Home Thyroid Eye Disease Shot Approved
The FDA approved satralizumab (Enspryng), the first and only at-home subcutaneous treatment option for adults with thyroid eye disease (TED), developer Roche announced on Thursday. (Monaco, 10/16)
Stat: Gilead's IBS Drug Succeeds In Mid-Stage Trial
An oral treatment from Gilead Sciences eliminated the symptoms experienced by patients with a type of inflammatory bowel disease, mid-stage study results reported Monday that could boost the biotech’s push to develop new drugs for inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. (Feuerstein, 10/19)
San Francisco Chronicle: Why It’s Still Hard To Find The Right OTC Hearing Aid
Only about half of people who use OTC hearing aids get the full range of professional services like evaluation, device selection and fitting, and 1 in 5 don’t get any professional assistance at all, according to one 2025 market analysis. (Ho, 10/18)
Stat: Does Isomorphic Labs Have What It Takes To Revolutionize Drugmaking?
On a day in late 2024, Avery Klemmer found herself on yet another transatlantic flight with her colleagues at the VC firm Thrive Capital. The team was flying to London to woo the secretive startup Isomorphic Labs — a mission that many other investors thought futile. (DeAngelis, 10/19)
