Probe Of Mishandled Botox Shots Grows; 19 Women Sickened In 9 States

NBC News: CDC Investigating Botched Botox Shots In 9 States
At least 19 women in nine states reportedly became sick after they got Botox, either having gotten the injections from people who were never licensed or trained to give the shots or received them in "non-healthcare settings," including homes or spas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. Nine of the 19 patients were hospitalized, the CDC said. Four "were treated with botulism antitoxin because of concerns that the botulinum toxin could have spread beyond the injection site." (Edwards, 4/16)

USA Today: Bladder Botox? It's Not What It Sounds Like: Why The Injection Can Be Life Changing
It’s safe to assume that most people don’t associate Botox with overactive bladders, but doctors who use it to treat just a sliver of the 33 million people in the U.S. struggling with uncontrollable urges to pee and leaks say the injections could be life changing. Steph Aiello, 33, has felt the benefits firsthand. She used to receive Botox injections into her bladder twice annually for six years after a car accident in 2010 left her paralyzed from the neck down. (Camero, 4/15)

On weight-loss drugs —

Reuters: More Than 250 Websites Selling Fake Weight-Loss Drugs Reported By Anti-Counterfeit Firm
The cybersecurity firm BrandShield has taken down more than 250 websites selling fake versions of popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs in the GLP-1 class, the company’s CEO Yoav Keren told Reuters. BrandShield, which shared this information exclusively with Reuters, said that out of the 279 pharmacy websites the company closed last year for selling drugs intended to treat metabolic conditions, more than 90% were related to GLP-1 medicines, according to Keren. (Wingrove, 4/15)

Fox News: Ozempic Babies: Women Claim Weight Loss Drugs Are Making Them More Fertile – And Experts Agree
A new kind of baby boom could be taking place. Some women taking GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have reported that they’re getting pregnant unexpectedly. The term "Ozempic babies" has been coined on TikTok, with many women posting there about their unplanned pregnancies. (Stabile, 4/16)

Los Angeles Times: How 'Miracle' Weight-Loss Drugs Made Health Disparities Worse
Obesity — like so many diseases — disproportionately affects people in racial and ethnic groups that have been marginalized by the U.S. healthcare system. A class of drugs that succeeds where so many others have failed would seem to be a powerful tool for closing the gap. Instead, doctors who treat obesity, and the serious health risks that come with it, fear the medications are making this health disparity worse. (Kaplan, 4/15)

CBS News: New Nonsurgical Procedure May Be More Effective Than Weight Loss Drugs, Study Says
A nonsurgical weight loss procedure may be more effective and less expensive than weight loss drugs like Ozempic. It's called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty. ... In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital projected that over a 5-year period, the sleeve procedure would be more cost-effective than semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic. Weight loss drugs can be incredibly expensive. (Marshall, 4/15)

In other pharmaceutical news —

The Mercury News: Abbott Laboratories To Close Bay Area Site; Almost 200 Jobs To Be Cut
Fairfield Abbott Laboratories has given notice that it will be closing its Fairfield location later this year, meaning the loss of nearly 200 jobs. A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification has been filed with the state, indicating that 195 employees will be laid off and the plant will be closed. Founded in 2004, the Illinois-based health and nutrition manufacturing company — known for brands including Similac infant formula, Pedialyte electrolyte drinks and Ensure shakes — also manufactures human and veterinary prescription drugs. (McConnell, 4/15)

Stat: Ultragenyx Reports Early Success With Angelman Syndrome Drug
Ultragenyx has found early success with its experimental treatment for the rare disease Angelman syndrome, supporting the company’s decision to acquire its development partner two years ago. Ultragenyx is one of the few companies developing a treatment for Angelman syndrome, a genetic condition that causes delayed development, problems with speech and balance, mental disability, and sometimes seizures. (DeAngelis, 4/15)

Reuters: WHO Warns Of Falsified Cough Syrup Ingredients Seized In Pakistan
The World Health Organization issued an alert on Monday warning drugmakers of five contaminated batches of propylene glycol, an ingredient used in medicinal syrups, that appear to have been falsely labelled as manufactured by Dow Chemical units in Asia and Europe. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) issued three alerts between January and March over high levels of ethylene glycol (EG), an industrial solvent known to be toxic, found in drums purportedly made by subsidiaries of Dow Chemical in Thailand, Germany and Singapore. (Wingrove, 4/15)