Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Semaglutide Appears To Aid People With Alcohol Use Disorder, Study Says
The Hill: Ozempic And Wegovy May Help With Alcohol Addiction
The weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy may be beneficial for people struggling with alcohol addiction, a study published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry said. The study examined about 228,000 people in Sweden who had alcohol use disorder and Type 2 diabetes. The people who were taking drugs like semaglutide were less likely to be hospitalized for alcohol-related issues. Of the nearly 228,000 individuals, 58.5 percent experienced alcohol-related hospitalization. The study noted that while semaglutide drugs “substantially decreased” the risk of hospitalization, the results were not associated with suicide attempts. (Irwin, 11/13)
Yahoo Finance: Hims & Hers Launches GLP-1 Tracker In Response To FDA's Shortage Decision
Hims & Hers is launching a new GLP-1 tracker in its efforts to fight back against the FDA’s decision to end compounded GLP-1s on the market. The tracker allows patients to self-identify, provide their location, and say which brand of GLP-1 drug they are not able to find. The data will be aggregated and regularly published by Hims in order to provide proof to the FDA that the shortages of the branded drugs haven’t ended, according to co-founder and CEO Andrew Dudum. (Khemlani, 11/13)
FiercePharma: Lilly Unwraps Detailed Data Showing Tirzepatide Kept Nearly 99% Of Prediabetic Patients Diabetes-Free Over 3 Years
Following an impressive data drop this summer highlighting the potential for Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide to stave off progression to Type 2 diabetes in prediabetic patients, the Indianapolis-based drugmaker is laying out full results from its longest completed study of the dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist to date. In the three-year SURMOUNT-1 trial, tirzepatide curbed the risk of disease progression to Type 2 diabetes by 94% versus placebo in adult prediabetes patients who were obese or overweight, Lilly said in a release Wednesday. (Kansteiner, 11/13)
CBS News: 23andMe Customer? Here's What To Know About The Privacy Of Your Genetic Data.
23andMe, the struggling ancestry tracing company, continues to spiral, raising questions about its business prospects and what could happen to its sensitive customer genetic testing data. CEO Anne Wojcicki has said she intends to take the company private and is not considering third-party takeover proposals. Customer data collected from its genetic testing tools makes up the company's most valuable asset. Because 23andMe is not a health care company, health privacy laws don't apply, raising questions about what the business might opt to do with its 15 million users' personal genetic data. (Cerullo, 11/13)
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Stat: FDA Still Lacks Enough Inspectors, GAO Says
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration continues to struggle with a lack of investigators needed to inspect domestic and foreign pharmaceutical manufacturing plants and has not yet developed a plan to keep needed staff, a U.S. government watchdog found. (Silverman, 11/13)
