Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
So Many Americans Want Obesity Drug Wegovy, Its Maker Is Cutting Supplies
Reuters: Novo Nordisk Cuts Wegovy Starter Dose Supply In U.S. To Cope With Demand
Danish drug developer Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) on Thursday said it would reduce supply of some dose strengths of its popular Wegovy obesity drug in the United States due to high demand after the firm reported forecast-beating first-quarter results. (5/4)
NBC News: Versions Of Ozempic And Wegovy Weight-Loss Drugs Face Crackdowns
A growing number of states are threatening to take legal action against pharmacies that make or dispense unauthorized versions of the weight-loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy. At least four states are already curbing the manufacturing of copycat versions over safety concerns and more could soon follow, experts say, as the two medications soar in popularity in the U.S. (Lovelace Jr., 5/3)
Axios: Employers Grapple With Coverage Of Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic
Employers are fielding a surge of demand from their workers for obesity care benefits — specifically, for a buzzy class of weight loss drugs — and it's getting pricey. (Reed, 5/4)
Also —
Modern Healthcare: CVS Reduces Profit Guidance After Signify, Oak Street Deals
CVS Health cut its 2023 profit expectations after closing acquisitions of primary care operator Oak Street Health and home health company Signify Health earlier than expected, the company announced Wednesday. Transaction and integration costs related to the deals will impact CVS Health's finances in 2023, sooner than anticipated, company executives said during a call with investors. CVS Health had expected to close its $10.6 billion purchase of the Chicago-based Oak Street Health later in the year. (Tepper, 5/3)
Modern Healthcare: Option Care Health To Buy Amedisys For $3.6 Billion
Option Care Health on Wednesday announced plans to acquire health and hospice firm Amedisys for $3.6 billion in a deal that reflects companies’ need to build scale as care options increasingly move into the home. The all-stock transaction would create a mammoth provider of post-acute care services, generating approximately $6.2 billion in annual revenue and delivering a variety of in-home services in 46 states and across 674 sites. (Eastabrook, 5/3)
Modern Healthcare: Centene To Divest Apixio AI Business
Centene will sell artificial intelligence tool Apixio to investment firm New Mountain Capital as the insurer continues to divest assets outside of its core health insurance business, the company announced Wednesday. Centene and New Mountain Capital did not disclose a purchase price or a timeline for closing the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval. (Tepper, 5/3)
Modern Healthcare: 5 Takeaways On Healthcare Construction In 2023
Each year, Modern Healthcare’s Construction and Design survey asks representatives from architecture, construction management, general contracting and development firms about the state of the healthcare construction industry over the past year and what they foresee for the sector. Here are five key takeaways from the survey. (Broderick and Davis, 5/3)
Reuters: Rebound In Travel Helps Vaccine Maker Valneva Post Smaller-Than-Expected Loss
French vaccine maker Valneva (VLS.PA) reported on Thursday a smaller-than-expected first-quarter loss as sales of travel vaccines Dukoral and Ixiaro improved, propelling its shares 16% up. Valneva also confirmed its sales outlook for 2023, with revenue expected between 220 million euros and 260 million euros. (5/4)
The Boston Globe: Cambridge Biotech Raises $90 Million For Drug That Uses Radioactive Atoms To Fight Prostate Cancer
Radiation therapy has been used to treat cancer for more than a century, and about half of all cancer patients still undergo it at some point, according to the National Cancer Institute. Typically, patients receive beams of radiation from a machine that kills cancer cells inside their bodies but can also damage healthy tissue. (Saltzman, 5/3)
Stat: In Early Data, Akili Game Sees Positive Results In Adults With ADHD
Akili Interactive on Wednesday revealed earlier-than-expected top-line clinical trial results suggesting its video game treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is effective for adults. That’s very good news for a company that’s racing to reach more patients in hopes of building a sustainable business. (Aguilar, 5/3)
Stat: Immunogen Ovarian Cancer Drug Shown To Extend Patients’ Lives
A drug approved in November as the first new treatment for advanced ovarian cancer in over seven years has now been shown to extend patients’ lives, its developer, Immunogen, said Wednesday. (Mast, 5/3)
CIDRAP: USPSTF Issues Updated Latent TB Screening, Treatment Guidelines
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has published updated tuberculosis (TB) screening and treatment guidelines, including recommendations on testing at-risk adults for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). The recommendations were published yesterday in JAMA. The USPSTF updated its 2016 guidelines by commissioning a systematic review on LTBI screening and treatment in asymptomatic adults at primary care visits and on the accuracy of screening tests. (Van Beusekom, 5/3)
In other health care industry news —
Philadelphia Inquirer: Prospect Medical Gets Injunction On Crozer's DCMH Overturned In Commonwealth Court
A foundation that tried to block last year’s closure of Delaware County Memorial Hospital, part of Crozer Health, did not prove that the closure would cause irreparable harm to the community, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday. The Commonwealth Court ruling has no immediate impact, given that the Drexel Hill hospital’s emergency department and its inpatient units have been closed since the state Department of Health in early November ordered the facility to stop accepting patients because it lacked staff. (Brubaker, 5/3)
Roll Call: Who Are You Going To Call? Finance Hopes Not Ghost Networks
Patients seeking mental health treatment for themselves or their families too often find their insurers' provider directories riddled with inaccurate information, filled with names of providers who aren't accepting new patients or packed with contact information for providers who aren't actually accepting that form of insurance. (Raman, 5/4)
