Spending On Weight-Loss Drugs Projected To Hit $100 Billion By 2035

Fortune: Weight-Loss Drugs Like Ozempic Are In Such Huge Demand That Spending On Them Will Hit $100 Billion By 2035, Analyst Says
The global market for novel weight-loss drugs like Novo Nordisk A/S’s Ozempic and Wegovy is poised to reach $100 billion by 2035 as patients start to understand the efficacy of the medications. That’s according to BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan David Seigerman, who, in a note to clients late Thursday, also said revenue for the medications could reach as high as $70 billion in the US alone. (Adegbesan, 9/22)

On developments on health staffing matters —

Axios San Francisco: Kaiser Permanente Workers Authorize Strike In San Francisco Bay Area 
A group of 2,500 Bay Area Kaiser Permanente health care workers voted this week voted to authorize a strike amid ongoing concerns about short staffing and unfair labor practices. The workers, part of OPEIU Local 29, are prepared to strike if the coalition of unions they belong to can't reach a contract agreement by the end of this month. (Dickey and Murphy, 9/22)

Fox News: Less Than Half Of Nurses Are ‘Fully Engaged’ At Work, While Many Are ‘Unengaged,’ New Report Reveals
Less than half of U.S. nurses say they are "fully engaged" while on the job — and about 14% say they are "unengaged. "This is according to the 2023 National Nursing Engagement Report from the Nebraska market research and consulting company PRC. It surveyed 1,923 RNs from 37 hospitals across the country. The survey posed 34 questions to nurses about "nurse quality indicators," engagement, burnout and retention. (Rudy, 9/25)

Stat: Challenges Of Rural Health Care Explored In New STAT Video Series
With physicians experiencing high turnover and burnout during Covid-19 pandemic and rural hospitals closing, the shortage of doctors in rural America keeps getting worse. In 2023, 65% of rural areas had a shortage of primary care physicians, according to a report published by the Health Resources and Services Administration. More than 15% of Americans — about 46 million — live in rural areas, but only 10% of doctors practice in these communities, many of whom are primary care and family physicians. (Empinado, 9/25)

In news relating to cancer treatments —

Stat: How Big Cancer Centers Get The Advantage In Drug Shortages
For months, oncologist Kristen Rice found herself scrambling for cisplatin and carboplatin, two key chemotherapies used for many different cancers including ovarian, bladder, and lung cancer. Like most small community practices, Rice’s clinic has always kept “just in time” inventory – or just enough stock to last the clinic the next few days. Pharmacy technicians would order more drugs each day to keep the clinic running until, one day, they couldn’t. (Chen, 9/25)

Stat: AstraZeneca, Daiichi Breast Cancer Treatment Succeeds In Trial
AstraZeneca said Friday an experimental drug tamped down the progression of a certain type of breast cancer in a Phase 3 trial, a win for the company after the same drug produced underwhelming results in a lung cancer trial over the summer. (Joseph, 9/22)

Also —

Modern Healthcare: CommonSpirit Cuts 2,000 Jobs, Reports $1.4B Operating Loss
CommonSpirit Health eliminated about 2,000 full-time positions, roughly 1% of its workforce, in its fiscal fourth quarter as part of a focus to operate more efficiently. Positions affected by the reduction included ancillary, support and overhead roles, the Chicago-based health system said in fiscal year 2023 financial documents published Thursday. It did not say how many were unfilled positions or what locations were affected, but noted the cuts were partially offset by increased clinical hiring to handle higher patient volumes. A spokesperson declined to provide details. (Hudson, 9/22)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Children's Hospital Names Houston Methodist Executive President
Texas Children’s Hospital has appointed Houston Methodist executive Debra Feigin Sukin as its new president, the hospital system announced Friday. Sukin, the daughter of Houston pediatrics legend Dr. Ralph Feigin, will assume one of the top leadership roles occupied by Mark A. Wallace, who plans to step down as president after 34 years. Wallace will remain CEO of the hospital system. (Gill, 9/22)

Bloomberg: KKR-Backed BrightSpring Is Said To Revive IPO Seeking $1 Billion
BrightSpring Health Services Inc., which withdrew its initial public offering plan last year, has confidentially refiled for a listing with a goal of raising $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. A listing by the home and community-based health-care services provider backed by KKR & Co. is slated for the fourth quarter, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information wasn’t public yet. BrightSpring has re-engaged Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and KKR’s own capital markets division as lead bookrunners for the offering, they said. (Or and Gould, 9/23)

Bloomberg: Costco Offers Health Care To Members In Deal With Sesame (COST)
Costco Wholesale Corp. will offer members access to medical care through a deal with online marketplace Sesame, as the retail giant joins peers by pushing deeper into health care. Costco’s members will be eligible for Sesame’s “best pricing,” including online primary care visits for $29, Sesame said. They’ll also get mental health visits for $79 and 10% off other services. On the platform, clinicians set their prices and patients pay them directly, not through insurance. (Tozzi, 9/25)

The Boston Globe: Leominster Hospital Maternity Unit Set To Close Saturday
UMass Memorial Health plans to close the maternity unit at its Leominster hospital on Saturday, after months of protest, debate, and community uproar. In a memo sent to employees on Thursday, Dr. Eric Dickson, chief executive of UMass Memorial Health, said the system received a response from the state that acknowledged the closure and the hospital’s plan to mitigate its impacts. (Bartlett, 9/22)

The Washington Post: Maryland Hospitals Report Spiking Preventable Deaths, Injuries
A premature baby was given four times the safe daily dose of a steroid for 13 days. A patient went in for surgery on one leg and ended up losing the other leg to compartment syndrome. Three people died after a maintenance worker inadvertently shut off an unlabeled oxygen line. State data shows serious harm inside Maryland’s 62 hospitals more than tripled between 2019 and 2022 to 769 incidents that killed or injured patients, reaching the highest level since the state began collecting patient safety data in 2004. Safety experts say the historic rise of dangerous missteps, probably fueled by staffing shortages and the strain of the pandemic, may signal systemic failures. (Shepherd, 9/24)

NPR: Significant Changes To The Horseshoe Crab Bleeding Industry May Protect Wildlife
Pharmaceutical companies could soon have easier access to synthetic alternatives to horseshoe crab blood, a key ingredient used to test vaccines and medical devices for contamination. The U.S. Pharmacopeia, the regulatory body in charge of setting national safety standards, announced a proposal on Aug. 22 that would make it simpler for companies to use the alternatives. (Eisner, 9/23)