Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Stopped Weight Loss Drugs? You May Eat More Calories Than Before
CNBC: Post-Ozempic Patients May Eat More Calories, Deutsche Bank Survey Finds
Investors have cheered a new class of weight loss drugs for their ability to help people shed unwanted pounds, but the findings of a recent poll underscore the challenges patients face if they cease treatment. (Berk, 1/8)
CNN: Insurance Denials For Popular New Weight Loss Medications Leave Patients With Risky Choices
Some patients have been successful on powerful new drugs for weight loss, but then they lose access to them because insurance won’t cover them. (Goodman, 1/8)
Technology Networks: Diabetes And Weight Loss Drugs May Reduce Alcohol Cravings
In social media posts on the community network Reddit, users reported reduced cravings for alcohol when taking drugs intended to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity. ... An analysis of those posts, together with a remote study of individuals with obesity who reported using semaglutide and tirzepatide, found that the drugs decreased cravings and reduced alcohol consumption, according to a study by Virginia Tech researchers published Nov. 28 in Scientific Reports. (1/9)
Also —
Reuters: Lilly CEO Says Weight-Loss Drug Zepbound Weekly Prescriptions Hit 25,000 In December
Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks on Monday said the company's powerful weight-loss drug Zepbound hit 25,000 new prescriptions per week at the end of December and that its 2024 supply may not be enough to meet demand. "I think it's important to set expectations, but we're working hard to fulfill demand," he told Reuters at the annual JPMorgan health conference in San Francisco. (Wingrove, 1/8)
Reuters: Pfizer To Remain Aggressive On Obesity Market After Setback
Pfizer will remain aggressive in trying to break into the lucrative obesity market, even after dropping a high profile weight-loss drug candidate late last year due to strong side effects, Chief Executive Albert Bourla said on Monday. "Pfizer's position is that we believe that obesity is a place that we have the ability to play and win. So we will have to play," Bourla told reporters ahead of his presentation at the JPMorgan healthcare conference in San Francisco. (Erman, 1/8)
