Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: GLP-1s May Help Fight Addiction To Smoking, Alcohol, Opioids
NBC News: GLP-1s Could Help Curb Addiction To Cigarettes, Alcohol And Opioids, Study Suggests
Evidence continues to mount suggesting that GLP-1 drugs may help people cut back on cigarettes, drinking and opioid use. As the medications — which include semaglutide and tirzepatide — have grown in popularity, anecdotal reports have emerged of people who said they no longer felt the urge to drink alcohol or use drugs while taking a GLP-1. Peer-reviewed studies have since followed. (Sullivan, 3/4)
Fierce Healthcare: Eli Lilly Launches Its Direct-To-Employer Platform For GLP-1s
Eli Lilly has officially launched Employer Connect, its direct-to-employer platform for its obesity medications, after teasing the rollout late last year. The drugmaker said in an announcement that the program is aimed at supporting employer choice and enabling them to build the solution that works best for them and their workforces. It will launch with 15 independent program administrators as partners, which allows employers to select multiple models. (Minemyer, 3/5)
The New York Times: Most Patients Keep Weight Off With Fewer GLP-1 Shots, Study Finds
The doctor kept hearing the same story from his patients. After taking GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and finally shedding those excess pounds, some had gone a bit rogue. They began spacing out the shots instead of injecting themselves every week. And it seemed to be working, said Dr. Mitch Biermann, an obesity and internal medicine specialist at Scripps Clinic in San Diego. “By the time the third person told me they were taking it every second or third week and still maintaining their weight, I started recommending it to other patients,” he said. (Rabin, 3/4)
More pharma and tech developments —
AP: Top FDA Official Seeks To Hire Friend Pushing New Antidepressants Warning
The Food and Drug Administration’s top drug regulator, Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, is working to hire a researcher and friend who wants the agency to add new warnings to antidepressants about unproven pregnancy risks, The Associated Press has learned. Dr. Adam Urato, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and critic of antidepressant safety, is pressing the FDA to add a boxed warning to SSRIs, the drugs most commonly prescribed for depression. Urato’s petition says the medications can cause pregnancy complications, including miscarriages and fetal brain abnormalities that may lead to autism and other disorders in children. (Perrone, 3/4)
Stat: Cognito Raises $105 Million For Alzheimer’s Treatment Device
Cognito Therapeutics on Thursday said it has raised $105 million as it awaits clinical trial results it hopes will catapult its Alzheimer’s treatment device to Food and Drug Administration clearance. The Series C round was led by Morningside Ventures, IAG Capital Partners, and Starbloom Capital, with participation from new investors New Vintage, Apollo Health Ventures, and Benvolio Group. The company has raised $233 million to date. (Aguilar, 3/5)
Bloomberg: MiniMed IPO Draws Analyst Debate Over Valuation, Growth Prospects
MiniMed Group Inc., a maker of diabetes management devices that will be separated from health giant Medtronic Plc, is spurring debate among analysts over whether its growth prospects justify the valuation it’s seeking in an IPO. The Northridge, California-based company, which is targeting a raise of as much as $784 million in an initial public offering that’s pricing Thursday, plans to expand the reach of its portfolio of insulin pumps and glucose monitoring devices within the global diabetes market, its filings show. (Pernell, 3/4)
Bloomberg: Anti-Tobacco Groups Warn F1 Sponsorships May Expose Kids To Nicotine Products
Health groups are chastising Formula 1 for allowing teams to rekindle partnerships with tobacco companies, saying permitting cars to bear the logo of nicotine pouches from Philip Morris International Inc. and British American Tobacco Plc will encourage kids to try the products. More than 160 anti-tobacco and health organizations around the world wrote to the racing group’s leadership on Wednesday, asking Formula 1 to cut off ties. (Edney, 3/4)
