Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: Weight-Loss Drug Wegovy Reduces Risk Of Heart Troubles By 20%
The Wall Street Journal: Weight-Loss Drug Wegovy Cuts Stroke, Heart-Attack Risk By 20% In New Study
Novo Nordisk’s anti-obesity drug Wegovy not only helped people lose weight but also reduced their risk of suffering heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths by 20% in a large study. The results provide evidence that the weight loss that Wegovy delivers can have important secondary benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health, in people who don’t have diabetes. Novo and other companies are studying whether these types of drugs can treat sleep apnea, liver disease and chronic kidney disease. (Loftus, 8/8)
Stat: Wegovy’s Successful Heart Trial Raises Vital Question About Weight Loss
A landmark study that found the blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy reduces the chance of heart problems adds urgency to a basic question in medicine: what exactly is the relationship between weight and health? (Chen and Garde, 8/9)
The Washington Post: Patients Grapple With Side Effects Of Popular Weight-Loss Drugs
After years of fad diets and even gastric bypass surgery, Robin Demoy turned to the weight-loss drug Wegovy. The once-a-week injection helped the New Hampshire travel agent shed more than 60 pounds. But when she got up one morning several weeks ago, Demoy was so dizzy it felt like she had motion sickness. Her legs turned weak, and she was nauseous. She vomited and had little desire to eat for weeks. (Ovalle and McGinley, 8/8)
CNBC: Eli Lilly CEO's Top Priority Is Meeting Demand For Mounjaro And Drugs
Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks told CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Tuesday his top priority was to meet demand for the company’s drug, Mounjaro, which is currently only approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat diabetes but is expected to soon be cleared to treat obesity, along with other health conditions. (Coleman, 8/8)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Axios: Pentagon Starts Independent Generic Drug Safety Tests
The Pentagon is turning to the independent testing lab Valisure to assess the quality and safety of generic drugs given to service members and veterans amid supply chain issues and shortages of certain treatments. (Bettelheim, 8/8)
Stat: More Drugmakers File Continuation Patents That Sideline Generics
Amid concerns that the pharmaceutical industry unfairly wins monopolies on medicines, a new analysis finds there has been a whopping 200% increase in patents filed by companies that made few substantive changes to their drugs during a 15-year period. (Silverman, 8/8)
Stat: Why Failed Clinical Trials Don’t Always Spell Doom For A New Drug
When a clinical trial readout for what seemed a promising drug comes back negative, investors often contemplate jumping ship and companies wonder if continuing to pursue regulators’ approval is worth the trouble. But while a failed trial might be bad news, it isn’t always an automatic deal killer for a new drug. (Goode, 8/9)
Reuters: Emergent BioSolutions To Lay Off About 400 Employees
Emergent BioSolutions on Tuesday decided to cut 400 jobs and scale back operations at some its facilities, pivoting its focus on core products such as overdose reversal nasal spray Narcan and anthrax vaccines. The company said it will reduce operations at Bayview, Baltimore and Canton, Massachusetts, and do away with the chief operating officer role, in an effort to move away from contract drug development and manufacturing business. (8/8)
