Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA To End Last Medical Research Project Involving Primates This Month
Military.Com: VA To End Medical Research On Primates As Animal Rights Group Cheers The Move
The Department of Veterans Affairs will end its spinal cord research involving monkeys this month, with the conclusion of studies on stem cell therapy to treat injuries and understand the impact of bruising on spinal cords. The completion wraps up decades of VA research using primates to study a host of medical conditions and treatments, coming at the end of a long effort by activists and lawmakers to halt studies that harm dogs, cats and primates. (Kime, 6/23)
In pharmaceutical news —
The Wall Street Journal: AstraZeneca’s Datroway Approved To Treat Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In U.S.
AstraZeneca’s Datroway drug has been approved in the U.S. to treat adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The British pharmaceutical company said Tuesday that the drug has been approved for patients who have already received chemotherapy. The drug has been approved under an accelerated approval process after a Phase 2 trial, and supported by data from a Phase 3 trial. However, continued approval might be contingent upon verification of clinical benefits in a confirmatory trial, the company said. (Whittaker, 6/24)
Fox News: Diabetes Medications Like Ozempic Associated With Higher Vision Loss Risk
Diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss in people between 18 and 64 years old, according to the American Diabetes Association — and the best way to prevent this is to control blood sugar levels. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, have become popular medications for controlling diabetes and treating obesity — but new Canadian research suggests they can also lead to a paradoxical side effect in the form of eye problems. (Sudhakar, 6/23)
Bloomberg: Weight-Loss Drugs: Novo Exits Hims Partnership
Novo Nordisk A/S scrapped a partnership with Hims & Hers Health Inc. after less than two months, saying the US company is using “deceptive marketing” to sell copycat versions of its obesity blockbuster Wegovy. Hims, a telehealth platform, wasn’t stepping back enough from its practice of mass marketing off-brand imitations of the weight-loss medicine, Novo executives said. (Kresge and Muller, 6/24)
NBC News: Monthly Weight Loss Drug Helps People Lose 20% Of Body Weight, Trial Finds
A monthly weight loss drug from Amgen helped people lose about 20% of their body weight, according to the results of a phase 2 clinical trial. If approved, the drug, called MariTide, could make Amgen the first new entrant into a market that’s been dominated by Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic and Wegovy, and Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro and Zepbound. (Lovelace Jr., 6/23)
