Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
You'll Lose More Weight And Do It Faster With Mounjaro, Data Show
Reuters: Lilly's Mounjaro Leads To More And Faster Weight Loss Than Novo Obesity Drug, Data Analysis Finds
Overweight or obese adults lost more weight and shed pounds faster using Eli Lilly's Mounjaro than those taking Novo Nordisk's popular rival weight loss drug, according to an analysis of health records and other data. Within one year of starting treatment, 42.3% of those taking tirzepatide - the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound - had lost at least 15% of their weight, compared with 19.3% among patients taking semaglutide - the main ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, the study published on medRxiv in advance of peer review found. (Lapid, 11/27)
In related news about menopause treatments —
The New York Times: A New Match For Menopausal Weight Gain: Ozempic
Kymberly Smith had had enough. It was February 2020, and she was grieving the sudden death of her husband when Covid lockdowns began. She was alone, without any access to her support network, and she was “in the throes of menopause.” Eventually, Ms. Smith, 57, started using antidepressants for her grief. She was also on hormone therapy to ease her constant hot flashes and disruptive night sweats. But when it came to the 20 pounds she had gained, around her belly, she “just couldn’t shake it away.” (Gupta and Blum, 11/27)
Stat: Estrogen Hormone Treatment Research Proposal Gets FDA Feedback
Hormone replacement therapies have long been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use by cisgender patients, such as women who take estrogen when going through menopause. Now, for the first time, a nonprofit group is pursuing research with the goal of FDA approval for the use of estrogen as a gender-affirming treatment for trans and gender-diverse patients. (Gaffney, 11/28)
In other news —
Stat: Springworks Wins FDA Approval For Drug To Treat Desmoid Tumors
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the first treatment for people with desmoid tumors, a localized cancer that invades soft tissue and muscle. The new drug, called Ogsiveo, is made by Springworks Therapeutics. It’s the company’s first approved medicine. (Feuerstein, 11/27)
Stat: With Clinical Trial Data Readouts, Here's How To Spot Spin
Investors, analysts, doctors, and even patients face an avalanche of news from biotech companies about their human trials of experimental drugs, and wading through all that data to draw reasonable conclusions is a challenging task. This week, STAT has published a 2023 update of its Guide to Interpreting Clinical Trial Results, which can help consumers of company readouts navigate the process. (11/28)
Stat: Most Clinical Trials In Canada Failed To Take Basic Transparency Steps
Just 3% of more than 3,700 studies run exclusively in Canada over a recent 10-year period were registered prospectively, reported results, and published the findings, underscoring ongoing concerns about clinical trial transparency, according to a new analysis. (Silverman, 11/27)
The Atlantic: The First CRISPR Therapy Is Here
When Victoria Gray was still a baby, she started howling so inconsolably during a bath that she was rushed to the emergency room. The diagnosis was sickle-cell disease, a genetic condition that causes bouts of excruciating pain ... Four years ago, she joined a groundbreaking clinical trial that would change her life. She became the first sickle-cell patient to be treated with the gene-editing technology CRISPR—and one of the first humans to be treated with CRISPR, period. (Zhang, 11/27)
Stat: Antibiotic Sales For Food-Producing Animals Dropped By 53% In Europe In Last Decade
Amid concerns over the use of medically important antibiotics given to food-producing livestock, sales of veterinary medicines across Europe dropped by 53% between 2011 and 2022, which regulators reported is the biggest drop ever recorded and a sign that campaigns to reduce usage are working. (Silverman, 11/27)
CBS News: Study: Fatty Acid Found In Some Red Meat Can Help Fight Cancer
Researchers at the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division found that trans-vaccenic acid (TVA) – a long-chain fatty acid in meat and dairy products from grazing animals like cows and sheep – improves the ability of CD8+ T cells in the immune system infiltrate tumors and kill cancer cells. The research was published last week in the journal Nature. It shows in addition that people with higher levels of TVA circulating in their blood responded better to immunotherapy. (Harrington, 11/27)
The New York Times: New Zealand’s New Government Says It Will Scrap Smoking Ban
New Zealand’s new right-wing government has said it will repeal a law that would have gradually banned all cigarette sales in the country over the course of several decades. The law, passed by a previous government led by Jacinda Ardern, a prime minister who became an international liberal icon, took effect this year and was celebrated as a potential model that other countries might someday follow. It would have gradually introduced changes in retail cigarette sales and licensing over several years until tobacco could eventually no longer be legally sold in New Zealand. (Ives and Frost, 11/28)
