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☆ Roche says weight loss drug shows promising results in early trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Roche on Thursday said its experimental weight loss drug showed promising results in an early-stage trial, boosting the company's bid to compete in the booming market for those treatments. But its weekly weight loss injection, called CT-388, is still years away from entering the market. The treatment works by mimicking the effect of two gut hormones — GLP-1 and GIP — to suppress a person's appetite, just like Eli Lilly's popular weight loss drug Zepbound and diabetes injection Mounjaro. Scientists have hypothesized that targeting those two hormones could have a meaningful effect on weight loss and blood sugar levels with fewer side effects than drugs that only target GLP-1, such as Novo Nordisk's weight loss treatment Wegovy. Eli Lilly's Zepbound delivered up to 22% weight loss after 72 weeks, while Novo Nordisk's Wegovy has led to 15% weight loss after 68 weeks.

Persons: Roche, Eli Lilly, Roche's, —, Eli Lilly's, Eli Lilly's Zepbound, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy Organizations: Roche, AG, Carmot Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk's Locations: Basel, Switzerland, Swiss, Roche's, Novo

☆ The restaurant stocks that are killing it in this market have one thing in common
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

When a company performs well and I interview its CEO on CNBC, I consider the stock's performance before fashioning my questions. Maybe the company had been poorly run and the guest is a new CEO who is turning it around. Once Wood picks a stock, that company can do no wrong, which is code for she can do no wrong. And take it from me, an old Mexican restaurant veteran, it travels better than any other restaurant chain. We should have just bought Dutch Bros. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.)

Persons: Albert Manifold, Rather, That's, Chris Gibson, Jensen Huang, Huang, Gibson, Cathie Wood, Wood, that's, Brinker, Chipotle, Chipotle execs, Taco Bell, isn't, Yum, McDonald's, Laxman Narasimhan, Howard Schultz, let's, Narasimhan, Joe, Locker, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Al Drago Organizations: CNBC, Pharmaceuticals, Nvidia, ARK, Gallup, Darden, Diageo, Brands, KFC, Taco, Taco Bell, Texas, Starbucks, Management, Bros, Dutch Bros, Jim Cramer's Charitable, Starbucks Corp, Health, Education, Labor, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: United States, U.S, Dublin, Ireland, Europe, Texas, Olive, East, Israel, Washington , DC

☆ Healthy Returns: Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk make progress toward boosting weight loss drug supply
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Eduardo Munoz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A highly popular group of weight loss and diabetes drugs is still hard to find in the U.S. The dominant manufacturers of those treatments, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk , are making progress toward changing that. Patients using current autoinjectors for weight loss and diabetes drugs go through four different pens per month. Eli Lilly expects supply for Zepbound, Mounjaro and other incretin drugs to remain "quite tight" in the near- to mid-term as demand remains high, Ashkenazi said. On the day Eli Lilly reported earnings, shares of the company jumped more than 5% on the raised guidance and supply updates.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Anat Ashkenazi, There's, Ashkenazi, David Ricks, —, Lilly, Chris Schott Organizations: U.S, Novo Nordisk, Nexus Pharmaceuticals, JPMorgan Locations: North Carolina, Indiana, Ireland, Germany, Europe, U.S

☆ Amgen, newer rivals could threaten Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly's weight loss drug dominance
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Scott Olson | Getty Images | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Amgen is among the leaders of a pack of drugmakers racing to join the market with their own weight loss treatments. Amgen's drug, MariTide, is taken less frequently than Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound, and may cause longer-lasting weight loss than the market leaders' injections. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are also working on new weight loss drugs. The competition for a slice of the weight loss market has only grown more fierce in recent months. An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City, U.S., December 11, 2023.

Persons: NOVO.B, Scott Olson, Eli Lilly, Nordisk's Wegovy, Eli Lilly's Zepbound, Amgen, William Blair, Matt Phipps, Bob Bradley, Boehringer Ingelheim, Phipps, Zepbound, Chris Schott, MariTide, Mario Tama, he's, Eli Lilly drugs, CagriSema, Eli Lilly’s, Brendan McDermid, Boehringer, Ingelheim, survodutide, Pascal Soriot, Christopher Furlong, dealmaking, David Denton Organizations: New, Halstead Pharmacy, Getty, Novo Nordisk, Nordisk's, William Blair & Company, CNBC, Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Zealand Pharma, MariTide, Reuters, GLP, Pfizer, Eccogene Locations: Chicago , Illinois, Novo, Amgen, Thousand Oaks , California, New York City, U.S, Zealand, Macclesfield

☆ The global synthetic drugs crisis has hit West Africa, where people are digging up human bones to make a drug called 'kush'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Cemeteries are bolstering their security measures because gravediggers are stealing human bones to make powerful synthetic drugs, local journalists told Business Insider. AdvertisementA vendor sells daily necessities at a market in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Feb. 21, 2024. Formaldehyde also has euphoric properties, says the National Library of Medicine, which explains why kush users could be raiding Freetown's cemeteries. JOHN WESSELS | Getty ImagesJalloh noted that the use of synthetic drugs was not unique to Sierra Leone. ReutersIn 2015, BI's Erin Brodwin covered the rise of these synthetic drugs, marketed as "spice," "K2," "black mamba," or "crazy clown."

Persons: —, Sierra, Julius Maada, Michael Cole, Sally Hayden, JOHN WESSELS, Cole, Mabinty Magdalene Kamar, Abdul Jalloh, HUGH KINSELLA CUNNINGHAM, Thomas Dixon, Jalloh, Salifu Kamara, kush, BI's Erin Brodwin, Brodwin, tranq Organizations: Service, Business, Xinhua News Agency, Getty, Anglia Ruskin University, The Irish Times, National Library of Medicine, Politico, Sierra, Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital, Police, Getty Images Local, Salone Times, BBC, Freetown Police Force, National Drug Agency, NPR, Guardian, Disease Control, Prevention, Reuters, Financial Times Locations: Freetown, African, Sierra Leone, West Africa, Mabinty, Waterloo , Sierra Leone, kush, New York City, New York, Kensington, North Philadelphia

☆ Amgen stock soars on weight loss injection progress as Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly shares slide
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That fueled investor concerns about new competition in the rapidly growing weight loss drug industry, sending shares of the current obesity players, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly , lower on Friday. Eli Lilly shares dropped nearly 3%, while Novo Nordisk's U.S.-traded shares fell more than 1%. Still, investors were pleased with Eli Lilly on Tuesday after the company assured them it can overcome ongoing supply constraints for its popular drugs. Eli Lilly hiked its full-year guidance in part due to optimism around increased production of Zepbound, its diabetes injection Mounjaro and similar drugs for the rest of the year. That signals Novo Nordisk is struggling to meet demand for the treatment.

Persons: Amgen, Eli Lilly, Bob Bradway, Bradway, Jay Bradner, autoinjector, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, Eli Lilly's Zepbound, William Blair, Matt Phipps, Michael Yee, Amgen's Bradway, Karsten Munk Knudsen Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk's, Jefferies, MariTide, Nordisk Locations: Novo Nordisk's U.S, North Carolina, Indiana, Ireland, Germany, U.S

☆ How Technology Has Outpaced the Law
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( German Lopez | More About German Lopez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was reasonable to expect the number of abortions in the U.S. to decline. The dynamic encapsulates a broader trend: The combination of a relatively new technology (the web) and an old one (the mail) has made it easier for Americans to bypass laws that they don’t like. Gun owners assemble untraceable firearms, known as ghost guns, from parts ordered online or made with 3-D printers, another relatively new technology. Today’s newsletter will cover some of the ways that technology has outpaced the law. The number of ghost guns seized at crime scenes increased more than tenfold from 2016 to 2021.

Persons: Roe, Fentanyl’s Organizations: U.S . Gun Locations: Florida, U.S, China, India

☆ Amgen scraps experimental weight loss pill, moves forward with injection
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Amgen on Thursday said it will stop developing its experimental weight loss pill and instead move forward with its injectable drug and other products in development for obesity. Amgen is developing an injectable obesity treatment called MariTide, which is an ongoing mid-stage trial in obese or overweight adults without diabetes. The drugmaker's oral drug, called AMG-786, is the second weight loss pill to be discontinued over the last year. Investors are laser-focused on Amgen's pipeline of experimental weight loss treatments. Amgen's injectable treatment also appears to help patients keep weight off after they stop taking it based on some clinical trial data.

Persons: Amgen, Eli Lilly, Jay Bradner, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, Eli Lilly's Zepbound, Zepbound Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Novo Nordisk's Locations: Amgen, Thousand Oaks , California, MariTide, Novo

☆ FTC challenges 'junk' patents held by 10 drugmakers, including for Novo Nordisk's Ozempic
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday said it is challenging hundreds of alleged "junk" patents held by pharmaceutical companies for 20 brand-name drugs, including Novo Nordisk's blockbuster drugs Ozempic, Saxenda and Victoza. The FTC issued letters to 10 companies, warning them that certain drug patents were improperly listed. Many of the drug patents are for Type 2 diabetes, along with asthma and inhalers for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. Generic drugmakers can only launch cheaper versions of a branded drug if the patents have expired or are successfully challenged in court. The FTC first challenged dozens of branded drug patents last fall, leading three drugmakers to comply and delist their patents with the FDA.

Persons: Novo, Boehringer, Lina Khan, Biden, drugmakers, Joe Biden's Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, Covis Pharma, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Food and Drug Administration, FDA Locations: U.S

☆ Judge rejects J&J, Bristol Myers Squibb challenges to Medicare drug-price negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A federal judge in New Jersey on Monday rejected Johnson & Johnson 's and Bristol Myers Squibb 's legal challenges to the Biden administration's Medicare drug-price negotiations, ruling that the program is constitutional. J&J and Bristol Myers Squibb did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling. J&J, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novo Nordisk and Novartis presented their oral arguments before Quraishi during the same hearing in March. That same month, a federal judge in Delaware rejected AstraZeneca's separate lawsuit challenging the negotiations. In Texas, a third federal judge tossed a separate lawsuit in February.

Persons: Johnson, Bristol Myers, Joe Biden's, Zahid Quraishi, Quraishi, Bristol Myers Squibb's, AstraZeneca's Organizations: Bristol, Bristol Myers Squibb, Biden, White, Supreme, Final, of New, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Chamber of Commerce Locations: New Jersey, U.S, of New Jersey, Delaware, Texas, Ohio

☆ Supreme Court to hear Trump immunity claim in election interference case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Supreme Court on Thursday is set to consider whether former President Donald Trump is immune from federal prosecution on criminal election interference charges. Along with Smith's case in Washington, D.C., Trump is charged in Georgia with attempting to reverse his loss to Biden in that state's 2020 contest. Trump will not be at the Supreme Court to hear the oral arguments because he is required to attend his New York criminal trial. ET before the nine justices, three of whom were nominated by Trump during his one term as president. The Supreme Court agreed to take up the case after two lower courts rejected Trump's claim that he is immune from the indictment being prosecuted by Smith.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith's, Joe Biden, Trump, Smith Organizations: Defense Department, HHS, White, Trump, Washington , D.C, Biden, Supreme Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington ,, Georgia, Manhattan, York

☆ Walgreens to help bring cell and gene therapies to patients as it expands specialty pharmacy services
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Walgreens on Thursday said it will start to work directly with drugmakers to bring cell and gene therapies to U.S. patients as part of a broader expansion of its specialty pharmacy services. The company said it is launching a new business unit dedicated to its specialty pharmacy segment, which will include specialty pharmacy subsidiary AllianceRx. Meanwhile, Shields Health Solutions, a subsidiary that supports health system-owned specialty pharmacies, will remain under Walgreens's U.S. health-care division. Specialty pharmacies provide medications that require extreme care in handling, storage and distribution. Among the company's new investments to "transform" its specialty pharmacy services, it will open a newly licensed facility in Pittsburgh dedicated to services for cell and gene therapies.

Persons: drugmakers Organizations: Walgreens, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Shields Health Solutions, Walgreens's Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Pittsburgh

☆ McKinsey advised drug companies on how to 'turbocharge' opioid sales. Now it's under criminal investigation.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Department of Justice is investigating McKinsey for advising opioid producers on boosting sales. The firm previously paid nearly $1 billion to resolve lawsuits related to its opioid work. The investigation is also looking at potential obstruction of justice by McKinsey and its employees. News of the investigation underscores how McKinsey's opioid work — which the firm said it stopped in 2019 — continues to plague the consultancy. In a 2018 email, for example, a since-fired McKinsey executive wrote to another senior executive about the firm's legal risk.

Persons: —, Endo, Martin Elling Organizations: Justice, McKinsey, Service, McKinsey & Company, US Department of Justice, Street, Purdue Pharma, DOJ, of, Purdue Locations: Virginia, Western, of Virginia, of Massachusetts, Seattle

☆ Millennials are a lot better off financially than you may realize
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In today's big story, we're looking at how millennials have seen their wealth explode over the past few years. Millennials, the oft-maligned generation , are a lot better off financially than you might realize. A new report found millennials saw their wealth double from the end of 2019 through 2023, writes BI's Juliana Kaplan. Whatever the case, millennials' wealth can keep growing. The Department of Justice is investigating the consultancy for its past work advising opioid companies about how to boost their sales , The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Persons: —, Iurii Garmash, Tyler Le, millennials, BI's Juliana Kaplan, Harry Potter fanfiction didn't, Millennials, Gen Xers, eyeing, Juliana Kaplan, Gen, Chelsea Jia Feng, Jamie Dimon, Devin Nunes, Mark Zuckerberg, they've, There's, Nathan Congleton, Blackstone, Donald Trump's, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Studio, Getty, millennials, Slaven, The New York Times, Nvidia, Trump Media, House Republicans, Meta, Green, Getty Images Google, Apollo, KKR, Justice, Street, Wednesday, McKinsey, NFL, US Locations: That's, Chelsea, premarket, NBCU, New York, London

☆ Another perk of weight-loss drugs? Eli Lilly's Zepbound may alleviate sleep apnea, too
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

GLP-1 drugs were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes. Drugmakers are discovering the injections may also aid weight loss, heart issues, and sleep apnea. AdvertisementAnother new indication for injectable GLP-1 drugs: better sleep. On Wednesday, drugmaker Eli Lilly announced positive results from a large, phase-3 clinical trial, testing Zepbound (the drug name for tirzepatide) as a treatment for sleep apnea. Related storyAlready, GLP-1 drugs have been indicated for the treatment of:ObesityHeart diseaseAdvertisementIn clinical trials, GLP-1 drugs have also shown some promise for treating other conditions, including:Non-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseAddictionDepressionParkinson's and Alzheimer'sCancerThese breakthroughs may be tied to the gut-brain connectionScientists think that the main reason GLP-1 drugs work well is because of their effect on our body's gut-brain connection.

Persons: —, drugmaker Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly, KATERYNA, Daniel Drucker, GLP, Eric Topol Organizations: Service, Food and Drug Administration, American Diabetes Association, University of Toronto

☆ Sanofi to settle 4,000 Zantac cancer lawsuits in US state courts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Sanofi has reached an agreement in principle to settle 4,000 US lawsuits linking the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac to cancer, the company said on Wednesday. Sanofi still faces about 20,000 lawsuits over Zantac in Delaware state court. That judge concluded that the opinions of the plaintiffs’ expert witnesses that Zantac can cause cancer were not supported by sound science. “We are pushing forward aggressively against GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim and are preparing for multiple trials in California state court this year,” Moore said. Lawsuits began piling up from people who said they developed cancer after taking Zantac.

Persons: Sanofi, “ Sanofi, Boehringer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Jennifer Moore, Brent Wisner, ” Moore, Zantac, ranitidine Organizations: Court, Sanofi, GSK, Pfizer, Boehringer, US Food and Drug Administration Locations: Delaware, Zantac, Wilmington, Florida, California

☆ Diabetes drug similar to Ozempic helped slow progression of Parkinson's disease in small trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A highly popular class of drugs for diabetes and obesity is showing early potential to help patients with Parkinson's disease, too. But more research is needed to determine whether newer iterations of GLP-1s from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly may also help Parkinson's patients. The trial followed 156 people with early Parkinson's disease for a year. But one group was given an additional daily injection of Sanofi's drug, while the other was given a placebo. But use of Sanofi's drug was associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal side effects, which are common across all GLP-1s.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Sanofi, drugmaker Organizations: Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, The New England, French Ministry of Health, Prevention, CNBC Locations: Novo, France, The

☆ A new Ozempic rival helps patients lose fat, but keep their muscle — the holy grail for a weight-loss drug
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new GLP-1 drug, pemvidutide, helped patients lose fat while guarding muscle, like exercise does. That's impressive when you compare it to existing GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide), or Mounjaro and Zepbound (tirzepatide). This is why doctors recommend patients on weight loss drugs do some strength training in tandem with their medication. Pemvidutide, like tirzepatide is a two-part drug that combines a GLP-1 drug with another drug in a single shot. "There is a growing appreciation that the quality of weight loss is as important as the quantity of weight loss," Scott Harris, Altimmune's chief medical officer, said in a release.

Persons: Drugmakers Eli Lilly, —, Drugmaker Altimmune, Altimmune, Scott Harris, Eli Lilly, FierceBiotech, Versanis Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Service Locations: Altimmune, GLP

☆ Novo Nordisk's $1,000 diabetes drug Ozempic can be made for less than $5 a month, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic could be manufactured for less than $5 a month, even as Novo Nordisk charges close to $1,000 per month for the injection in the U.S. before insurance, a study released Wednesday suggests. The study also comes after years of political pressure on Novo Nordisk and other drugmakers to slash high costs of diabetes care, especially insulin. Ozempic can generally be produced for less than various forms of insulin, according to the study published in JAMA Network Open. Novo Nordisk's list price for a monthly package of Ozempic is $935.77 before insurance and other rebates. In a statement on Wednesday, Novo Nordisk declined to provide production costs for Ozempic and its weight loss drug counterpart Wegovy.

Organizations: Nordisk, Yale University, King's College Hospital, Novo Nordisk, JAMA, Ozempic, University of Liverpool Locations: U.S, London

☆ Altimmune says weight loss drug minimized muscle loss in trial results, which may set it apart
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Some health experts have said that obesity drugs could shrink critical muscle mass, which could raise the risk of injuries and decrease strength. Those results are similar to those often seen with diet and exercise programs for weight loss. "There is a growing appreciation that the quality of weight loss is as important as the quantity of weight loss." For example, Eli Lilly is testing whether combining its weight loss drug with a monoclonal antibody from Versanis Bio might help patients lose weight while preserving muscle mass. The pharmaceutical giant recently acquired Versanis, which is part of a slate of companies targeting the muscle-loss aspect of weight loss.

Persons: Altimmune, Eli Lilly, Scott Harris Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk's Ozempic Locations: Altimmune's, Novo

☆ Amgen wants in on the booming weight loss drug market — and it's taking a different approach
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Mario Tama | Getty ImagesAmgen is taking a new approach as it tries to stand out in a crowded field of drugmakers racing to develop the next blockbuster weight loss drug. It's too early to say how competitive Amgen will be in the budding weight loss drug space, which Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have so far dominated. Goldman Sachs also projects that between 10 million and 70 million Americans will be taking weight loss drugs by 2028. The sustained weight loss in Amgen's study appears to contrast with results seen in clinical trials on Zepbound and Wegovy. An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City, U.S., December 11, 2023.

Persons: Mario Tama, Eli Lilly, Goldman Sachs, Zepbound, Eli Lilly's, Amgen's MartiTide, Caroline Apovian, Apovian, Joe Buglewicz, MariTide, Holly Lofton, Eli Lilly’s, Brendan McDermid, Reuters Amgen's, William Blair, Matt Phipps, Phipps Organizations: Getty, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Viking Therapeutics, Therapeutics, Zealand Pharma, Boehringer, Center, Weight Management, Wellness, Brigham, Women's, Washington Post, NYU Langone Health, Reuters, William Blair & Company, CNBC Locations: Thousand Oaks , California, Oaks , California, Novo, New York City, U.S

☆ Medicare can now cover certain weight loss drugs in a big step for patients
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Medicare can start covering certain weight loss drugs for the first time — as long as they are approved for an added health benefit, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Thursday. Medicare prescription drug plans administered by private insurers, known as Part D, currently cannot cover those drugs for weight loss alone. A provision of a 2003 law established that Medicare Part D plans can't cover drugs used for weight loss, but the program does cover obesity screening, behavioral counseling and bariatric surgery. A CMS spokesperson told CNBC last week that Medicaid programs would be required to cover Wegovy specifically for its new cardiovascular use. Around 1 in 5 state Medicaid programs currently cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.

Persons: Ozempic, Eli Lilly Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Medicare, Centers, Services, Drug, Food and Drug Administration, CVS, Aetna, International Foundation of Employee, CNBC, FDA Locations: London, Britain, U.S

☆ Weight loss drug Wegovy is now approved for heart health — but that won't mean broad insurance coverage just yet
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

The blockbuster drug — one of a handful of weight loss treatments to skyrocket in popularity over the last year — is now approved in the U.S. for heart health, too. The spokesperson added that state Medicaid programs would be required to cover Wegovy for its new cardiovascular use. But Gremminger said the standard of care for the long-term use of weight loss drugs is "in flux." State employees will no longer have insurance coverage for GLP-1s when used for weight loss at the beginning of next month. Both drugmakers have launched programs to help patients, with or without commercial insurance coverage, afford their weight loss treatments.

Persons: Klesty, John Crable, Wegovy, Jaime Almandoz, Joe Buglewicz, Shawn Gremminger, Hartley, Gremminger, Dale Folwell, We've, Folwell, Phelan M, Eli Lilly, Ceci Connolly, Julie Stich Organizations: Reuters, Novo Nordisk, CNBC, Medicare, Services, FDA, CVS, Aetna, International Foundation of Employee, Drug Administration, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Washington Post, Getty, National Alliance of Healthcare, Taft, Nordisk, Nordisk's Ozempic, GOP, Carolina, Republican Governors Association, AP, Alliance of Community Health, U.S . Health, IFEBP, BMI Locations: U.S, Novo, Dallas, North Carolina, Orlando , Florida

☆ Exclusive: Ex-Truepill CEO just scored $6 million to help health plans and pharma companies ditch middlemen and work closely with patients
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He's launched a new company, Foundation Health, to help them do that quickly and at a low cost. Foundation aims to make it easy for insurers to set up their own online pharmacies and pharma companies to sell drugs directly to consumers. "The main focus area for us is to help health plans disintermediate PBMs," Afridi said. Foundation Health wants to help customers ditch big PBMsFoundation's software enables a few different things. Finally, direct-to-consumer health companies can plug into Foundation's technology to power their services, instead of building their own pharmacies and hiring doctors.

Persons: Umar Afridi, disruptors, Afridi, He's, disintermediate, Garry Tan, Y, they've, pocketing, Eli Lilly's, Jack Altman Organizations: California, Cuban, Plus, Business, Foundation Health, Foundation, pharma, Alt, Liquid Ventures, Exceptional, Storm Ventures, PageOne Ventures, Federal Trade Commission Locations: drugmakers

☆ Pfizer is betting big on cancer drugs to turn business around after Covid decline – here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Now, the company is betting on cancer drugs to help it regain its footing after a rocky year marked by the rapid decline of its Covid business. That $43 billion Seagen acquisition doubled Pfizer's oncology drug pipeline to 60 different experimental programs. Some analysts noted that it might take a few years for some of Pfizer's cancer drugs in mid-stage development to show pivotal clinical trial data and become less risky. Revenue from the blockbuster breast cancer drug Ibrance and prostate cancer treatment Xtandi, which Pfizer shares with Astellas Pharma, has declined over the past year. They are among the most expensive prescription drugs in the U.S. Before the Seagen deal, 94% of Pfizer's cancer products were small-molecule drugs.

Persons: Wall, Seagen, Chris Boshoff, Boshoff, David Ryder, Trung Huynh, Joe Biden's, Chris Schott, Suneet Varma, RemeGe, Merck, Padcev, Guggenheim, Pfizer's, Pfizer hasn't, Dr, Mikael Dolsten, Irfan Khan Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, Pfizer, Astellas Pharma, Guggenheim, Bloomberg, UBS, Medicare, Drug Administration, FDA, ADC, JPMorgan, Drugs, CNBC, CVS Pharmacy, Los Angeles Times Locations: Covid, Bothell , Washington, U.S, biologics, China, Eagle Rock , California

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