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☆ Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk raises outlook as sales of its weight-loss drug soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A selection of injector pens for the Saxenda weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. The company's diabetes and obesity division performed particularly well, bolstered by interest in its blockbuster injection Wegovy. Novo Nordisk , which makes the weight-loss drug Wegovy, raised its outlook for 2023 Thursday, as it reported soaring sales. For 2023, the company now anticipates sales growth of 27%-33% and operating profit growth of 31%-37%, at constant exchange rates. The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide, an FDA-approved drug that works by imitating a naturally-occurring gut hormone that helps to regulate appetite.

Persons: Wegovy, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, — Sam Meredith Organizations: Novo Nordisk, FDA Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Danish

☆ Insurers face long road, high cost to cover obesity drugs after promising Wegovy heart health data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

There is likely a long way to go before the U.S. sees increased insurance coverage for obesity drugs. While the trial results demonstrate that obesity drugs may have significant health benefits beyond shedding unwanted pounds, organizations representing U.S. insurers emphasized that the data is still preliminary. "Health insurance providers will continue to analyze new evidence as it becomes available," he added. Ceci Connolly, CEO of the Alliance of Community Health Plans, acknowledged the promise of the data but said "outrageous prices should give everyone pause." The organization represents regional, community-based health plans that cover more than 18 million Americans across the U.S.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Wegovy, Eli Lilly, David Allen, Ceci Connolly, Jared Holz, It's, Debra Tyler's, Joe Buglewicz, Eduardo Grunvald, George Frey, UCSD's Gunvald, Eli, Ethan Lazarus, Lazarus Organizations: Reuters Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk, America's Health, Alliance of Community Health, U.S, Drugs, Pfizer, Medicare, CVS, Aetna, CNBC, Washington Post, Getty, UCSD Health's Center, International Foundation of Employee, University of Texas System, UTS, Novo, Reuters, Obesity Medicine Association, New England, of Medicine Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Mizuho, Killingworth, Conn, Texas

☆ Exclusive: UK probes Novo's Ozempic, weight-loss drug Saxenda over suicidal, self-harming thoughts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Saxenda is Novo's older GLP-1 drug and has lower effectiveness than its newer obesity treatment Wegovy, which contains semaglutide. Novo told Reuters it had received a request on Monday from the MHRA about the agency's review of potential suicidal and self-harming thoughts related to GLP-1 drugs. The MHRA said AstraZeneca's GLP-1 drug for type 2 diabetes, called exenatide and marketed as Bydureon, was also included in the review. The MHRA said that two other GLP-1 drugs, Sanofi's (SASY.PA) lixisenatide and Eli Lilly's (LLY.N) dulaglutide, were also included. It is also investigating GLP-1 drugs for possible risk of thyroid cancer.

Persons: Novo, AstraZeneca's GLP, lixisenatide, Eli Lilly's, Sanofi, Eli Lilly, liraglutide, Alison Cave, Novo's, MHRA, Ozempic, GLP, Maggie Fick, Josephine Mason, Mark Potter, Jane Merriman Organizations: Novo Nordisk, European Union, The Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Reuters, AstraZeneca, European Medicines Agency, Thomson Locations: Britain, Europe, United States

☆ UK investigates weight loss, diabetes drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic for suicide risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Packages of the weight-loss drug Wegovy from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk lie on the sales counter in a Danish pharmacy. U.K. health authorities on Wednesday said they are reviewing obesity and diabetes drugs like Novo Nordisk 's Wegovy and Ozempic after some patients who took the treatments reported thoughts of suicide or self-harm. The MHRA said the review includes all obesity and diabetes drugs available in the U.K. Aside from Ozempic and Wegovy, it includes Novo Nordisk's other weight loss drug Saxenda. Other diabetes drugs like AstraZeneca 's Bydureon, Eli Lilly 's Trulicity and Sanofi 's Lyxumia are also included in the probe. Novo Nordisk said in a statement that it received a review request from the MHRA on Monday.

Persons: MHRA, Eli Lilly, Sanofi Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Nordisk, Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, CNBC, European Union, AstraZeneca, Reuters Locations: Danish, U.S, Novo

☆ 2 huge employers just said they're dumping Wegovy from their health plans. It's a sign of a crackdown on popular weight-loss drugs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Ascension and the University of Texas System are set to stop paying for workers' weight-loss drugs. Jenny started taking the popular weight-loss injection Wegovy in February and saw results almost immediately. picture alliance/Getty ImagesThe crackdown on insurance coverage for weight-loss drugs may be just beginning. Renee Rayburg, a consultant at Pharmaceutical Strategies Group who helps companies manage their spending on prescription drugs, said she hadn't seen many employers retreat completely from covering weight-loss drugs, as Ascension is doing. Any weight-loss drugs that hit the market in the future would also be excluded.

Persons: Jenny, Wegovy, Ascension, Renee Rayburg, hadn't, Saxenda, Angela Fitch, Fitch, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, Getty, Marianne Ayala, Tracy Spencer, Spencer, Drugmakers, haven't, she's, that's Organizations: University of Texas, Companies, Pharmaceutical, Group, PSG, Wegovy, UT, Obesity Medicine Association . Obesity Medicine, Obesity Medicine Association, Food, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, Novo Nordisk

☆ What investors need to know about weight loss medicines and suicide risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Investors would be forgiven if talk of a potential suicide risk associated with a new class of diabetes and weight loss drugs led to skittishness last week. Prior attempts to treat overweight or obese patients with medications were often plagued with side effects and drug recalls. The first is that most obesity drugs, including GLP-1s, are "centrally acting," which means they work on a patient's brain. The second is that prior obesity drugs have been withdrawn because of high rates of psychiatric disorders, he said, citing Sanofi's Acomplia as one of the more recent examples. This was not the case for the GLP-1 medications.

Persons: skittishness, Eli Lilly's Trulicity, Lilly's, Wolfe, Tim Anderson, Anderson, Sanofi's Acomplia, Eli Lilly, Wolfe's Anderson, Colin Bristow, Lilly, LLY's, Peter Verdult, Wegovy, Verdult, Bristow, Emmanuel Papadakis, Papadakis, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Nordisk's Ozempic, Wall Street, European Medicines Agency, EMA, Wolfe Research, FDA, UBS, Citi, Novo Nordisk, Deutsche Bank, Prevention Locations: United States, U.S

Wegovy is a weekly injection that can help patients shed 15% of their weight alongside diet and exercise changes. Walgreens (WBA.O), one of the biggest U.S. pharmacies, is experiencing supply shortages for the higher strengths, spokesperson Erin Loverher confirmed. Doctors in six U.S. states told Reuters patients are reporting problems filling their prescriptions for the higher doses. Three of the doctors said supply delays at pharmacies had resulted in patients missing their Wegovy injections at the prescribed weekly interval. "Patients are often having to delay their injections because it's harder for pharmacies to get Wegovy in stock," he said.

Persons: Erin Loverher, Novo, Alicia Shelly, Shelly, Robert Kushner, Wegovy, Kushner, Denise Wells, Wells, Holly Lofton, New York University Langone, Disha Narang, Narang, Maggie Fick, Patrick Wingrove, Elissa Welle, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Walgreens, Wellstar, Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, Amazon Pharmacy, New York University, Northwestern Medicine, Barclays Research, Novo, Thomson Locations: U.S, Danish, Georgia, Chicago, Michigan, Chicago , New York, San Francisco, Detroit, Atlanta, Charlottesville , Virginia, London, New York

☆ EU expands Wegovy, Ozempic probe over suicide risks to include other weight loss, diabetes drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this photo illustration, boxes of the diabetes drug Ozempic rest on a pharmacy counter on April 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. But it could potentially include Eli Lilly 's diabetes drug Mounjaro, which is approved in the EU. Liraglutide is the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's weight loss drug Saxenda. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in the Danish company's weight loss injection, Wegovy, and its diabetes counterpart, Ozempic. They mimic a hormone produced in the gut called GLP-1 to suppress a person's appetite and ultimately aid with weight loss.

Persons: Eli Lilly, It's, Liraglutide, Semaglutide, ideation Organizations: Novo Nordisk, European Medicines Agency, Pfizer, EMA, CNBC, Icelandic Medicines Agency, Novo Nordisk's Saxenda, Food and Drug Administration Locations: Los Angeles , California, Danish, Wegovy's, U.S

☆ Exclusive: Most patients using weight-loss drugs like Wegovy stop within a year, data show
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Chad Terhune | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The annual cost of overall care for patients prior to taking Wegovy or a similar drug was $12,371, on average, according to the analysis. The costs for a similar control group of patients not taking the drugs decreased by 4% over the same period. The analysis by Prime Therapeutics, a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM), reviewed pharmacy and medical claims data for 4,255 people with commercial health plans. For the analysis, Prime Therapeutics excluded patients with type 2 diabetes to focus on obesity treatment. In trials with adults, Novo found that 6.8% of patients taking Wegovy discontinued treatment due to gastrointestinal problems and other adverse events.

Persons: Wegovy, Khrysta Baig, Patrick Gleason, Novo, aren't, Gleason, David Lassen, Lassen, Chad Terhune, Michele Gershberg, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Vanderbilt University, Novo Nordisk, Prime Therapeutics, Therapeutics, U.S, Blue, Thomson Locations: Danish

☆ European drugs regulator to review Wegovy, Ozempic following reports of suicidal thoughts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The European Medicines Agency said Monday it would undertake a review into a number of drugs used to treat obesity and diabetes after it was reported some patients experienced thoughts of suicide or self-harm. "The review is being carried out in the context of a signal procedure raised by the Icelandic Medicines Agency following three case reports," the EMA said. The EMA said the case reports "included 2 cases of suicidal thoughts, one following the use of Saxenda and one after Ozempic. "The semaglutide-containing medicine Wegovy and the liraglutide-containing medicine Saxenda are authorised for weight loss, together with diet and physical activity," the EMA said. "Suicidal behaviour is not currently listed as a side effect in the EU product information of these medicines," the EMA said.

Organizations: Novo Nordisk, European Medicines Agency, Icelandic Medicines Agency, Saxenda Locations: Danish

☆ EU probes Novo Nordisk drugs after reports of suicidal thoughts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Suicidal thoughts are not currently listed as a side effect in the EU product information of these treatments. Side effects have hobbled several previous attempts by the drug industry to develop lucrative weight-loss drugs. Sanofi's (SASY.PA) Acomplia, which never won a U.S. approval, was withdrawn in Europe in 2008 after being linked to suicidal thoughts. New weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy, however, regulate appetite by mimicking a gut hormone, and not directly interfere with brain chemistry. Safety data did not show any "causal association" between the suicidal or self-harming thoughts and the drugs, it added.

Persons: Acomplia, Bhanvi, Ludwig Burger, Savio D'Souza, Nivedita Organizations: European Medicines Agency, EMA, Icelandic Medicines Agency, Novo Nordisk, Thomson Locations: Danish, United States, Europe, Novo, Bengaluru, Frankfurt

☆ Obesity drug Wegovy's popularity has US employers rethinking insurance coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A selection of injector pens for the Saxenda weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. A new and more expensive version of the drug specifically for weight loss, called Wegovy, had been approved in 2021 by U.S. health regulators. Employers that cover weight-loss drugs have required medical practices to document patients’ need for Wegovy since it was approved. The federal Medicare healthcare program for Americans aged 65 and older cannot cover weight loss treatments by law. Only 16 states – the most populous being California, Pennsylvania and Michigan – cover Wegovy and other obesity drugs under their Medicaid plans for low-income patients.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Shawnte, Aon, Mercer, Willis Towers Watson, Eli Lilly, Jeff Levin, Levin, Scherz, Michael Manolakis, William Yancy, Manolakis, Patrick Wingrove, Michele Gershberg, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, New, Warner Bros, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Reuters, Marsh & McLennan, Employers, Barclays Research, Novo Nordisk, Duke University, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, New York, Marsh, Wegovy, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan

☆ Factbox: Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug cuts heart disease risk in study
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A selection of injector pens for the Wegovy weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. AMGENAmgen's (AMGN.O) experimental obesity drug, AMG133, showed a mean weight loss of 14.5% after 12 weeks of treatment at the highest monthly dose. The company plans to test higher doses of the drug over a longer treatment window in a mid-stage trial. ZEALAND PHARMADenmark's Zealand Pharma (ZELA.CO) and Boehringer Ingelheim's experimental obesity treatment achieved up to 14.9% weight loss in a mid-stage trial on Wednesday. OPKO HEALTH Opko Health (OPK.O) has completed a mid-stage trial of its obesity drug, pegapamodutide, which it expects will have fewer side effects.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Wegovy, Eli Lilly, ELI LILLY Lilly, Mounjaro, LLY.N, danuglipron, AMGEN, ALTIMMUNE, Mariam Sunny, Pratik Jain, Sriparna Roy, Sriraj Kalluvila, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, NOVO NORDISK Novo Nordisk, Novo, PFIZER Pfizer Inc, danuglipron, THERAPEUTICS, Therapeutics, ZEALAND PHARMA Denmark's Zealand Pharma, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Why buzzy weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy cost so much more in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trendy weight-loss drugs cost much more in the US than in other countries. The price of semaglutide, the drug sold as Wegovy, was three times higher in the US than in the UK. If you're searching for affordable weight-loss drugs, you may be better off looking outside of the US. New weight-loss drugs are unaffordableGetty ImagesWegovy and Ozempic are part of a class of weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1 agonists that have soared in popularity in recent months. Drug prices are highest in the USThe variation in prices for weight-loss drugs across the world is striking.

☆ People Can't Get Ozempic, New Weight-Loss Drugs Because of Broken Healthcare System
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Wegovy is just one of a wave of revolutionary weight-loss drugs, which also includes the buzzy Ozempic, that represents a watershed moment for obesity treatment. Demand for weight-loss drugs is surgingDoctors and healthcare professionals searched for a healthy, safe, and effective weight-loss solution for years before the drugs, known collectively as GLP-1 agonists, exploded on the scene. If there is one key that could unlock access to expensive weight-loss drugs for Americans, it's Medicare. Expanding coverage for Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs for just a small segment of the population could cost Medicare up to $26.8 billion a year. Patients lose outYears from now, patients may have an easier time getting their hands on weight-loss drugs.

☆ The 13 startups to watch in the $100 billion market for buzzy new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Healthcare startups are launching to prescribe weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic. They're chasing what's projected to be a $100 billion market for the drugs. Venture-backed health startups are vying for a piece of the booming market for new prescription drugs designed to help with weight loss. Many startups offering weight-loss drugs have flooded social media platforms with ads for the shots. Insider rounded up 13 venture-backed startups competing for customers in the lucrative GLP-1 weight-loss market, listed from least to most funding raised.

☆ 13 startups vying for a slice of the $100 billion market for buzzy new weight-loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Daniel BecerrilLONDON, March 29 (Reuters) - Drugs that combat obesity could for the first time be included on the World Health Organization's "essential medicines list," used to guide government purchasing decisions in low- and middle-income countries, the U.N. agency told Reuters. A panel of advisers to the WHO will review new requests for drugs to be included next month, with an updated essential medicines list due in September. The request to consider obesity drugs was submitted by three doctors and a researcher in the United States. The majority – 70% - live in low- and middle-income countries. EXPANDING ACCESSIncluding obesity drugs among the WHO's essential medicines could have great significance for that population.

☆ Novo Nordisk suspended from UK lobby group
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABPI's statement linked to a website of a self-regulatory body run by the association that pointed to a complaint alleging that Novo Nordisk had sponsored courses on weight management on LinkedIn for health professionals, without making clear the company's involvement. The move amounted to "bribing health professionals with an inducement to prescribe," the complaint alleged. In response, Novo said that it had agreed to provide sponsorship to ensure that health professionals would receive training from a reputable provider, but that it had supported the activity at "arms length". Novo is the market leader in the rapidly growing area of weight loss through medicinal treatment rather than only dieting or exercising. Novo has since developed a more effective obesity treatment called Wegovy, which has been in great demand globally and is being lined up for its UK launch.

☆ How buzzy weight-loss drugs like Ozempic became the next craze in the hottest part of healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Healthcare companies are launching programs left and right to prescribe trendy weight-loss drugs. And Ro, a startup that prescribes and sells products like Viagra and hair-loss pills to consumers, is going all in with a program it launched in January to prescribe the weight-loss drugs to patients online. CalibrateFirst developed to manage type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 medications regulate blood-sugar levels, which can help people curb cravings and feel fuller after eating. The weight-loss market for GLP-1 drugs is relatively new, and not everyone is on board. But for some companies, stepping into prescribing these new weight-loss medications seems to simply be the natural next step for growth.

☆ Why buzzy weight-loss drugs are the next craze for healthcare startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Healthcare companies are launching programs left and right to prescribe trendy weight-loss drugs. And Ro, a startup that prescribes and sells products like Viagra and hair-loss pills to consumers, is going all in with a program it launched in January to prescribe the weight-loss drugs to patients online. Even startups like Noom, which quietly started a program prescribing GLP-1 medications, could stand to benefit from the drugs' popularity after a tumultuous year for the startup. The weight-loss market for GLP-1 drugs is relatively new, and not everyone is on board. But for some companies, stepping into prescribing these new weight-loss medications seems to simply be the natural next step for growth.

☆ Noom quietly started writing prescriptions for trendy new weight-loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The popular weight-loss app Noom quietly launched a new program that offers some users access to prescription anti-obesity medications. Called Noom Clinical, the program is meant to "build additional support" for app users, a company spokesperson said in a statement to Insider. Startups like Noom want to capitalize on a surge in demand for new weight-loss drugsSaeju Jeong, Co-founder & CEO, Noom Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile for Web Summit via Getty Images)Noom's foray into prescribing medication comes as demand for weight-loss drugs surges. NoomNoom, which introduced its weight loss app in 2017, is backed by venture firm Oak HC/FT and private-equity giant Silver Lake. According to the spokesperson, Noom began rolling out the new prescription-drug program to a small number of users in the fall.

☆ Workers are clamoring for pricey new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Companies are grappling with how to respond.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Companies that pay for workers' health insurance are grappling with how to cover the pricey drugs. Medicare, the federal program that provides health coverage for people 65 and older, doesn't cover weight-loss drugs. ArcBest already has a program to help workers lose weight through behavior changes and nutrition. Krutsch said he wants to build on that, covering the weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Saxenda for employees who aren't able to lose weight without medication. The new weight-loss drugs were in short supply in 2022, and that gave employers time to figure out how to handle them, he said.

☆ New guidelines for treating childhood obesity include medications and surgery for first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Kaitlin Sullivan | Kaitlin Sullivan Is A Contributor For Nbcnews.Com Who Has Worked With Nbc News Investigations. She Reports On Health | Science | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Intensive behavioral and lifestyle changes should be the first-line approach, but the AAP also includes recommendations for anti-obesity medications and surgery for the first time. The guidelines say that pediatricians should offer weight-loss drugs for children age 12 and up with obesity. She also acknowledged that these lifestyle changes can be really hard to adopt, especially for overworked and low-income parents. The more adverse the environment around you, the harder it is to live a healthy lifestyle,” Hassink said. Medications and surgery are expensive, and asking overstretched parents to implement lifestyle changes is not always realistic.

☆ U.S. experts recommend weight-loss drugs for obese children
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Bhanvi Satija | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Metformin has been used off label to achieve weight loss in children. Of the 27 randomized trials of metformin for weight loss in children reviewed by the guidelines panel, 74% showed some positive effect of the medication. Wegovy last month won U.S. approval for chronic weight management in children ages 12 and older. For children ages 2 to 12 years, AAP said there was not currently enough evidence to recommend use of these medications. They also include recommendations for diagnosing obesity annually in children ages 6 years and older, through checks on BMI, and practices such as motivational interviewing.

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