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☆ Gray Market for Weight Loss Drug Retatrutide Spreads Online Years Ahead of FDA Approvals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | Photographs Carolyn Fong For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A potential blockbuster weight-loss drug still years away from U.S. regulatory approval is already being sold online, another example of a thriving gray market for unapproved weight-loss medications, according to a Wall Street Journal review. The Journal found hundreds of merchants offering the new drug, which is being developed by Eli Lilly and is called retatrutide. Most appear to be Chinese sellers shipping directly to U.S. consumers from sites such as Made-in-China.com. Some of the sites, including ones that appear to be based in the U.S., have marketed their products via posts on Facebook , LinkedIn and Reddit. A fitness influencer has offered it for sale via his newsletter.

Persons: Eli Lilly Organizations: Wall, LinkedIn, Google Locations: U.S

☆ This Drug Could Be the Next Ozempic. Bootlegs Are Already Selling Online.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | Photographs Carolyn Fong For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Eli Lilly Organizations: Wall, LinkedIn, Google Locations: U.S

☆ Starlink Surges but Is Still Far Short of SpaceX’s Goals, Documents Show
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | Rolfe Winkler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/tech/spacexs-starlink-demonstrates-its-power-but-still-needs-growth-9906c5b0

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Starlink Surges But Still Isn’t Meeting SpaceX’s Goals, Documents Show
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | Rolfe Winkler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ SpaceX’s Starlink Demonstrates Its Power but Still Needs Growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | Rolfe Winkler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Knock-Off Ozempic Thrives With Promise of ‘HUGE GAINZ,’ No Prescription Required
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | Sara Ashley O Brien | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/ozempic-mounjaro-no-prescription-websites-726b3928

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Dozens of Websites Are Selling Knock-Off Ozempic and Mounjaro, No Prescription Required
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | Sara Ashley O Brien | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ozempic-mounjaro-no-prescription-websites-726b3928

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Monster Diet Drugs Like Ozempic Started With Actual Monsters
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | Ben Cohen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ozempic-mounjaro-gila-monster-anglerfish-8c9c1ff2

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ FDA Warns About Safety of Custom-Made Ozempic
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Liz Essley Whyte | Rolfe Winkler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-warns-about-safety-of-custom-made-ozempic-32cb1357

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Becomes the First Billion-Dollar-Plus Film of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ had the biggest-ever global opening weekend for an animated title. Photo: Nintendo and Universal Studios/Associated Press“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” surpassed $1 billion in estimated global box office receipts on Sunday, the first movie to do so in 2023, according to research firm Comscore . Through Sunday the film has grossed $490 million domestically and $532 million internationally. Only five films have crossed the billion-dollar mark since the onset of the pandemic, according to Box Office Mojo: “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jurassic World: Dominion.”

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-outcome-health-executives-found-guilty-of-fraud-912f9bb0

Annick Lenoir-Peek, a lawyer from Durham, N.C., has struggled with her weight since adolescence. She has tried Atkins and keto and spent thousands of dollars over decades on weight-loss efforts and programs such as Noom, Nutrisystem and WeightWatchers. Since starting Ozempic in late November, she’s lost around 30 pounds. Her cholesterol and glucose levels have improved, and she can eat far fewer calories without feeling hungry, she said. Currently on a trip through Eastern Europe, she said she is doing more tours than she would have at a higher weight.

Silicon Valley Bank used financial sweeteners and strategic networking to attract both venture capitalists and their nascent tech companies. That strategy powered spectacular growth for decades—and left the sector extraordinarily vulnerable when the bank collapsed. SVB, founded in 1983, offered banking services to startups that often weren’t profitable, in some cases didn’t even have a product, and would otherwise have a hard time getting a line of credit or a loan from a larger bank. Venture-capital firms banked with SVB too, often encouraging their portfolio companies to do the same.

Silicon Valley Bank built up a formidable network in Silicon Valley over its 40 years in business. Startup founders and investors breathed a collective sigh of relief after the federal government agreed to backstop deposits at Silicon Valley Bank, but they said the lender’s collapse would drive changes in the industry’s financial practices. The decision, announced Sunday afternoon California time, ended a frenzied multiday race to shore up cash and meet payroll needs. The government move surprised many in the industry, which was bracing for a delay of weeks and even months before depositors would get full access to their cash.

Startup founders and investors breathed a collective sigh of relief after the federal government agreed to backstop deposits at Silicon Valley Bank, but they said the lender’s collapse would drive changes in the industry’s financial practices. The decision, announced Sunday afternoon California time, ended a multiday race to shore up cash and meet payroll needs. The government move surprised many in the industry, which was bracing for a delay of weeks and even months before depositors would get full access to their cash.

☆ “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Wins Big at the Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

What Does the Silicon Valley Bank Failure Mean? Silicon Valley Bank collapsed on Friday, becoming the largest bank to fail since the 2008 financial crisis. On Sunday, regulators took control of Signature Bank and rolled out emergency measures to prevent a banking crisis and guarantee depositors access to their money. Join the Journal’s Banking Editor Marie Beaudette for a conversation with former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair, followed by a roundtable with Wall Street and Financial Industry Bureau Chief Dana Cimilluca and reporter Rolfe Winkler about the bank failures, subsequent regulatory action and what this all means for the tech sector and overall health of the U.S. economy.

☆ President Biden Addresses Turmoil in the U.S. Banking System
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tech startups and other businesses raced to line up sources of cash for payroll and other immediate needs after their deposits in Silicon Valley Bank , long a linchpin of tech financing, were locked up when federal authorities took control Friday morning. The bank’s sudden collapse fueled uncertainty among many founders over the immediate future of their businesses, and further hobbled a startup sector that has struggled with a sharp slowdown in venture funding and broader economic woes. Its demise will likely further accelerate the shift away from the high-risk and aggressive growth strategies that startups embraced during the decades-plus bull market that ended last year, according to longtime startup investors.

☆ Startup Offering Ozempic Surges With Controversial Ads, Fake Testimonials
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In eight months, a startup called NextMed has emerged as a growing service among many trying to capitalize on the craze for drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro that are often prescribed for weight loss. Run by a founder who graduated from college 14 months ago, the service has web traffic that has surpassed companies like Calibrate Health Inc. and Found Health Inc. that have advertised weight-loss prescriptions for longer. NextMed, whose corporate parent is Helio Logistics Inc., operates with far fewer employees than competitors. Calibrate has hundreds of employees, and Found has around 200.

☆ Adderall, OxyContin Prescriptions to Require In-Person Doctor Visit Under Biden Plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Liz Essley Whyte | Rolfe Winkler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The ban on first-time online prescriptions for drugs such as Adderall was influenced by improper prescribing during the pandemic, the DEA said. The Biden administration proposed tighter rules for the online prescription of drugs including Adderall and buprenorphine, shrinking the scope of telehealth services that expanded dramatically during the pandemic. The Drug Enforcement Administration on Friday said the telehealth restrictions would take effect after the Covid-19 public-health emergency ends on May 11. The proposed changes affect prescriptions for drugs classified as controlled substances because of their potential for abuse.

☆ Health Startups Offer Diabetes Drugs Like Ozempic for Weight Loss With Little Oversight
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In an Instagram ad for online weight-loss service NextMed, a young woman holds the skin on her stomach and complains about her “little tummy pouch.” In an ad for a similar service—launched by Instacart’s former chief executive—a model wears a yellow bikini and weighs 102 pounds, according to a modeling-agency profile. Digital health startups are racing to cash in on booming demand for diabetes drugs that are effective for weight loss, but some of the companies are advertising and prescribing the drugs to people who aren’t overweight.

☆ DEA Pressed ADHD-Drug Makers About Impact of Telehealth Firms on Surging Demand
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Drug Enforcement Administration told makers of medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder that it was concerned that “aggressive marketing practices” by companies including telehealth providers could be driving excessive prescriptions, according to a letter from the agency. While the letter doesn’t cite specific companies, it reflects the DEA’s concerns about marketing efforts for ADHD treatment by telehealth companies such as Cerebral Inc. and Done Global Inc., whose prescribing practices the agency has been investigating. The DEA said in December that it wouldn’t allow any increase in 2023 production of pharmaceutical ingredients that go into Adderall and other stimulants used to treat ADHD. The letter, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, was sent to drugmakers over the summer but hasn’t previously been reported.

☆ Star Gymnast Simone Biles Breaks With Embattled Telehealth Provider Cerebral
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The gymnast Simon Biles appeared to stop posting ads for Cerebral Inc. to her social media profiles after the spring, when controversy enveloped the company. Star gymnast Simone Biles and the embattled telehealth provider Cerebral Inc. have parted ways, the company said, after announcing a partnership last year that sought to use Ms. Biles’s mental health advocacy to power growth at the startup. Ms. Biles, who became a widely discussed mental-health symbol after her stunning mid-event withdrawal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, had been unveiled in October 2021 as the “chief impact officer” for Cerebral. The company provides online access to therapists and prescribers for mental health treatment. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

☆ The Failed Promise of Online Mental-Health Treatment
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Rolfe Winkler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Remote treatment of mental-health problems surged in the pandemic, as in-person treatment became difficult while pandemic-driven isolation increased anxiety and depression. Digital mental-health companies plunged in, promising to provide millions with access to high-quality care by video, phone, and messaging.

More than 100 groups have asked the DEA to create a registry of providers allowed to continue prescribing controlled substances online. Health startups and medical associations are lobbying for permanent permission to prescribe controlled substances remotely, part of a broader debate over the future of telehealth services that boomed during the pandemic. The push comes after some online startups faced scrutiny from lawmakers and pharmacies over their prescription practices. To maintain pandemic-era telehealth practices, more than 100 groups asked the Drug Enforcement Administration this month to create a registry of providers allowed to prescribe drugs online for conditions including opioid addiction. That would protect their operations when the Biden administration ends the Covid-19 public-health emergency, during which restrictions on telehealth have been relaxed.

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