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Less than a fifth of large companies in the United States include coverage for the popular but pricey weight loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound in their health insurance plans, according to a survey published Wednesday in Health Affairs. “They’re trying to figure out what is the right balance between the advantages to employees, potential health benefits and the cost of these drugs. The survey found that about half of employers that cover the weight loss drugs have certain requirements associated with their coverage, which Rae said would limit access for some employees but save money. Among large firms that don’t currently cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, only about 3% said they’re “very likely” to do so in the next year. Despite the exorbitant cost, employers do have a positive view of the drugs.

Persons: Wegovy, ”, Matthew Rae, “ They’re, —, Rae, Susan Spratt, Christopher McGowan, Eli Lilly, ” McGowan, “, ” Rae, you’ve, that’s, don’t, they’re Organizations: Health Affairs, “ Employers, Population Health Management, Duke Health, Centers for Disease Control, Novo Nordisk, Research, North Carolina, ” Novo Nordisk Locations: United States, KFF, North Carolina, U.S, Novo

The rate of weight loss with the experimental pill, called amycretin, appears to be more rapid than what’s seen for other drugs. “It’s roughly double the weight loss rate seen with current GLP-1 agonists and approaching procedural or surgical-level outcomes,” said Dr. Christopher McGowan, a gastroenterologist who runs a weight loss clinic in North Carolina. McGowan said that while the weight loss was significant, he still has concerns about how fast people lost weight. “While losing weight is seemingly the end goal, how that weight is lost matters,” he said. Spratt said she would like to know how much of the weight loss came from fat compared with muscle.

Persons: “, ”, Christopher McGowan, ” Dr, Susan Spratt, Spratt, haven’t, Martin Lange, Lange, McGowan, ” McGowan Organizations: Novo Nordisk, European Association for, Diabetes, Population Health Management, Duke Health Locations: Novo, Spain, North Carolina, semaglutide, Wegovy, It’s

☆ Autos giant Peugeot is trialing driverless tech — with a twist — for Amazon-style deliveries
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Peugeot e-3008 electric car on display during a presentation at the Stellantis car factory in Sochaux, France. PARIS, France — French car giant Peugeot told CNBC this week that it's partnering with Vay, a German mobility startup, to integrate so-called "teledriving" tech — an alternative to autonomous cars — into its vehicles. The deal will see the two companies assess the use of Vay's teledriving tech on "last-mile delivery" vans and smaller logistics vehicles, with a focus on business-to-business (B2B) customers. The first pilot test drives of Vay's technology with Peugeot vehicles are expected to take place this year. Peugeot is looking to include the tech in its E-3008 electric SUVs and some electric vans.

Persons: Vay, Justin Spratt, Spratt Organizations: Peugeot, CNBC, Amazon Locations: Sochaux, France, PARIS

☆ Amazon, other retailers revamp 'free' shipping as costs soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Lisa Baertlein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Alyssa PointerLOS ANGELES, March 24 (Reuters) - There is no such thing as free shipping. "The days of free delivery are numbered," Ken Morris, managing partner at Cambridge Retail Advisors, said of the fast-changing retail marketing tool. It is an open secret that most retailers raise product prices to subsidize free shipping. Postal Service hitting record levels, the industry where nearly three-quarters of e-commerce companies offer some sort of free shipping is rethinking the financial cost of habituating shoppers to free shipping. While retailers like Amazon and fashion purveyor Asos Plc (ASOS.L) have raised thresholds for fast shipping, others are dropping free shipping altogether or taking product prices up again.

☆ What happens when you stop taking a weight loss drug? Many people gain the weight back.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

She didn't find success until her doctor prescribed Wegovy, a weight loss drug, in August 2021. But it all stopped in February, when Bayandor's health insurance denied her coverage, forcing her to stop taking the medication. Artemis BayandorBayandor's experience isn't uncommon: Widespread shortages of Wegovy, a popular weight loss aid, have forced some people in the U.S. to stop taking it, leading them to gain some — or all — of their weight back. "When you're at that max weight loss, your body's hunger hormones are the highest," she said. In May, an unrelated thyroid issue landed her in the hospital and forced her to stop taking Wegovy.

☆ People with diabetes struggle to find Ozempic as it soars in popularity as a weight loss aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

For the past two years, she's managed the condition using a drug called Ozempic, which helps people with diabetes keep blood sugar levels in check. "It's been very frustrating," Largent-Phillips, of Florida, said of the shortage, adding that her blood sugar levels have been fluctuating as she's had to change medications. If the body doesn't use it well, that sugar stays in the blood, resulting in high blood sugar levels. His wife, Gerilynn, who is a nurse, said his blood sugar levels have gone back up since being off Ozempic. Largent-Phillips, of Florida — who has been documenting her experience on TikTok — said that for now, she has to be vigilant about monitoring her blood sugar levels.

☆ Soil DNA analysis from paw prints could help Sumatran tigers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In her experiments to date, Watsa has been able to detect Sumatran tiger DNA in soil and determine the sex of the animal. Paw prints made by 4-year-old Sumatran tiger Rakan at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park help researcher Mrinalini Watsa develop a cost-effective technique to detect tiger DNA in soil. He believes DNA techniques could help scientists better understand how some tigers disperse between different areas, which can be hard to pick up with cameras. “DNA techniques will also be useful where camera trapping is difficult,” he added, such as the remote, mountainous regions in Southeast Asia. The analysis of tiger DNA in soil samples could help forensic investigations in the battle against the illegal wildlife trade.

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