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☆ Trial confirms heart benefits of Wegovy, but is weight loss responsible – or something else?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

To cardiologist Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, who wasn’t involved in the trial but is leading a similar one of tirzepatide, those effects are all evidence of the benefits of weight loss. Tirzepatide has shown greater levels of weight loss than semaglutide in clinical trials, leading many, including Nissen, to hope it will show even stronger cardiovascular benefits. Importantly, participants didn’t have a history of diabetes; a previous trial had shown that treating people with diabetes with a GLP-1 drug, Ozempic, reduced their cardiovascular risk. The Wegovy trial showed that 569 of 8,803 people taking the drug had a heart attack or stroke or died from heart-related causes, or 6.5%. The amount of weight loss seen in the trial, 9.4%, was less than in other studies of Wegovy, which showed average weight loss closer to 15%.

Persons: Ania Jastreboff, Wegovy, Dr, Amit Khera, National Institutes of Health’s Dr, Tiffany M, Powell, Wiley, Eli Lilly, Steven Nissen, wasn’t, ” Nissen, “, Tirzepatide, Nissen, Michael Lincoff, Lincoff, ”, Jastreboff, Sanjay Gupta, hadn’t, “ semaglutide Organizations: CNN, Nordisk’s Wegovy, American Heart Association, Yale Obesity Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, National Institutes of Health’s, New England, of Medicine, US Food and Drug, Cleveland Clinic, Novo Nordisk, Cleveland, CNN Health Locations: Philadelphia, Powell

The company's research and development (R&D) engine is intact and therefore it is unlikely to do transformative deals soon, Jorgensen said. It was the latest in a series of similarly-sized deals the company has done this year. Last week, when reporting quarterly earnings, it forecast another year of double-digit sales growth for its two most popular drugs: weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes Ozempic. To keep up with demand, Novo is racing to increase production of those drugs, which contain the same active pharmaceutical ingredient, semaglutide, and are delivered in self-injection pens. A healthcare banker, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters after the interview there were many companies in the cardiometabolic space with early-stage drugs that Novo Nordisk may be able to buy.

Persons: Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, Wegovy, Jorgensen, Novo, Novo's, Jacob Gronholt, Maggie Fick, Terje Solsvik, Emelia, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Novo, Novo Nordisk, Reuters, KBP Biosciences, Nordisk, Pedersen, Thomson Locations: Novo, COPENHAGEN, Singapore, Copenhagen, London

As the company's fortunes soar on demand for its popular weight-loss medicine Wegovy, Jorgensen said Novo sought to acquire companies working on medicines in the areas where it is already focused. The company's research and development (R&D) engine is intact and therefore it is unlikely to do transformative deals soon, Jorgensen said. It was the latest in a series of similarly-sized deals the company has done this year. Last week, when reporting quarterly earnings, it forecast another year of double-digit sales growth for its two most popular drugs: weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes Ozempic. To keep up with demand, Novo is racing to increase production of those drugs, which contain the same active pharmaceutical ingredient, semaglutide, and are delivered in self-injection pens.

☆ Social isolation linked to early death risk, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Those who don’t socialize with friends or family may see their risk of dying early increase by 39%. Many previous studies have linked loneliness or social isolation with a higher risk of premature death and other health outcomes. But few, if any, have looked into how these associations depend on the combined impact of different types of social interaction, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal BMC Medicine. Participants’ social isolation was gauged by how often they were visited by friends or family, how often they engaged in weekly group activities, and whether they lived alone. It’s also possible that any of these factors could lead to loneliness or social isolation rather than result from them, according to the study.

Persons: “, ”, Hamish Foster, weren’t, Anthony Ong, —, It’s, Foster, Jason Gill, Olivia Remes, wasn’t, Gill Organizations: CNN, BMC Medicine, School of Health, University of Glasgow, Cornell University, University of Cambridge, Social, Networks Locations: Scotland, United Kingdom, New York, England

☆ Artificially sweetened ultraprocessed foods linked to depression in women, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Eating greater amounts of ultraprocessed food and drinks, especially if those items are artificially sweetened, may be linked to the development of depression, according to a new study. Ultraprocessed foods include hot dogs, sausages, French fries, sodas, store-bought cookies, cakes, candies, ice cream and many foods containing artificial sweeteners. For one, there is a known link between ultraprocessed foods and chronic inflammation, Chan said. For example, studies have linked ultraprocessed foods colorectal cancer in men and heart disease and early death in both men and women. In addition, the study is observational, which means that researchers can only find an association between the onset of depression and the intake of ultraprocessed foods.

Persons: ” Gunter Kuhnle, ”, Andrew T Chan, Daniel K, Harvard T.H, Chan, Kuhnle, ” Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard, ” Chan, David Katz, ” Katz, ” It’s, Katz, It’s, Paul Keedwell, Keith Frayn, Frayn, ” Frayn Organizations: CNN, University of Reading, Harvard Medical School, Harvard, of Public Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, New York University, ” Association, JAMA, Nurses, True Health Initiative, Royal College of Psychiatrists, BMI, University of Oxford Locations: Chan, Boston, Massachusetts, McDonald’s

☆ Amazon Pharmacy automates discounts to help insulin patients get pledged prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Amazon.com (AMZN.O) said on Tuesday its online pharmacy will automatically apply manufacturer-sponsored coupons to more than 15 insulin and diabetes medicines to help patients access discounts pledged by the drug industry. Vin Gupta, Amazon Pharmacy's Chief Medical Officer, said the report highlighted the need to make it easier for patients to get their insulin at the lowest possible prices. Amazon Pharmacy will also automatically apply available discounts to diabetes-related medical devices from manufacturers Dexcom and Insulet, including continuous glucose monitors and pumps, as well as to other cardiometabolic medicines such as Novo's powerful weight-loss drug Wegovy. American Diabetes Association Chief Executive Officer Charles Henderson said Amazon's automated discounting would help the 37 million Americans with diabetes more easily access the treatments they need. So, we're going to create options that gives them access to these medications," Amazon Pharmacy Vice President John Love told Reuters.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Lilly, Elizabeth Warren, Vin Gupta, Wegovy, Charles Henderson, John Love, Patrick Wingrove, Sandra Maler Organizations: Amazon Pharmacy, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Amazon, Congress, American Diabetes Association, Walgreens, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York

☆ Eli Lilly to acquire obesity drug maker Versanis for $1.9 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Eli Lilly on Friday said it will acquire Versanis, a privately held obesity drug maker, for up to $1.93 billion to boost the pharmaceutical giant's weight loss treatment portfolio. Eli Lilly agreed to pay Versanis shareholders in cash, which will consist of an upfront payment and potentially subsequent payments if Versanis achieves certain "development and sales milestones." Oakland, California-based Versanis, which was founded in 2021 by biotech investment firm Aditum Bio, has one experimental drug for obesity and potentially other conditions. Analysts project that the global weight loss drug market could be worth $100 billion by around 2030. Versanis' drug, bimagrumab, binds directly to certain cells in the body to reduce fat mass.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Versanis, Aditum, Eli Lilly's Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy Locations: Oakland , California, Ozempic, U.S, Indianapolis

☆ Weight-loss surgery is becoming more common among children and teens, new research shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Millions of children and teens live with obesity in the United States, and weight-loss surgery is becoming a more common way to treat it, new research shows. The trend held strong in the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, even as the number of weight-loss surgeries among adults dipped. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of weight-loss surgeries among youth jumped 19%. Childhood obesity is more prevalent among certain populations, including Black and Hispanic youth, according to the CDC. The new data shows that weight-loss surgery increased more than twice as much as average among these populations, up 42% among Back youth and 53% among Hispanic youth between 2020 and 2021.

☆ Medicare is prohibited from paying for weight-loss drugs. These are the 3 potential ways to change that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There are three routes lawmakers and regulators could use to add coverage for weight-loss drugs. Older Americans hoping to get their hands on powerful weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may find it impossible to access them. Should Medicare cover weight loss medication, it could also unlock access for people who have private coverage. "A decision by Medicare to cover weight-loss drugs would put pressure on employers and other private insurers to cover weight-loss drugs too," said Tricia Neuman, a senior vice president at KFF who co-authored a recent brief on the subject. There are three potential strategies that could be used to expand Medicare coverage to weight-loss drugs.

☆ Mental illness may mean higher heart attack, stroke risk for people under 40
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Those people younger than 40 with a mental disorder were 58% more likely to have a heart attack and 42% more likely to have a stroke than those with no disorder, the study found. That could point to a greater need for managing psychological conditions and monitoring heart health in those at risk, Park added. It is important to note that the findings do not show that mental illness causes heart attacks or stroke, she added. Choi recommends that people with mental health conditions receive regular checkups as well. “Many individuals with mental illness suffer from social isolation and loneliness, and for years researchers have been sounding the alarm that loneliness is detrimental for physical health,” Ehrlich said.

☆ India's Eris Lifesciences to buy some dermatology brands from Glenmark Pharma
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Eris Lifesciences Ltd (ERIS.NS) said on Tuesday it would acquire a portfolio of dermatology brands from Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd (GLEN.NS) for 3.4 billion rupees ($41.63 million) to deepen its presence in the anti-fungal and anti-psoriasis segments. The deal, through Eris' dermatology focused unit, is for the purchase of nine brands, including Onabet, Halobate, Sorvate, and Demelan for India and Nepal, Eris said. Glenmark said, post divestiture of the brands, it will further consolidate its position in the core therapeutic areas of cardiometabolic, respiratory, dermatology, and oncology segments. Separately, Eris on Tuesday reported a consolidated net profit of 1.02 billion rupees in its third quarter, from 1.01 billion rupees a year earlier. ($1 = 81.6740 Indian rupees)Reporting by Yagnoseni Das in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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