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☆ Why Obesity-Drug Makers Just Lost Weight
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( David Wainer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New drugs that help people shed pounds are all the rage. Everyone from Hollywood celebrities to Elon Musk is trying out these medications—which were first approved to treat diabetes—even if it means going off-label. Whether the leading companies making this new class of drugs known as GLP-1s can keep up with demand and convince insurers of the wider benefit to patients’ health is now a closely watched question. Shares of Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, the two leading manufacturers of these new drugs, were both down on Thursday as Lilly’s financial results came up short of hyped-up expectations.

☆ Eli Lilly investors spooked by weak Mounjaro sales, but it's the obesity drug approval that will unlock its value
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Lilly said slightly more than 50% of commercial and Part D subscribers have access to the drug via their insurance plans. But new classes of weight loss medications are helping to change this mindset. Still, legislation will be necessary to get coverage of Mounjaro for obesity and overweight treatment by Medicare plans. By law, these plans are banned from paying for weight loss medications. Wegovy and Mounjaro One encouraging sign: Lilly competitor Novo Nordisk has gained access to more than 80% of insurance company formularies for their obesity treatment, Wegovy.

☆ Morning Bid: Mind the gap
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The IMF cited "surprisingly resilient" demand in the United States and Europe, easing of energy costs and the reopening of China's economy. Still, it would be wise for investors to be mindful of a gap between expectations and reality. Flash GDP numbers are due from the euro zone, along with growth data for France and Italy. The Bank of England is set to raise rates by 50 bps to 4.0%, respectively. Money market bets show that the U.S. Federal Reserve is set to raise its policy rate by 25 basis points to 4.50%-4.75% on Wednesday.

☆ U.S. Appeals Court Sides With Drugmakers on Discount Program
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Anna Wilde Mathews | Joseph Walker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The ruling by a three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals can be appealed. A U.S. appeals court ruled that pharmaceutical companies can limit their shipments of federally-discounted drugs to pharmacies, in a major win for the drugmakers and a blow to hospitals and clinics that receive the low-priced medicines. The ruling on Monday, by a three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals, was in favor of drugmakers Sanofi SA, AstraZeneca PLC and Novo Nordisk A/S, and against the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, which oversees the federal drug-discount program known as 340B.

Jan 30 (Reuters) - Drug manufacturers can limit healthcare providers' use of outside pharmacies for dispensing drugs under a federal drug discount program, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. The case centers on the federal 340B program, in which drugmakers provide discounts to eligible healthcare providers that serve low-income populations. Drugmakers are required to participate in the 340B program in order to receive funds from government health insurance programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Sanofi, Novo Nordisk and AstraZeneca all continued to allow 340B providers without in-house pharmacies to use a single contract pharmacy. HHS ordered them to stop, saying the new policies were not allowed under the 340B program.

They have soared in popularity over the last year, in part from social media attention and billionaires like Elon Musk touting the drugs’ weight loss effects. Ozempic is not approved for weight loss, but doctors sometimes prescribe it off-label for that purpose. Harper took Ozempic off-label for weight loss from May until November (she paused while moving to Washington state but plans to start again). For Yazeed, weight loss was not the reason she went on Ozempic, nor was it a goal. He hasn't experienced side effects or weight loss from Ozempic, he said, but he recognizes that isn't true for everyone.

☆ New weight loss drugs trending with billionaires and celebrities are about to enter more American homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Barbara Collins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

GLP-1s also have been found to help with weight loss as they make individuals who use them feel fuller for a longer period of time. Using GLP-1s drug injections for weight loss has become one of the latest ways some big names in the market are shedding extra pounds. That's why his company has launched a program to offer GLP-1 drugs and corresponding medical care to individuals struggling with obesity or weight loss issues. Pairing personalized coaching with GLP-1s is the key to effective weight loss treatment, Reitano said, and helping patients maximize their results. A new real-time approach to weight managementReitano said it should not be an either/or scenario involving diabetes management of weight loss and that will change over the next decade.

☆ I prescribe the popular weight-loss drug semaglutide to my patients. I hesitate to call it a magic bullet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Hannah Moseley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Dr. Paul Kolodzik has been prescribing semaglutide to his diabetic patients since 2017. The one regret he hears from patients on the drug is they can't enjoy food as much. Before that, I was an emergency physician for about 25 years, caring for patients with strokes, heart attacks, and diabetic emergencies. I started prescribing semaglutide under the label Ozempic to my diabetic patients in 2017Novo Nordisk, a global pharmaceutical company, developed Ozempic as a medication for diabetics to control their blood sugar. So, physicians started prescribing some patients who weren't diabetic Ozempic off-label since Ozempic is not approved for weight loss — even though it's the same generic medicine.

☆ European shares edge up on pharma boost, UK's FTSE 100 nears record-high
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) gained 0.1% in early trading, boosted by a 0.8% rise in healthcare stocks (.SXDP). UK's FTSE 100 (.FTSE) rose 0.1% to 7,852.84, inching closer to a record 7,903.50. "Investors appear to have fallen back in love with UK assets, after a difficult period when FTSE 100 was the wallflower among global indices," said Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. Weakness in luxury heavyweights such as LVMH (LVMH.PA) and Hermes International (HRMS.PA) weighed on Europe's STOXX 600 on Monday. German arms maker Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE) gained 2.9% on acquiring a stake in Dutch IT hardware specialist Incooling B.V.

TikTok creator and curve model Remi Bader said when she went off Ozempic, a drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes, she "gained double the weight back." Ozempic is used to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. However, in recent months, it has become a popular drug for weight loss. The influencer, who has 2.2 million followers on TikTok, and has become known for her advocacy for size-inclusive fashion. With limited access to Ozempic, patients have had to check multiple pharmacies, accept lower doses or even switch medications all together.

☆ 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.

The lawsuit, filed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles, targets Eli Lilly and Co , Novo Nordisk A/S (NOVOb.CO) and Sanofi SA (SASY.PA), which together make more than 90% of the insulin drugs sold globally. Insulin drugs are used to control blood sugar in patients with diabetes. Eli Lilly and Sanofi both previously announced that they would cap the cost of a 30-day supply of insulin at $35 for uninsured patients. California said that the companies' dominance in the market has allowed them to hike insulin prices at patients' expense, violating the state's Unfair Competition Law. Prices of top-selling insulin drugs have soared in recent years.

☆ Noma to reinvent Michelin-starred restaurant as new food 'lab'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Rene Redzepi, the head chef of Noma in Copenhagen, talks during an interview with Reuters at Noma at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo February 10, 2015. REUTERS/Yuya ShinoCOPENHAGEN, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Noma will close as a full-time restaurant in 2025, with the $505 per head foodie favourite focusing on pop-ups and innovation instead in order to secure a long-term future. "In 2025, our restaurant is transforming into a giant lab - a pioneering test kitchen dedicated to the work of food innovation and the development of new flavors," Noma said in a posting announcing the move on its website. "Our goal is to create a lasting organization dedicated to groundbreaking work in food," said Noma, whose name is a play on the Danish words "nordisk mad", meaning "Nordic food". ($1 = 6.9350 Danish crowns)Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ Biotech investor Brad Loncar shares 10 predictions for 2023, including a hot new cancer target, Nobel Prize winners, and a biotech founder running for president
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Loncar shared his 2023 forecast, including new drugs, Nobel Prize winners, and more globalization. Brad Loncar isn't expecting a miraculous rebound for the biotech industry in 2023. In an interview with Insider, Loncar shared 10 predictions for biotech in 2023, ranging from Nobel Prize winners and presidential runs to hot cancer targets and bankruptcy worries. 2022 was a rough year for the biotech industry, which once again underperformed the stock market. The industry runs to the next super-hot cancer target: Claudin 18.2In cancer research, drug companies are always on the hunt for the next promising target.

☆ Cramer's lighting round: Stay away from Blackline
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Those are the ones I'm trying to get people to stay away from." Way too speculative. Loading chart...Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc : "This thing has had way too big a move. It's way too speculative." Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of Eli Lilly.

☆ U.S. FDA flags shortage of Eli Lilly's new diabetes drug Mounjaro
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Boxes of the drug trulicity, made by Eli Lilly and Company, sit on a counter at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S. January 9, 2020. REUTERS/George FreyDec 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. health regulator has added Eli Lilly and Co's (LLY.N) Mounjaro to its list of drugs facing shortages, highlighting the company's struggles to meet booming demand for the newly approved diabetes injection. Trulicity, another diabetes treatment in the company's stable and its biggest-selling drug, was also added to the Food and Drug Administration's shortage list on Thursday. The company anticipates the drug, which has the common name tirzepatide, to get nod for obesity, an even bigger market, next year. Supply problems have also plagued a rival obesity drug, Wegovy, from Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), although the Danish drugmaker is also working on boosting manufacturing capacity.

☆ Cramer's lighting round: I like Danaher over Philips
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Loading chart...Novo Nordisk A/S : "Other than appreciation, I can not tell you a reason to ring the register." Loading chart...Koninklijke Philips NV : "That's just not a well-enough run company. We own Danaher for the Charitable Trust, and that's the best-run company in the industry." Loading chart...Icahn Enterprises LP : "I don't really know what they own, so it's kind of like a black box. Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of Danaher.

☆ Statins lower the risk of one of the deadliest kinds of strokes, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Doctors know that drugs called statins lower a person’s risk of a stroke due to a blood clot. But a new study shows that the inexpensive medications can also decrease the risk of a first stroke as a result of an intracerebral hemorrhage, the deadliest kind. People in the study who used statins for any period of time had a 17% lower risk of a stroke in the lobe areas of the brain and a 16% lower risk of a stroke in the non-lobe areas of the brain. When they used a statin for more than five years, they had a 33% lower risk of a bleeding stroke in the lobe areas and a 38% lower risk in the non-lobe areas. She said this study shows what biologically makes sense: Taking statins and keeping fatty deposits from building up in the arteries makes hemorrhagic strokes less likely.

☆ Why You Can’t Find Wegovy, the Weight-Loss Drug
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Peter Loftus | Denise Roland | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Wegovy is among a new class of drugs regulators have approved to lower the weight of people who are obese, a goal long sought by doctors and patients. Novo Nordisk A/S flubbed the launch of its buzzy new weight-loss drug Wegovy, missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and squandering a head start before a rival could begin selling a competing product. Wegovy is among a new class of drugs that health regulators have approved to cut the weight of people who are obese, a goal long sought by doctors and patients. Elon Musk tweeted about Wegovy in October. And a related drug for diabetes, Ozempic, is a hot topic in Hollywood among celebrities seeking to stay thin, according to doctors.

☆ Amgen says experimental obesity drug has promising durability
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Amgen Inc's (AMGN.O) experimental obesity drug demonstrated promising durability trends in an early trial, paving the way for a larger mid-stage study early next year, company officials said ahead of a data presentation on Saturday. The small Phase I trial found that patients maintained their weight loss for 70 days after receiving the highest tested dose of the injected drug, currently known as AMG133. Amgen shares have gained about 5% since the company said on Nov. 7 that 12 weeks of trial treatment at the highest monthly dose of AMG133 resulted in mean weight loss of 14.5%. Patients treated with AMG133 did have side effects including nausea and vomiting, but most cases were mild and resolved within a couple of days after the first dose, Amgen said. The drug was developed from work at Amgen to identify genetic signals associated with lower fat mass and body weight, and also healthy metabolic profiles, explained Saptarsi Haldar, head of cardiovascular metabolic discovery at Amgen.

☆ Goldman Sachs says this little-known biotech stock can double on potentially ‘blockbuster’ revenue
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Investors should buy biopharma stock Altimmune as it can double from here depending on the success of a new obesity drug, according to Goldman Sachs. However, the analyst expects that the growing obesity market is not a "zero-sum game" and has niches for new players. "We believe that cardiovascular and lipid benefits conferred by pemvidutide will allow ALT to earn meaningful market share and blockbuster revenues," Jenkins wrote. The analyst expects further studies on the pemvidutide's treatment on other diseases could also help differentiate the drug. Shares of Altimmune are up 8% this year, but the analyst expects they'll advance further.

☆ Big Pharma will muscle in on obesity gold rush
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Obesity drugs are a modern day gold rush for drugmakers. By then, the obesity market could total $50 billion, according to Morgan Stanley. But a plausible 50% price cut would lower annual sales to $25 billion. Reuters GraphicsFollow @aimeedonnellan on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSSales of Novo Nordisk’s obesity drugs Wegovy and Saxenda reached nearly $1.2 billion in 2021, up 50% versus the previous year. Morgan Stanley analysts expect the obesity market to grow to $50 billion in annual sales by 2030.

☆ Outperforming asset manager picks the stocks set to win as margins get squeezed
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Consumers are going to have their purse strings pulled by utility bills, higher mortgage costs, higher petrol prices, and there's going to be margin squeeze." He said wage pressure and higher commodity prices were particularly challenging and could eat into companies' margins. Luxury Luxury stocks are another favorite for Armstrong. Moreover, the "massive" profit margins of luxury companies are also insulated from increases in input prices, he added. Within the space, Armstrong's fund owns French luxury goods companies LVMH and Hermes , given their "defendable margins" and the ability to be price setters.

☆ Drug maker Novo Nordisk invests $744 mln to expand Danish plant
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

COPENHAGEN, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) said on Tuesday it plans to invest 5.4 billion Danish crowns ($744.09 million) to expand its existing facilities in Bagsvaerd, Denmark. Novo, the world's biggest producer of diabetes drugs, said the project is expected to be finalised in 2024 and create about 160 new jobs. "This investment in expanding our clinical API capacity in Bagsvaerd is an important step to ensure the continuous progress of our development pipeline," said senior vice president of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control Development at Novo Nordisk, Jesper Boving. Novo Nordisk currently produces API at two facilities in Denmark and one in Clayton in the United States, a spokesperson told Reuters. ($1 = 7.2572 Danish crowns)Reporting by Rahat Sandhu and Stine Jacobsen, editing by Terje SolsvikOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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