Top of the morning to you. And a fine one it is. Lots of sunshine and clear blue skies are once again enveloping the Pharmalot campus, where the official mascots are bounding about the grounds in search of creatures and the leaves are still fluttering off tree branches. As for us, we are as busy as ever hunting and gathering items of interest. We trust you have your own hectic agendas. So join us as we hoist the ever-present cup of stimulation — our choice today is gingerbread — and attack the fast-growing to-do list. We hope you have a smashing day and, of course, do stay in touch. …
Patients who took Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug Zepbound regained around half the weight they shed after stopping the recently approved treatment for a year, CNBC says, citing a new study. The data, which represents the full results from an 88-week study funded by the company, suggests that people have to stay on the weekly injection if they want to maintain significant weight loss. People who discontinue Wegovy and Novo Nordisk’s diabetes medication Ozempic have also regained weight, raising concerns among U.S. health insurers about the high costs involved with long-term coverage of the pricey drugs.
Some patients with type 2 diabetes say they are having more difficulty getting reimbursed for drugs like Ozempic as U.S. insurers implement restrictions designed to deter doctors from prescribing the medication for weight loss, Reuters explains. Out of 24 diabetes patients contacted by Reuters on Reddit, 13 reported recent problems getting their health plans to cover Ozempic or Mounjaro, a similar drug sold by Eli Lilly. Novo Nordisk confirmed it is seeing tighter health plan management of GLP-1 drugs including Ozempic and is working to minimize disruption for type 2 diabetes patients. The trend has contributed to a recent dip in U.S. prescriptions.