Pharmalittle: U.S. appeals court upholds limits to abortion pill; ‘knock-off’ Ozempic thrives on ‘bogus’ website

Top of the morning to you. And a steamy one, it is. In fact, there is more steam rising from the grounds of the Pharmalot campus than from our ritual cup of stimulation. But this is to be expected at this time of year, yes? Our choice today, by the way, is pumpkin spice. In any event, there is work to be done, so as always, we have assembled a few items of interest for you. After all, the world somehow keeps spinning no matter what the thermometer says. Hope you have a successful day and conquer the world. And of course, do keep in touch. …

A U.S. appeals court panel restricted access to the abortion pill mifepristone but did not remove it from the market entirely, partially upholding a lower court decision, STAT reports. The panel ruled U.S. Food and Drug Administration decisions to allow the pill to be taken later in pregnancy, mailed directly to patients, and prescribed by a medical professional other than a doctor were not lawful. The ruling would effectively block mail-order prescriptions, but access will remain unchanged for now, as the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency order this spring to preserve the status quo while the case goes through the appeals process. The case is nearly assured to go to the highest court.

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More than 50 websites are selling semaglutide and tirzepatide, the active ingredients in Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, The Wall Street Journal says. Nearly all of them include disclaimers that the substances are “not for human consumption” or are “for research purposes” only. But several also include instructions for preparing human doses, or sponsor online forums where people explain how to inject the substances. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has called similar website disclaimers “bogus” and says that customers should not buy their products, as they have not been tested by the agency.

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