Next month's launch of a Medicare program providing weight-loss drugs for $50 a month is expected to unleash pent-up demand for Wegovy, Zepbound and other blockbuster treatments — and create new bottlenecks at doctors' offices. The big picture: It could become one of the biggest drug rollouts ever — and it could test an already burdened system as seniors seek new GLP-1 prescriptions. - Clinicians worry that could also give short shrift to patient counseling on how to take the injectables and pills, adjust dosages and deal with side effects. - Medicare has been prohibited by law from covering weight-loss drugs. Where it stands: The new program is part of a deal President Trump struck with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to cut prices for…
Decades of scientific investment have paid off just in the last month, with researchers announcing promising breakthroughs against cancers and other deadly afflictions. Why it matters: They're all the product of a rigorous innovation system that delivers — though some have one important limitation: All they can do is buy someone a few more years. The big picture: We're still in the era of medicine where most miraculous new drugs don't cure the disease as much as allow sick people to live longer. - In economic terms, that ongoing medical care is expensive, and long-term diseases usually limit the number of years people are productive while increasing their lifetime medical costs. Driving the news: Recent weeks have featured a series of…
Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic could slow the progression of cancer in patients, according to recent studies.
Emerging research suggests that popular GLP-1 drugs, known for mainly weight loss and diabetes management, may also slow the progression of various types of cancer. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: - DETAIL: According to a new series of studies, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs , such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, can reduce cancer progression and mortality rates. One study of 10,000 patients, all with different types of cancer, done by the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute, observed a significant reduction in cancer progression among the patients. Lung cancer progression was halved in patients that took GLP-1 drugs while the progression of breast cancer decreased by 43 percent. The studies were observational, meaning…Open
Clinical trials are one of healthcare's most powerful tools, and one of its most underutilized pathways to patient care and innovative therapies. Yet, they are too often positioned as a last resort rather than a viable care option, limiting patient access, slowing enrollment, and making the path to new treatment options longer. Identifying and matching patients to the right clinical trial opportunity remains the single-largest cause of clinical trial delays, with many trials failing to meet their initial enrollment targets. But meeting an enrollment target doesn't guarantee the right patients are represented, as trials consistently fall short of reflecting the communities that carry the greatest burden of disease. What are the biggest…
The companies Abbvie and Genentech are expected to become the 10th and 11th drug-making companies to release their products at a discounted rate on the portal, joining other giants like AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer.
