GLP-1
Altimmune on Wednesday said it is ending development of HepTcell, a hepatitis B candidate, following disappointing trial results as it focuses on obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.
Citing a JAMA study that found Ozempic could be profitably produced at under $5 per month, Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday called on Novo Nordisk to lower prices for the diabetes treatment and the weight-loss drug Wegovy.
Bayer cut its C-suite nearly in half amid a massive restructuring. Meanwhile, the U.S. government says it will pay for Wegovy for patients with heart disease.
The early-stage study showed that Viking Therapeutics’ oral obesity candidate VK2735, a dual agonist of the GLP-1 and GIP receptors, elicited a 3.3% reduction in mean body weight. The company plans to start a Phase II trial.
Just weeks after Wegovy won FDA approval for cardiovascular disease, Novo Nordisk has bought mid-stage biotech Cardior Pharmaceuticals and its miRNA-targeting candidate for heart failure.
Oprah Winfrey this week shone the spotlight on these transformative GLP-1 medications. Now, it’s time for Medicare to cover them and expand access to millions of Americans.
Following its label expansion earlier this month, Medicare on Thursday said it will now cover the use of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy in patients with overweight or obesity who have preexisting cardiovascular disease.
The recent FDA decision will likely mean more Medicare patients gain access to the blockbuster weight loss drug, experts say. Meanwhile, results continue to roll in for GLP-1 agonists for conditions beyond diabetes and obesity.
Novo Nordisk’s investment of more than half a billion dollars is meant to expand its production capabilities in China and help it meet the global drug demand.
With its FDA approval last week and first-to-market advantage, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals’ Rezdiffra will set the standard for other metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis candidates in development.
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