Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the holiday-shortened week on this side of the pond. Congratulations on making it this far, and remember there are only a few more days until the weekend arrives. So keep plugging away. After all, what are the alternatives? While you ponder the possibilities, we are firing up the coffee kettle and invite you to join us for a delightful cup of stimulation. Our choice today is almond biscotti. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits to help you on your way. We hope your day is productive and meaningful. And of course, do stay in touch. We appreciate feedback, suggestions, and internal documents. …
Many patients using highly effective GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy may not regain lost weight quickly when they stop treatment, Reuters writes, citing an analysis of real-world data that sheds light on a chief concern about the therapies. Among thousands of patients treated at a large network of U.S. academic medical clinics, most had kept the weight off or lost even more 18 months after stopping semaglutide, sold by Novo Nordisk as Ozempic and Wegovy, or tirzepatide, sold by Eli Lilly as Mounjaro and Zepbound, researchers from data analytics firm nference found. Their data run counter to findings by Novo, based on the drugmaker’s clinical trials, that caution many patients will soon regain lost weight if treatment is interrupted. Obesity specialists have questioned whether people will need to use these medicines for years to maintain the benefits.
The European Parliament backed the European Union’s Critical Medicines Act in a move designed to secure Europe’s pharmaceutical supply chains from geopolitical shocks, Health Policy Watch says. The legislation aims to to re-shore the production of active ingredients, critical medicines, and essential drugs like antibiotics and insulin. But while the vote marks a major step toward European “health sovereignty,” critics warn that the EU push for resilience could inadvertently drain global supply, drive up prices for essential drugs, and undercut Africa’s emerging pharmaceutical industry. An exploratory study issued by the EU Commission found that over 50% of recent critical medicine shortages in the EU were caused by manufacturing issues, exacerbated by a heavy reliance on active pharmaceutical ingredients from India and China.Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…