Weight loss, diabetes drugs not linked to suicidal thoughts: EU probe

Boxes of Wegovy made by Novo Nordisk are seen at a pharmacy in London, Britain March 8, 2024.  Hollie Adams | Reuters European Union drug regulators found no evidence that highly popular weight loss and diabetes drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic are linked to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and self-injury, the regulator … Read more

Danone CEO downplays threat of weight loss drugs on food producers

Pots of Activia yoghurt, manufactured by Danone SA, sit on display. Bloomberg | Getty Images The CEO of French consumer goods giant Danone downplayed the threat of obesity drugs on its food business, arguing that consumers were likely to turn to healthy products as part of their new weight loss regime. Antoine de Saint-Affrique said … Read more

Drug similar to Ozempic slowed Parkinson’s disease in small trial

The coronal view of a human brain of a patient suffering from Parkinson’s disease Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Lab | Getty Images A highly popular class of drugs for diabetes and obesity is showing early potential to help patients with Parkinson’s disease, too.  An older diabetes treatment called lixisenatide helped slow the progression of motor disability … Read more

Weight loss, diabetes drug ad spending tops $1 billion

Boxes of Wegovy made by Novo Nordisk are seen at a pharmacy in London, Britain March 8, 2024.  Hollie Adams | Reuters Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up. Good afternoon! Drugmakers spent big on advertisements for weight loss and diabetes treatments last year … Read more

Altimmune weight loss drug minimized muscle mass loss in trial

Altimmune on Wednesday said its experimental drug helped patients shed weight but also minimized the loss of muscle mass in a midstage trial, a finding that could set it apart in a potentially crowded market. Altimmune is one of several smaller biotech companies that are pushing to compete directly with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly … Read more

Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic can be made for less than $5 a month: study

A box of Ozempic and contents sit on a table in Dudley, North Tyneside, Britain, October 31, 2023.  Lee Smith | Reuters The blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic could be manufactured for less than $5 a month, even as Novo Nordisk charges close to $1,000 per month for the injection in the U.S. before insurance, a … Read more

Viking Therapeutics weight loss pill shows positive study results

Alexey Krukovsky | Istock | Getty Images Viking Therapeutics shares jumped more than 10% in premarket trading Tuesday after the company said its experimental weight loss pill showed positive results in a small study and will enter the next stage of development later this year. The study results add to the excitement around the drugmaker’s … Read more

Amgen aims to enter weight loss drug market with a new approach

The Amgen logo is displayed outside Amgen headquarters on May 17, 2023 in Thousand Oaks, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images Amgen is taking a new approach as it tries to stand out in a crowded field of drugmakers racing to develop the next blockbuster weight loss drug. The biotech company is testing an injectable … Read more

New funds target weight loss, Big Tech hype: Roundhill Investments

A major exchange-traded fund provider is going deep on two popular plays: megacap tech and weight loss drug stocks. In health care, Roundhill Investments is getting ready to launch a fund that focuses on the companies behind GLP-1 drugs. Dave Mazza, the firm’s chief strategy officer, expects to have more information on the fund’s debut … Read more

How much people are willing to spend

Boxes of Wegovy made by Novo Nordisk are seen at a pharmacy in London, Britain March 8, 2024.  Hollie Adams | Reuters Demand for weight loss drugs is booming in the U.S. despite their limited insurance coverage and roughly $1,000 monthly price tags before discounts.  But some patients are willing to pay more out of … Read more