Weight loss, diabetes drugs propel Eli Lilly to better-than-expected forecast for 2024

The popular diabetes treatment Mounjaro pushed Eli Lilly past fourth-quarter forecasts, and the drugmaker expects 2024 to turn out largely better than expected too, as new products build momentum. Lilly debuted on Tuesday a forecast for the new year that calls for adjusted earnings ranging from $12.20 to $12.70 per share as its new weight-loss … Read more

Bumper profits for Norway’s giant wealth fund led by a strong performance by tech companies

STAVANGER — Norway’s oil fund reported the largest annual return in its history Tuesday, a performance led by U.S. technology companies and Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which makes the diabetes-turned-weight loss drug Ozempic. Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, said it also benefited in 2023 from market excitement over … Read more

Eli Lilly starts website to connect patients with new obesity treatment, Zepbound, other drugs

Eli Lilly has launched a unique website to connect U.S. patients seeking obesity treatment to doctors, dieticians and its new weight-loss drug, Zepbound. The drugmaker said Thursday it will use the site, called LillyDirect, to pair visitors with third-party mail-order pharmacies for prescriptions and to care providers through a virtual medical weight-loss clinic. The site … Read more

New weight loss drugs are out of reach for millions of older Americans because Medicare won’t pay

WASHINGTON — New obesity drugs are showing promising results in helping some people shed pounds but the injections will remain out of reach for millions of older Americans because Medicare is forbidden to cover such medications. Drugmakers and a wide-ranging and growing bipartisan coalition of lawmakers are gearing up to push for that to change … Read more

Subscription-based care moves beyond birth control and helping with hair loss

Need help losing weight or handling depression? How about a pill that lowers cholesterol and treats erectile dysfunction? Online subscription services for care have grown far beyond their roots dealing mainly with hair loss, acne or birth control. Companies including Hims & Hers, Ro and Lemonaid Health now provide quick access to specialists and regular … Read more

Pfizer to discontinue twice-daily version of weight loss pill

Pfizer on Friday said it would stop developing the twice-daily version of its experimental weight loss pill after obese patients taking the drug lost significant weight but had trouble tolerating the drug in a mid-stage clinical study.  The drugmaker observed high rates of adverse side effects, which were mostly mild and gastrointestinal, among patients. A … Read more

2024 expectations for Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound

George Frey | Bloomberg | Getty Images Weight loss drugs exploded into the public eye this year, and 2024 will bring more change to the evolving market.  The drugs skyrocketed in popularity in 2023 as they helped patients shed significant weight, despite hefty price tags, mixed insurance coverage and a handful of unpleasant side effects.  … Read more