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Britain plans to launch a pilot programme exploring how new weekly weight-loss shots such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy can be given to obese patients by general practitioners even as the drug's market launch remains unclear. The government's announcement on the £40 million pilot programme comes after drug cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE in March recommended the use of Wegovy in adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index of 35, but only within the NHS specialist weight management scheme. The timing of Wegovy's launch in Britain - which would be only the fourth country to use it - is uncertain, however, after Novo last month rationed starter doses to secure supply to U.S. patients already on the regimen, after it was overwhelmed by demand there. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday (May 7) the pilot and fighting obesity-related diseases could reduce pressure on hospitals. It would also support "people to live healthier and longer lives, and helping to deliver on my priority to cut NHS waiting lists". The NHS endured a tough winter in England in particular, with waiting lists hitting record highs and staff striking for higher pay amid double-digit inflation.

Amgen's experimental obesity drug demonstrated promising durability trends in an early trial, paving the way for a larger mid-stage study early next year, company officials said ahead of a data presentation on Saturday (December 3). The small Phase I trial found that patients maintained their weight loss for 70 days after receiving the highest tested dose of the injected drug, currently known as AMG133. Amgen shares have gained about 5% since the company said on Nov. 7 that 12 weeks of trial treatment at the highest monthly dose of AMG133 resulted in mean weight loss of 14.5%. At 150 days after the last dose, maintained weight loss had dropped to 11.2% below original weight at the start of the trial, according to findings detailed at a meeting of World Congress of Insulin Resistance, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Los Angeles. Patients treated with AMG133 did have side effects including nausea and vomiting, but most cases were mild and resolved within a couple of days after the first dose, Amgen said.

Weight loss drug Wegovy has transformed the obesity market and pharmaceutical companies with existing treatments are hoping the resulting demand will boost demand for their older, less effective but cheaper, drugs. A weekly injection of Wegovy, which was launched in the U.S. in June 2021, leads to an average weight loss of around 15%, alongside changes to diet and exercise. Its impact has captured the attention of patients, investors and even celebrities. But supply issues for Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk means the Danish drugmaker has struggled to meet surging U.S. demand, delaying a launch in most of Europe. Insurers and some national governments have also baulked at its cost, while a minority of patients do not respond to it. Vivus and Currax Pharmaceuticals, U.S.-based developers whose treatments have been on the U.S. market for around a decade, hope to benefit from the attention and supply shortage. But scientists and investors say that lower efficacy plus side effects could continue to hold the treatments back.

Novo Nordisk, the Danish drug manufacturer, has launched Wegovy, a weight-loss drug, in the UK market. This semaglutide injection will be available through specialist NHS weight management services for those who meet the National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE) criteria or privately through registered healthcare professionals. Novo Nordisk allocated a portion of the available supply of Wegovy for NHS services, while confirming the existing shortage of semaglutide and projecting continued constraints in the foreseeable future. The drug can be obtained through the NHS and is additionally accessible for private purchase at pharmacies in the UK. The pricing for a one-month supply varies, ranging from £73.25 to £175.80, depending on the dosage. "We are committed to expanding treatment options for individuals with obesity and share the Government's goal of improving access to obesity care in areas of high unmet medical need," the company said in a statement. "We are closely monitoring Wegovy demand and collaborating with regulators and providers to ensure access to and continuity of treatment for people living with obesity."

Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk said on Tuesday (Aug 8) a large study had shown the highly effective obesity treatment also had a clear cardiovascular benefit, boosting the Danish company's hopes of moving beyond its image as a lifestyle drug. The increasingly popular Wegovy has transformed the weight-loss market since its U.S. launch in June 2021, capturing the attention of patients, investors and celebrities worldwide. Novo's news lifted shares in Europe's second-most valuable listed company after LVMH by more than 17 per cent to record highs. They have now surged almost 165 per cent over the past two years. The results of the late-stage trial may help persuade insurers in the U.S. and cost-conscious health authorities in Europe to cover the cost of Wegovy, which is $1,300 a month in the United States, for a wider range of patients. U.S. law classifies weight-loss treatments as lifestyle drugs and bars the Medicare health plan for older Americans from covering them and experts said the new data could lead the U.S. government to reassess that.

Eli Lilly's weight-loss medicine Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, will be available in the UK within weeks as a four-dose pre-filled injection pen. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the drug to treat adults with type 2 diabetes and for weight management in obese patients. Branded as Mounjaro KwikPen, the injection is to be used together with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, the regulator said. "The public health importance of safe and effective treatments to help manage diabetes and obesity, which can have a significant impact on people's health, is clear. "This approval enables access to the approved Mounjaro pen in a more convenient presentation of a month's treatment, of one dose per week," said Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director, Healthcare Quality and Access.

Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim said on Thursday (Aug 17) it would conduct three late-stage studies for its obesity drug candidate after it showed up to 19 per cent weight loss after 46 weeks in a mid-stage trial. The private company plans to start enrollments for the trial of the drug, survodutide, which it co-invented with Danish biotech company Zealand Pharma, before the end of the year. The trials will evaluate the drug's safety and efficacy, Boehringer said, and added that it would provide further details on the studies before initiation. Boehringer and Zealand are among global drugmakers racing to grab a share of the potential $100 billion market for obesity treatments within a decade. Survodutide works by mimicking a gut hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which suppresses appetite, as well as imitating another gut hormone called glucagon that helps break down fat.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called for a 'firm commitment' to prosecuting those making profits through the sale of DNP (2,4-Dinitrophenol). It has also urged the social media companies to 'remove content promoting or selling DNP to further reduce harm'. Legislation to regulate DNP will come into effect on 1 October 2023. On Monday (23 January) it was announced that DNP will be included in the 1972 Poisons Act. President of RPS Professor Claire Anderson said: "DNP is unfit for human consumption and its main use is in the manufacture of explosives and pesticides. It is sold by unscrupulous dealers to vulnerable individuals wanting to lose weight but has a dangerous effect on the metabolism and has led to 32 deaths since 2007 in those taking it as a 'diet drug'. "Including DNP in the Poisons Act is a positive move as it will restrict its availability, but what's really needed is an outright ban to reduce the risk to the public. Australia has already classified DNP as a substance of such a danger to health as to warrant prohibition of sale and we'd like the UK to follow suit.

It has been reported that several Austrians have been taken to the hospital after injecting fake Ozempic, as confirmed by health regulator. Austria's Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (BASG) confirmed that the patients have suffered hypoglycaemia and seizures. It is believed that the injections contained insulin instead of the weight loss drug, semaglutide. The health regulator has urged doctors and patients to verify their medication stocks.