April 2, 2024 — We were hopeful. Shortly after launch, it seemed like Lilly was keeping up with the demand for Zepbound – the tirzepatide brand they’re selling for obesity. But it turns out that the overwhelming need for effective obesity medicine is outstripping the supply that both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk can offer. Lilly told reporters on […]
March 9, 2024 — It’s official. FDA now says that semaglutide, in doses used to treat obesity, can prevent heart attacks, strokes, and deaths in persons with cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity. This is nothing short of the dawn of a new era in obesity treatment. FDA Division Director John Sharretts said it clearly: “This patient population has […]
February 7, 2024 — Let’s be clear from the start. Hype about “weight loss” drugs is exquisitely unhelpful. This is because weight loss is only an acute effect of new medicines that act on GLP-1 receptors and related pathways that influence obesity. The real need for these medicines is to control a whole range of chronic health problems that […]
January 9, 2024 — Unfortunately, we are facing the new year with a great demand for advanced new obesity medicines and an inadequate supply. On the FDA drug shortages website, all strengths of the Wegovy brand, except 2.4 mg, have limited availability. Both Wegovy and Ozempic are “currently in shortage.” This opens the door for compounded semaglutide and a […]
December 30, 2023 — FDA tells us we have a problem – actually two of them, and they’re connected to a third. First, counterfeit versions of the Ozempic brand of semaglutide injections are finding their way into pharmacies. These fakes present an inherent risk of problems with safety and effectiveness. Second, compounded versions of semaglutide are selling in some […]
November 25, 2023 — Two weeks ago, a shift started in the public messaging about semaglutide supply issues that have dogged Novo Nordisk from the very beginning of launching a version of this drug (Wegovy) for obesity. Has the catch-up game in production capacity for obesity and diabetes medicines begun at last in earnest? At the beginning of November, […]
November 3, 2023 — Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly updated their investors yesterday on their performance through the third quarter of 2023 and the word is that they are “raking in cash” from their new medicines that work so well in obesity. Gobs of money seem to be flowing to both companies, but the stories they were telling about […]
October 16, 2023 — Forgive us a bit of skepticism please. We are facing a jarring disconnect at ObesityWeek from the reality of medical care that simply can’t keep up with stunning progress in obesity science. Scientists and obesity medicine experts are promising us a tantalizing future for obesity care while the present circumstances facing real people living with […]
August 19, 2023 — The intersection of high U.S. drug prices with its high obesity rates is creating some unusual economics. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and the Peterson Center on Healthcare released an analysis this week that brings this into sharp focus. The analysis tells us that published prices for GLP-1 medicines used for obesity and diabetes are the […]
August 11, 2023 — Calm in the midst of a storm is always odd. Has it passed? Or is there more to come? Bedlam pretty much defines the market for obesity care right now. Both Novo Nordisk and Lilly announced robust business results on the strength of impressive new options for treating obesity. Novo released stunning topline results for […]
