STAT+: Pharmalittle: Novo halts Ozempic kidney failure trial after early signs of success; GSK settles California Zantac lawsuit

Hello, everyone, and how are you this fine, sunny morning? The middle of the week has arrived, as you may know, so why not celebrate with a delicious cup of stimulation? After all, you made it this far, which is a likely sign of surviving another few days. And of course, no prescription is required, which is a good thing. Our choice today is hazelnut creme. And while you indulge, you can peruse some of the tidbits we have assembled to help you start the day. Hope you have a meaningful and productive day and, as always, do keep in touch. We are wired to accept telegrams and postcards, too. …

Novo Nordisk plans to stop a trial studying Ozempic to treat kidney failure in diabetes patients ahead of schedule because it was clear from an interim analysis the drug would succeed, Reuters reports. The trial was testing whether the drug, semaglutide, could delay progression of chronic kidney disease and lower the risk of death from kidney and heart problems. Semaglutide is also the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy weight-loss drug. In a note to investors, Barclays analyst Emily Field wrote that the decision affirmed the view that GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic have “therapeutic benefits far beyond their original intended purpose.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published letters warning two online vendors to stop selling unapproved versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide, the active ingredients in popular GLP-1 class medications including Novo’s weight-loss drug Wegovy, Reuters writes. In the letters sent to Semaspace and Gorilla Healing on Oct. 2, the FDA said the only approved semaglutide products were Wegovy and Novo’s diabetes drugs Ozempic and Rybelsus. The agency noted that tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, had only been approved for diabetes.

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