STAT+: Pharmalittle: U.K. launches pilot to expand access to weight loss drugs; European Union approves RSV vaccine
The U.K. will launch a $50 million pilot program to explore how new weight-loss drugs can be given to more people outside hospitals.
Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Well, sort of. We are unexpectedly hunkering down due to a steady stream of smoke wafting our way from north of the border. The world is changing, yes? Nonetheless, the middle of the week is here and so we will congratulate you on making it this far. Remember, there are only a couple more days until the weekend arrives. So keep plugging away. After all, what are the alternatives? While you ponder the possibilities, we invite you to join us for a delightful cup of stimulation. Our choice today is maple bourbon. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits to help you on your way. Have a wonderful day, and please do stay in touch. …
The U.K. government will launch a $50 million pilot program to explore how new weight-loss drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy can be given to more obese patients outside of specialist services in hospitals, Reuters writes. The move comes after the U.K.’s cost-effectiveness watchdog recommended use of the weekly shot in adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index of at least 35, but only within a National Health Service specialist weight management scheme. The U.K. government said the program would reduce pressure on hospitals. Only 35,000 people would have access to Wegovy under specialist hospital services, but tens of thousands more could be eligible.
Now that the biggest meeting in cancer research — and, really, one of the biggest annual conferences for the pharmaceutical industry as a whole — has drawn to a close, what did we learn from the latest annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, STAT asks. Here is one lesson: New cancer medicines, given enough time, can be shown to affect the thing patients care about most — whether they live or die. The biggest example came with results of an AstraZeneca drug called Tagrisso in non-small cell lung cancer that is still early enough to be surgically removed. In patients with a particular genetic mutation, the drug cut the death rate in half.
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