
Madrigal announces two-year results from Phase 3 MAESTRO-NAFLD-1 trial
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (MDGL) announced positive two-year results from the open-label compensated MASH cirrhosis arm of the Phase 3 MAESTRO-NAFLD-1 trial of Rezdiffra. Patients in the study achieved significant improvements from baseline in liver stiffness, liver fat, fibrosis biomarkers, liver volume and risk scores for clinically significant portal hypertension, CSPH. Among patients with CSPH at baseline, 65% moved into lower risk categories by year two. Among patients with probable CSPH at baseline, 57% moved into the no/low CSPH category as compared to 14% who moved into the CSPH category by year two. Improvement in CSPH risk was statistically significant compared to baseline. Similar shifts to lower risk categories were observed in an analysis using a more stringent modified Baveno criteria that incorporates magnetic resonance elastography and the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis test as additional evidence for CSPH risk. Safety data were consistent with previous studies and Rezdiffra was well-tolerated with a low rate of discontinuation due to adverse events. The most common adverse events were diarrhea, COVID-19 and nausea. There were two deaths unrelated to Rezdiffra.
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New York Post
9 hours ago
- New York Post
Weight loss drugs like Ozempic could mess with your birth control — and get you pregnant
A UK watchdog is urging women on GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro to use effective forms of birth control after receiving more than 40 pregnancy-related reports linked to the medications. The warning comes as women flood social media with stories of their so-called 'Ozempic babies' — including surprise pregnancies while on the pill. Trying to shed pounds, not grow a baby bump? Here's what you need to know about GLP-1s, pregnancy and the best contraception options to stay protected. 4 Studies show that at least one in eight US adults have tried GLP-1s. íÅí°íâ¬í¸í½í° íâíµí¼íµíËí°í¾ – What's in your GLP-1? Several GLP-1 drugs dominate the market, including Ozempic and Wegovy. Both contain semaglutide, an active ingredient that mimics a natural hormone in the body that boosts insulin production, slows digestion and curbs appetite. Then there's Saxenda and Victoza, powered by liraglutide, which functions in a similar way. Newer drugs like Mounjaro and Zepbound rely on tirzepatide, a key ingredient that targets a second hormone involved in appetite and blood sugar control. A surprise side effect While gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common with GLP-1s, the surprise side effect making waves is unexpected pregnancy. The UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has received 28 reports related to pregnancy in patients on tirzepatide, and nine each for semaglutide and liraglutide. 4 Women on tirzepatide-based GLP-1s should use barrier contraception. nenetus – In an alert this week, the agency warned that tirzepatide may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, especially in women with higher body weight. As a result, it recommended using barrier methods like condoms while on drugs like Mounjaro. So far, there's no evidence that GLP-1s affect non-oral birth control like IUDs, implants, patches, or rings, according to the UK's Faculty of Reproductive Healthcare. And yes, the advice applies even to women previously told they were infertile. GLP-1s have been shown to boost fertility by aiding weight loss, reducing inflammation and improving insulin sensitivity — leading some to conceive just months after starting treatment. 4 GLP-1 agonists can increase your fertility, but they can also interfere with pregnancy. Louis-Photo – Can you take GLP-1s while pregnant? Experts say no — at least not yet. There's not enough data to confirm whether GLP-1s are safe during pregnancy. While a some human studies suggests there is no harm in first-trimester use, testing in animals has shown the drugs could increase the risk of miscarriage and birth defects. 4 Scientists are still working to understand whether GLP-1s can negatively impact a developing fetus. Evrymmnt – Another reason to skip GLP-1s while pregnant: they suppress your appetite and can trigger gastrointestinal issues, which may lead to nutrient deficiencies that impact fetal development. The drugs should also be avoided during breastfeeding, since there's not enough research to confirm safety for infants. Trying to conceive? Here's the timeline If you're planning to get pregnant, the MHRA recommended stopping GLP-1s before you start trying to conceive and giving your body time to clear the drugs. For semaglutide users, that means quitting at least two months ahead. If you're on tirzepatide, stop one month before trying. Liraglutide clears the system faster, so you can stop right before you start trying to conceive.

Business Insider
13 hours ago
- Business Insider
Dairy is so back. It's now a high-protein, gut-healthy superfood shoppers love.
Want to snack on something that's high in protein, gut-friendly, minimally processed, and tastes good? Hit the dairy aisle. After years of being outshone and relegated to second best by shiny, new plant-based alternatives like oat milk and cashew cream, dairy is not only in demand, it's having a glow-up. Products like mint chocolate cookie probiotic ice cream and pistachio-flavored kefir — some of which come wrapped in whimsical, retro-style packaging — are hitting the market as dairy finds itself at the center of the Venn diagram of health, food, and cultural trends. "I really have not seen this type of dairy innovation in past years," Jessica Rubino of New Hope Network, an organic-focused consultancy firm that tracks US food and drink industry trends, told Business Insider. According to the organization's insights, the organic dairy sector grew by 9.8% in 2024, up from 5.6% the previous year — far higher than the one or two percent a year increase seen since around 2015. "That type of increase in growth is pretty significant," Rubino said. Dairy aligns with health trends With 82% of US consumers considering wellness a top or important priority in their everyday lives, according to 2024 trend data from McKinsey, food and drink can't just taste good, it needs to provide health benefits too. A large part of dairy's appeal right now is that it's high in protein and minimally processed. Whether you want to eat enough protein to build muscle, you use a GLP-1 and need more protein to maintain muscle mass or are a member of the manosphere following the carnivore diet, we've gone protein-crazy in recent years. The global protein market is estimated to reach over $47.4 billion by 2032, up from $26 billion in 2021, according to Statista. Protein-enhanced products, such as sodas, waters, powders, and bars, have taken over grocery store aisles. Fairlife, the industry leader in ultra-filtered milk, which contains 50% more protein than regular milk, has seen dollar sales rise by 31% in the past 12 months, according to data from market research agency Circana. The milk is filtered to separate its components (water, lactose, protein, fat, and vitamins and minerals) and reformulated. Lactose and sugar are removed, and protein is concentrated. Melissa Altobelli, a dairy industry analyst at Circana, told BI that Fairlife, which has been around since 2012, has exploded in popularity recently because its product chimes with current trends. "It's not that the effort wasn't made in the past. It's just more appealing to consumers currently," she said, adding: "Protein is in everything at this point, and that's what consumers are looking for." Rubino also sees gut health as a particularly big draw for dairy, as people seek out functional foods to "optimize" their health and live longer. "You can get high dosages of probiotics through these food products," she said. The ultra-processed foods backlash is good news for dairy As ultra-processed foods take over from carbs as the demon of the dietary world, shoppers are losing their appetite for them. Typically long-lasting and designed to be irresistible and easy to eat, these foods contain ingredients you wouldn't find in a regular kitchen, such as gums, emulsifiers, and colors. Mounting research links ultra-processed foods to a host of health conditions — from type 2 diabetes to depression and poor gut health. As public awareness of ultra-processed foods has grown, people have become more wary of alt milks, which typically contain additives, Amy Bentley, a professor of food studies at NYU who specializes in the American diet, told BI. "Alt meat and alt milk don't want to be put in that category. They want to say, 'Hey, we're different.' But if you read those ingredient labels of some of those alt products, they are very, very ultra processed," she said. This has been dairy's gain: "The pendulum has swung back," Andrea Hernández, the author of the food trends newsletter Snaxshot, told BI. "Milk was the original functional drink," Hernández said, "and it's become culturally cool again." "Consumers are still looking for simple ingredients and naturalness," Altobelli said. And traditional dairy products, like unflavored yogurts and cottage cheese, as well as more innovative ones like Fairlife, fit the bill. The cult status of raw dairy in a MAHA world Dairy products, including raw milk, have become part of a cultural conversation in the past year or so. Fans of raw milk say it contains more beneficial microbes than pasteurized milk and can protect against allergies and asthma. Food scientists, however, argue that the ostensible benefits of raw milk are outweighed on a population level by the risk of catching bird flu or being poisoned by E. coli. Raw milk, along with beef tallow and butter, has also become synonymous with the "make America healthy again," or MAHA, movement. Its spearhead, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the US Health Secretary, said in June 2024 that he only drinks raw milk and, before he was appointed, criticized what he called the FDA's "aggressive suppression" of raw milk, which he said on X in October 2024 "advances human health." In late May, he took shots of the stuff in the White House on a podcast. Federal law prohibits the sale of raw milk across state lines, but individual state laws, not the FDA, dictate whether it can be sold within that state. Raw milk enthusiasts include people across the political and cultural spectrum. Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted "Raw Milk does a body good" on X in October 2024. Gwyneth Paltrow, an early adopter of wellness culture, said she adds raw milk creamer to her coffee every morning. And "tradwife" influencer and dairy farmer Hannah Neeleman, who posts as "Ballerina Farm" online, was featured milking one of her cows on the cover of the conservative women's magazine Evie in November, emblazoned with the words " The New American Dream." Hernández said there is a "romanticization of a dairy farm or a farmer's life." "It's become trendy to be able to say, 'Oh, I got this $20 raw milk jug at Erewhon,'" the Los Angeles-based health food store known for its $20 smoothies, she said. The next era for dairy: exotic flavors with health benefits People may want their meals to be nutritious, but that doesn't mean they're willing to compromise on taste. On top of wellness, consumers, and Gen Z in particular, are looking for "unusual flavors as they seek new and unique experiences," according to branding consultancy and market research agency VML's Future 100: 2025 trends report. One in four of us want "interesting and exotic global flavor combinations," the report said. If the offerings at Natural Products Expo West, a prolific trade show for organic, sustainable food and beverage products, which took place in California in March, are any indication, brands are meeting the moment. Attendees could try ashwagandha -infused or Aleppo chile-flavored ghee, pineapple cottage cheese, and reduced-sugar chai tea-flavored yogurt. Alec's, an organic ice cream brand that displayed at the trade show, launched their Culture Cup, a 4 fl oz cup of ice cream with added pre- and probiotics, in April with flavors including chocolate-covered strawberry and dark chocolate honeycomb. All Things Butter, a company founded by the British chef Thomas Straker in 2023, has also gained traction for its flavored butters. Current products include cinnamon bun butter, chocolate butter, and smoked paprika butter. Unlike traditional butter packaging, its butter sticks come in colorful foil adorned with anthropomorphic cartoon cows. It was the first "very yassified, very millennial looking" dairy brand Hernández noticed, but she's certain we'll see many more.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Omada Health IPO signals healthier market, avoids 'down-round' trend
The IPO market is starting to feel healthier. Omada Health, a 14-year-old company providing virtual care for chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension between office visits, closed its first trading day on Friday at $23 a share, a 21% jump from the IPO price of $19. The IPO valued the company just above $1 billion (excluding employee options), a figure that's nearly identical to Omada's last private valuation of $1 billion set in its previous VC round. The debut is one of the first among recent IPOs that was not a so-called down-round. Many of the latest public listings, including Hinge, ServiceTitan, and Reddit, priced below their private market highs, though have faired well as public companies. For founder and CEO Sean Duffy, the successful public offering validates his decision to start a company that he believed the market desperately needed. In 2011, he dropped out of Harvard Medical School after realizing that chronic illness patients required more continuous support than the existing healthcare system delivered. Before the offering, he owned 4.1% of the company, according to Omada's offering document. Other significant shareholders included Revelation Partners (10.9%), US Venture Partners (9.9%), Andreessen Horowitz (9.6%), and FMR (9.3%). Duffy told TechCrunch that over his 14-year journey as a founder, he had many harrowing moments. "I didn't think our series A was going to come together because we were working on this commercial deal that didn't materialize, and that spooked one investor," he said. "As a young business, something tries to kill you every month," he continued. "And then as the business grows, it turns into like every quarter or six months, year, two years." One of the recent challenges for many digital health businesses is navigating the "collapse" of the market post-COVID boom. Omada steered through the turbulent times by seeking new, rising markets. It recently expanded its offerings to include diet management support for GLP-1 patients.