Novo Nordisk says WeightWatchers will sell Wegovy, announces $299 price
Novo Nordisk said on Thursday it will collaborate with WeightWatchers to sell its blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy, starting July 1.
Under the deal, cash-paying patients can access a month's supply of Wegovy through the Danish drugmaker's Novocare pharmacy for $299. The one-time price will also be available through Novo's other telehealth partners through July 31, the company said in a release.
Novo recently announced the end of its collaboration with Hims & Hers Health, citing the telehealth platform's sales of Wegovy copies and marketing tactics.
WeightWatchers, which is set to exit bankruptcy, no longer offers compounded versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and other Novo Nordisk medicines, according to the company's website.
"We will continue to pursue and build on agreements with companies that share our values and refine initiatives that help improve access to our FDA-approved medicines for patients," said Dave Moore, an executive vice president at Novo Nordisk, adding that it is in talks with other potential partners.
Novo said it is maintaining deals with Ro and LifeMD, rivals to WeightWatchers.
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Kennedy's vaccine panel votes to remove preservative long targeted by activists
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But Kennedy will likely be the one to endorse these recommendations because there is currently no CDC director or acting director. The decision came after a presentation from Lyn Redwood, a former president of the Kennedy-founded anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense, who identified herself as a 'private citizen.' The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Kennedy had hired Redwood to work in the CDC's vaccine safety office. The HHS directory lists Redwood as an 'expert' in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. Department spokespeople and Redwood didn't respond to requests for comment on Redwood's role. Redwood's presentation largely argued that thimerosal, a preservative that has been used in vaccines since the 1930s, should be removed from the products because of safety concerns. The CDC website says that there is 'no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site.' A CDC background document for members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, posted by the agency on Tuesday and later removed from its website, also diverges from Redwood's conclusion, arguing there is overwhelming evidence that thimerosal-containing vaccines do not cause neurological problems. ACIP member Dr. Robert Malone said the document was removed because 'it was not authorized by the office of the secretary.' Redwood's presentation argued there is evidence that thimerosal can cause serious complications, especially for pregnant women. 'The fact that thimerosal from vaccines has been documented to raise blood mercury levels over known thresholds where developmental effects have been documented to occur during the first few months of life, means that particular 'windows of vulnerability' may have been breached,' Redwood said. Thimerosal continues to be used as a preservative in multi-dose vaccine vials to inhibit germ growth, but the vast majority of FDA-licensed flu vaccines are already thimerosal-free — 96 percent of all flu vaccines in the U.S. last season didn't contain the preservative, according to the CDC document removed from the website. It was largely removed from childhood vaccines in 2001, and several pediatric products — including the measles, mumps and rubella and varicella shots — never included the ingredient. In 1999, the FDA and CDC announced plans to work with manufacturers to reduce or remove thimerosal from vaccines. But the move was a precautionary measure, and further research has identified no link between the ingredient and neurological defects. Several ACIP members agreed with Redwood, including committee Chair Martin Kulldorff, who argued that while the level of thimerosal in vaccines may be safe, it could contribute to high cumulative mercury exposure. But Meissner, a pediatrics professor at Dartmouth College's medical school, pushed back strongly against Redwood's assertion. 'I'm not quite sure how to respond to this presentation,' Meissner said. He went on to note that thimerosal is metabolized into ethylmercury and thiosalicylate, not methylmercury, which is found in fish and shellfish and is highly toxic to humans. 'Ethylmercury is excreted much more quickly from the body, and is not associated with the high neurotoxicity that methylmercury has,' Meissner noted. 'Of all the issues that I think ACIP needs to focus on, this is not a big issue,' he added. Many public health experts on the call also pushed back. Jason Goldman of the American College of Physicians asked whether the committee would get an 'actual CDC presentation done by staff, scientists, physicians and those who are subject matter experts with accurate, peer-reviewed scientific data or the ability for the committee to review [the data]' or if they would just hear 'layperson presentations.' Separately, the panel also recommended the updated influenza vaccine for the upcoming fall and winter season. Six members voted to approve, while Vicky Pebsworth, a public health scientist and nurse who's served on the board of an anti-vaccine group, abstained. Members of the press were not allowed to leave the press area, largely preventing them from speaking with the members of the committee. Kulldorff declined to answer questions following the meeting. 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"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The toxic fungus Aspergillus flavus—known as the 'Pharaoh's Curse' due to its role in the deaths of archaeologists who opened the Tomb of Tutankhamun in the 1920s—could have cancer-fighting abilities. A new study developed ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), which produced novel structures of interlocking rings called 'asperigimycins.' When combined with a lipid, these asperigimycins disrupted cell division in leukemia cancer cells, and were as effective as FDA-approved therapies that have treated the disease for decades. Fungi hold a prominent place in the history of medicine. Discovered in 1928, the world's first antibiotic—penicillin–was derived from a simple mold, and since then, fungi have made their way into the ingredient lists of all kinds of immunosuppressants and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Some fungi with psychoactive properties are even being introduced in states across the U.S. as therapeutic tools. However, not all fungi are medicinally helpful, and one of the more cursed members of the kingdom Fungi is Aspergillus flavus. A true microbial villain, this toxic fungus can produce aflatoxins, which can cause a variety of health issues and even death. The fungus garnered the cryptic nickname 'Pharaoh's Curse' due to it being linked to the deaths of several archeologists who opened ancient tombs around the world, including the famous discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun in the 1920s. However, a new study published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology analyzes a wholly different aspect of this fungal villain—it's cancer-fighting properties. The group of scientists led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) modified A. flavus and found molecules that formed a unique structure of interlocking rings, which they named 'asperigimycins.' When mixed with human leukemia cancer cells, these molecules—described as a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides, or RiPPs—were effective at knocking them out of commission. When the researchers added lipids (fatty molecules) to the mixture, the 'Pharaoh's Curse' transformed into a microbial blessing that worked as effectively as the FDA-approved drugs that've treated leukemia for decades. 'Fungi gave us penicillin,' Sherry Gao, senior author of the paper from Penn, said in a press statement. 'These results show that many more medicines derived from natural products remain to be found.' To better understand the properties of these RiPPs, the scientists selectively turned genes in the leukemia cells on and off. In doing so, they found that the SLC46A3 gene was crucial for the asperigimycins to enter the cancerous cells in enough numbers to be effective. The added lipid impacts how that gene transported chemicals into the cells, increasing their potency. However, the research team confirmed that these RiPPs were only useful against leukemia cells, and appeared to have no impact on breast, liver, or lung cancer cells. So, its usefulness is specific. Once in the cells, the asperigimycins prevent cell division, which is the process by which cancer spreads. 'Cancer cells divide uncontrollably,' Gao said in a press statement. 'These compounds block the formation of microtubules, which are essential for cell division." The hope is to soon move testing of these compounds into animal models, and then continue onward to human trials in an effort to develop a new method of treating deadly cancers. 'Nature has given us this incredible pharmacy,' Gao said in a press statement. 'It's up to us to uncover its secrets. As engineers, we're excited to keep exploring, learning from nature and using that knowledge to design better solutions.' What once was a pharaoh's curse might one day turn out to be an oncologist's blessing. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
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