STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Wegovy insurance coverage, Zepbound shortages, and more
And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is still being formulated, but we do hope to promenade with the official mascots, catch up on our reading, and maybe stare at the telly now and then. Of course, we are also planning another listening party, where the rotation will include this, this, this and this. And what about you? Spring has sprung, so this is an invitation to enjoy the great outdoors — perhaps a walk in the woods or a stroll down city streets is in order. This is also fine time to tidy up and clear out your castle. If you prefer to look ahead, you could plan a summer getaway or, if ambition overcomes you, maybe the rest of your life. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …
The first major U.S. health insurers have agreed to start paying for the Wegovy weight-loss drug for certain people on Medicare with heart conditions, The Wall Street Journal reports. CVS Health, Elevance Health, and Kaiser Permanente will cover the Novo Nordisk drug for reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people with cardiovascular disease who meet body-weight criteria and are covered by a Medicare drug-benefit plan. The moves open up reimbursement for such drugs, which had previously been excluded from Medicare coverage by a U.S. law and which many private health plans resisted covering due to cost.
Citing unprecedented demand, Eli Lilly disclosed that some patients may have trouble getting its Zepbound weight loss drug as complaints of back orders and delays mount across the U.S., Bloomberg News reports. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not currently consider the drug in short supply and Lilly maintained it “continues to manufacture and ship all doses.” But Amazon Pharmacy reported the drug was in short supply and multiple pharmacists confirmed that some or all of the doses of the injectable drug are on back order. And Cardinal Health, a major wholesaler, was also reporting a manufacturer back order for some doses and limiting shipments to pharmacies.
Financial ties between drug and device makers and some physicians remain pervasive, despite concerns such relationships may influence medical practice, STAT writes, citing a new analysis of payments made over a recent 10-year span. From 2013 to 2022, pharmaceutical and device companies made more than 85 million payments totaling $12.1 billion to approximately 826,300 physicians. And 94% of those payments were associated with at least one marketed medical product. Among the products for which the most payments were made were blood thinners and a robotic surgical system.
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