Lilly Slashes Prices On Two Lowest Doses Of Zepbound — If You’re Willing To Give Up Injector Pen

Drugmaker Eli Lilly is significantly lowering the prices of the two lowest doses of its blockbuster weight loss drug Zepbound, it said Tuesday, in a move to expand access and ease supply constraints. Two key changes to how people get and use the cheaper medicine, however, might not be appealing to some patients. Under the new pricing plan, a month’s supply of the lowest dose, 2.5 milligrams, will cost $399, while a month’s supply of the 5 mg dose will cost $549. That’s down from a monthly list price of $1,059, regardless of the dosage. NBC.

Ozempic Works Differently Than Previously Thought 

Weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro seem to directly impact metabolism, not just appetite, according to a new study. It was previously thought these drugs — collectively called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogs — worked by making people feel fuller so they eat less. But the results of a recent clinical trial suggest it’s not as simple as that. People who took GLP-1 daily for 24 weeks experienced both weight loss and an increased metabolism. Newsweek.

Heat Deaths In The US Reached Record Level In 2023, Study Finds

More Americans died from heat in 2023 than any year in over two decades of records, according to the findings published Monday. Last year was also the globe’s hottest year on record, the latest grim milestone in a warming trend fueled by climate change. The study, published in the American Medical Association journal JAMA, found that 2,325 people died from heat in 2023. Researchers admit that number is likely an undercount. USAToday.

The Democratic Convention’s Surprise Guest: Covid

Fresh off of a jam-packed week of Democratic National Convention events, reports of attendees’ testing positive for Covid are rolling in. They include members of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign staff, who are now contending with sickness from Covid, according to two sources close to the campaign with knowledge of the cases. There is at least some concern the developments could affect staffing at events this week, they added. NBC.

Vaccine Hesitancy Eats Into Back-To-School Shots

A recent measles outbreak in Oregon is refocusing attention on declining childhood vaccination rates as kids head back to school. Lingering vaccine hesitancy from the pandemic is evident in pediatricians’ offices as more parents opt out of the shots for measles, chicken pox, and whooping cough, among others, using non-medical religious exemptions. Axios.

Is DEET Bug Spray Harmful?

Some worry that this active ingredient is toxic. Here’s what we know about its effect on human health.

…Millions of people in the United States use DEET-containing products every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Yet between 2007 and 2012, there were only about 2,800 reported health incidents involving the chemical, the agency said in its most recent review. DEET has also been used for about 80 years. If it was toxic or caused cancer, “it would have showed up a long time ago,” said Jeffrey Bloomquist, an insect toxicologist at the University of Florida. NYT.

Cellphone bans spread in schools amid growing mental health worries

More large school districts and states are among those banning smartphones during the school day.

…The most recent federal survey, in 2021, found that 43 percent of high schools and 77 percent of middle schools prohibit nonacademic use of cellphones or smartphones during school hours. Experts and administrators say those numbers have risen significantly… WashPost.

A New Way To Track Americans’ Drug Use

Not long ago, tracking the spread of a virus by sampling wastewater counted as a novelty in the United States. Today, wastewater monitoring offers one of the most comprehensive pictures anyone has of COVID-19’s summer surge. This type of surveillance has been so effective at forecasting the risks of the virus’s rise and fall that local governments are now looking for other ways to use it. That has meant turning from tracking infections to tracking illicit and high-risk drug use. TheAtlantic.

Prozac in waterways is changing how fish behave, research finds

Australian study of guppies shows that pharmaceutical pollution could threaten species’ long-term survival

…Research published in the journal of Animal Ecology found low concentrations of fluoxetine – an antidepressant commonly known as Prozac – reduced the body condition and sperm vitality of male guppies over multiple generations. Guardian.

This state calls itself the ‘most pro-life.’ But moms there keep dying.

Giving birth in Arkansas, especially its rural southeast, comes with more risk and less care. The challenges feel acute for someone like doula Hajime White.

…Arkansas already has one of the nation’s worst maternal mortality rates, and mothers in this area die at a rate exceeding the state average. Ninety-two percent of recent maternal deaths were preventable, a state review committee found… Since Arkansas banned nearly all abortions after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, doctors and others have sounded the alarm on what they say is a deepening crisis in maternal health. They point to other markers, too, particularly the state’s very high rates of teen pregnancy, infant mortality and food insecurity. WashPost.

Alabama teen’s head injury death raises alarms on high school football

Death of Caden Tellier, 16, follows at least three other recent high school football fatalities related to extreme heat

.. Caden Tellier, 16, died in hospital after suffering a “severe” brain injury during Friday night’s game between John T Morgan academy and visiting Southern academy in Selma.

Tellier is at least the fourth fatality among high school football players in recent weeks, following the deaths of three others in connection with medical emergencies – including heat exhaustion – in Alabama, Kansas and Virginia… Guardian.

S.F. Is Giving ‘Chill Packs’ to Homeless Meth Users. Why It May Be A Promising Intervention

San Francisco is handing out antipsychotic drugs to homeless methamphetamine users who frequent psychiatric emergency services to help them cope with symptoms such as paranoia, delusions and hallucinations. The city’s top addiction researchers believe it may be the next promising intervention for a portion of people languishing in San Francisco’s streets. SFChronicle.

People Die Waiting for A Kidney Transplant. Should Donors Be Compensated?

More than 90,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a kidney transplant. But an ongoing kidney shortage means a thousand people a month are removed from the waitlist, either because they die while waiting for a kidney or become too sick for a transplant. Elaine Perlman wants to change that. “Enough is enough,” she says. “The kidney shortage is a solvable problem.” Perlman is executive director of Waitlist Zero, a coalition supporting newly proposed federal legislation that would create a 10-year pilot program called the End Kidney Deaths Act. NPR.

Opinion: Men are having a health crisis. Why aren’t we paying attention?

The growing crisis in men’s health has been ignored for decades.

…The life expectancy gap between men and women widened from less than five years in 2010 to nearly six years in 2022, largely because of increased “deaths of despair,” which include drug poisoning and suicide, as well as the higher male death rate from covid-19. Men have a higher mortality rate than women in 13 of the 15 leading causes of death. The largest gaps are found in the two most common causes of death: heart disease and cancer. WashPost.

Opinion: Dangerous lab work endangers the world. Better monitoring is essential.

The sort of international coordination on chemical weapons safety is needed for deadly pathogens.

…To mitigate these threats, the global community should establish a new regulator to oversee high-risk experiments. In place of the WHO, the new body could start as a multilateral pact led by a bloc of like-minded nations. Because China would reject such an accord, it could initially be led by the Group of Seven nations. As the G-7 gradually pressured a larger bloc of nations to join, its jurisdiction could eventually transition to the U.N. General Assembly. Research sites around the world would have to comply if they wanted a piece of the pie from Western funding agencies, or the ability to participate in Western journals and conferences. WashPost.