Cutting-edge GLP-1 weight-loss drugs appear to help lower cancer risk even beyond the benefits from dropping excess pounds, a new study says. First-generation GLP-1 drugs like liraglutide (Saxenda) and exenatide (Byetta) were associated with a 41% lower risk of obesity-related cancers, compared with weight-loss surgery, researchers report in the journal eClinicalMedicine. “We do not yet… read on > read on >
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is teaming up with California-based biotech Septerna to develop new pills to treat obesity, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases. The deal could be worth up to $2.2 billion for Septerna. This includes more than $200 million in upfront and short-term milestone payments, plus future rewards tied to research, development… read on > read on >
A new report says rice sold in U.S. stores contains toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. The report — released by Healthy Babies, Bright Futures — found arsenic in 100% of rice samples tested from stores in 20 metro areas, including New York City, Los Angeles and Miami, CBS News reported. What’s… read on > read on >
Low-income Medicare beneficiaries are more likely to die if they lose access to crucial medication coverage, a new study says. More than 14 million poor Medicare beneficiaries receive the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS), which further reduces their drug costs, researchers said in background notes. People who lose LIS eligibility are 4% more likely… read on > read on >
Agencies say significant progress has already been made; input has been requested from the public read on >
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to review and possibly remove prescription fluoride supplements for children from the market. The FDA announced Tuesday that it intends to conduct the review by Oct. 31, 2025. The agency has not yet said if it will ban the products or ask companies to stop selling them,… read on > read on >
More U.S. teenagers are getting weight-loss surgery, despite the discovery of new drugs like Ozempic/Wegovy that help people drop pounds surgery-free, a new study says. Weight loss surgeries for teens increased 15% between 2021 and 2023, researchers reported earlier this month in The Journal of Pediatrics. Further, much of the increase in weight-loss surgery is… read on > read on >
Significant weight gain paired with delayed or foregone motherhood nearly triples a young woman’s risk of later breast cancer, a new study says. Women were 2.7 times more likely to develop breast cancer if they: Had a more than 30% increase in weight after age 20. Either delayed their first child until after age 30… read on > read on >
Cutting-edge weight-loss drugs like Ozempic/Wegovy can cut alcohol intake dramatically in a short amount of time, a new study says. People taking semaglutide or liraglutide reduced their alcohol consumption by two-thirds within four months, according to results recently published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. These glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs mimic the GLP-1 hormone,… read on > read on >
Drugs that battle HIV and hepatitis B might be able to help people avoid Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are used to prevent HIV and hepatitis B from replicating and spreading inside a person’s body. Now, a new analysis shows that people taking NRTI pills have as much as… read on > read on >
