GLP-1 meds from 23andMe; Better Sex on Ozempic; Rev. Al Sharpton and Dr. Steve Klasko on Equitable Access to Weight Loss Drugs.

AT A GLANCE

DNA-testing firm 23andMe gets into the hyped weight-loss market, per Modern Healthcare.
The pros and cons of compounded GLP-1medications are a hot topic, writes Brock Turner at Modern Healthcare.
Gina Kolata at The New York Times asks ‘…You’ve Lost Weight Taking New Obesity Drugs. What Happens if You Stop?’
The Wall Street Journal writes that patients on weight loss meds are reporting unexpected improvements to their intimate lives.
twenty30 health Board Director, advisor to General Catalyst, and past CEO of Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health, Dr. Stephen Klasko ‘…argues we’re asking the wrong questions about GLP-1s…’ during a recent Becker’s Healthcare webinar.
Reverand Al Sharpton writes at The Washington Post that ‘…if obesity has a stranglehold on America, it has a death grip on Black America.’

NEWS

The strategy for the struggling DNA-testing firm 23andMe is shifting, as shuts down its in-house drug development effort and gets into the hyped weight-loss market, per Modern Healthcare.
- A telehealth membership program for weight loss offering brand name or compounded forms of semaglutide, is not novel.
- But, 23andMe the stock has lost nearly 60% of its market value in 2024, and as for others such as Hims and Hers and Ro, weight loss could represent a lucrative new strategy for the company.
- Bottom line – in this market as a telehealth consumer company, not offering GLP-1 meds is tantamount to ‘…leaving money on the table.’
- But who wins – patients, shareholders, or both?
- Opinions welcome.
The pros and cons of compounded GLP-1 medications are a hot topic, writes Brock Turner at Modern Healthcare.
- Those offering the compounded drugs say they give consumers greater access and lower costs, while those against them say the drugs are a threat to patient safety.
- Novo Nordisk said in a statement it has filed 21 lawsuits and will continue to pursue legal action against entities it claims are unlawfully marketing and selling compounded drugs containing the same ingredients as Ozempic and Wegovy.
- Eli Lilly said in a statement that compounded GLP-1s are not copies of its branded medications.
- While the Food and Drug Administration authorizes compounding GLP-1s during shortages, the long-term viability of this approach remains an open question.
- Brooke Boyarsky Pratt, CEO at Knownwell, said on compounded meds ‘…We just think it’s super-unsafe… There is a reason these drugs go through a really long process in which the manufacturing capabilities of the companies making them, like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, are well-documented and well-monitored.’
- In addition, last month the FDA said compounded drugs pose a higher risk to patients than FDA-approved medicines because they do not undergo the agency’s premarket review for safety, quality or efficacy.
- The debate continues!

OPINION

Gina Kolata at The New York Times asks ‘…You’ve Lost Weight Taking New Obesity Drugs. What Happens if You Stop?’
- Dr. David Cummings, a weight-loss specialist at the University of Washington, quotes large studies in which people took the drugs and then stopped, and states ‘…On average, everyone’s weight rapidly returned.’
- Dr. Cummings adds ‘…Most patients want to lose as much as they can but don’t want to be stuck on the medicine for the rest of their lives… The most common question is, How long do I have to take it?’ his answer is ‘…probably forever.’
- Think of it as insulin for a patient with diabetes, or Plavix for someone at risk of blood clots; rather than an episodic course of antibiotics for glandular fever.
The Wall Street Journal writes that patients on weight loss meds are reporting unexpected improvements to their intimate lives.
- Dr. James Simon, a reproductive endocrinologist, OBGYN and clinical professor at George Washington University notes the ‘…drugs do work in the same places that pleasure and sexual interest are located in the human brain – male and female.’
- Researchers are studying potential applications such as curbing alcoholism and drug addiction.
- The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, which studies sexuality, gender and reproduction, said it was not aware of significant research into how the drugs were impacting peoples’ sex lives to date.
- Camilla Peterson, a spokesperson for the Kinsey Institute stated ‘…Hundreds of thousands of people are taking these drugs, so it seems important we invest in understanding how they affect this core aspect of their lives.’
twenty30 health Board Director, advisor to General Catalyst, and past CEO of Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health, Dr. Stephen Klasko ‘…argues we’re asking the wrong questions about GLP-1s…’ during a recent Becker’s Healthcare webinar with Molly Gamble.
- Steve’s remarks, blunt to the core, paint a picture of how the takeoff of GLP-1s can represent the best and the worst of the U.S. healthcare system.
- He notes the U.S. healthcare system has already lost valuable time in proactively addressing how the GLP-1 drug class could be used to lower the combined $600 billion annual costs of diabetes and obesity, and to mitigate the disproportionate impact of these conditions on underserved communities.
- Indeed, for self-insured health systems, the decision to cover employees’ GLP-1 medications requires a careful balance between the short-term costs and the potential long-term benefits.
- His critique reflects a significant oversight in harnessing the potential of these groundbreaking treatments, with the need for a cohesive strategy that bridges gaps between stakeholders – health systems, policymakers, and industry leaders, to develop solutions that enhance equitable access to these advancements.
Reverand Al Sharpton writes at The Washington Post that by 2030, half the population of the United States will be living with obesity.
- An alarming reality, with a note that ‘…if obesity has a stranglehold on America, it has a death grip on Black America.’
- Nearly half of Black Americans, including almost 60 percent of Black women, are living with obesity, opening the door wide to hundreds of other related conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and high blood pressure.
- Despite the clear inequity, ‘…access to anti-obesity drugs remains out of reach for large swaths of Black America, including millions who are denied access to it by programs such as Medicare…’ continuing to state ‘…the health of Black Americans is not a priority.’
- Black adults in 2023 received only around 12 percent of prescriptions for a popular anti-obesity drug, while 85 percent were dispensed to White people.
- The bumper sticker moment for me is in Rev Sharpton’s next quote, ‘…The only thing that’s too expensive is the status quo.’

DATA

NPR notes several recent studies show early promise of GLP-1 drugs in preventing many common cancers, including breast, colon, liver, and ovarian, known to be driven by obesity and excess weight.
- Studies published in JAMA Oncology, JAMA Network Open, and a recent presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncologists meeting in June, showed both bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications dramatically reduce the risk of the 13 obesity-related cancers.
- That risk declined by 22% over 10 years among those who had bariatric surgery, compared to those who received no treatment.
- But among those taking GLP1 medications, risk dropped by a whopping 39%.
- Arif Kamal, an oncologist and chief patient officer at the American Cancer Society, said ‘…What we do know is that estrogen in particular – and possibly some other hormones, but estrogen for sure – drives the growth of many cancers.’
- And fat cells increase production of estrogen.
- Kamal adds ‘…Unhealthy weight is the smoking of our generation.’
- Cindy Lin, resident physician at Case Western Reserve and co-author of the June ASCO study suggested on mechanisms of action that ‘…Part of it is weight [loss], but other factors may be contributing as well – better glycemic controls, anti-inflammatory effects.’

ADDITIONAL TOPICS

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