Booming demand for newer weight-loss and diabetes drugs is expected to accelerate the rise in medical expenses for employers in the United States next year, staff health benefits consultant Mercer said on Friday. GLP-1 medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could contribute between 50 and 100 basis points to the trend, Mercer’s … Read more
Statins are among the world’s most commonly prescribed drugs: The number of US statin prescriptions jumped from 461 million in 2008 to 818 million in 2019. And cholesterol-lowering drugs are a big business, too: According to a recent study, US statin expenditures reached $10 billion in 2019. And now, the blockbuster statin class of drugs … Read more
Call it the little blues pill. An exciting new drug for treating postpartum depression is making headlines for its game-changing potential — as well as its lofty price. Zuranolone, marketed as Zurzuvae by makers Sage Therapeutics and Biogen, fetches a price tag of $15,900 for the necessary 14-day course of treatment, Reuters reported. And while … Read more
In the mad rush to lose weight, prescriptions for semaglutide drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro have skyrocketed. Manufacturers have struggled to keep pace with the overwhelming demand — which has paved the way for compounding pharmacies to step in. Compounding pharmacies are drugmakers that combine, mix or alter ingredients to create medication that’s tailored … Read more
Sunrise Lee was a stripper at Rachel’s in West Palm Beach, Fla., when she danced for a regular who slipped her his number. But Alec Burlakoff was not a lonely customer propositioning her for sex: in reality he was recruiting her to push doctors to over-prescribe highly-addictive opioids. “Dancers are the best sales people,” he … Read more
For people suffering through a bout of COVID-19, the antiviral Paxlovid has been a godsend. The medication emerged as the go-to antiviral treatment during the pandemic emergency after the Food and Drug Administration granted it emergency use authorization in December 2021. Now, there’s a new antiviral that’s superior to Paxlovid — but Americans can’t get … Read more
Investigators found odd, little pills buried in the pockets of Hamas terrorists who attacked Israel on Oct. 7. They were later identified as the drug Captagon, a powerful, synthetic stimulant. Captagon gained international notoriety in 2015 when it was discovered to be used by ISIS fighters to suppress fear and fatigue prior to carrying out … Read more
A new drug for treating a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been given the go-ahead by the Food and Drug Administration. On Friday, the FDA approved Pfizer’s etrasimod, branded as Velsipity, for treating adults with the chronic digestive disorder known as ulcerative colitis (UC). The oral, once-daily pill was granted approval after a … Read more
A-listers are burning off excess fat with Ozempic — but the drug is burning away this grandmother’s genitals. Hollywood hotshots such as multibillionaire Elon Musk, Sharon Osborne and countless “Real Housewives” stars have successfully slimmed down at cyclonic speeds after injecting themselves with the Type-2 diabetes medication, which has been widely hailed a “miracle” drug … Read more
Amid soaring demand for laxatives, many brands are in short supply across the country. This shortage of polyethylene glycol 3350 — the generic name for over-the-counter laxatives — has people scrambling for alternatives and doctors advising against using laxatives in excess. Dr. Christine Meyer, a physician and value-based care consultant in Exton, Pennsylvania, confirmed to Fox … Read more
Medical experts are sharing the best options for allergy sufferers after advisers to the Food and Drug Administration recently voted against the effectiveness of a nasal decongestant found in versions of Benadryl, Mucinex and other popular over-the-counter medications. The unanimous vote on Sept. 12 declared oral forms of phenylephrine ineffective. The most popular oral decongestant … Read more
An advisory panel of the Food and Drug Administration stated today that virtually all over-the-counter (OTC) decongestants simply don’t work. The FDA panel found that phenylephrine — the active ingredient in Sudafed, Benadryl, Robitussin and other popular decongestants — is nearly useless at reducing nasal congestion. The advisory panel’s ruling might soon lead to these … Read more
Every year, up to 9,000 people die in the US as a result of a prescription medication error. That figure doesn’t include the hundreds of thousands of patients who suffer adverse effects from taking the wrong medication or taking meds in the wrong way, according to a report from StatPearls. Now, an investigative report from … Read more
The White House announced today the first 10 drugs subject to new Medicare price negotiations, after a law was passed allowing the government to lean on drug companies for a better deal. The move could save taxpayers billions of dollars in the first year alone. And it’s supported by a vast majority of Americans, at … Read more
Another day, another benefit to taking semaglutide, the popular drug marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy. Originally FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes, semaglutide was later sold as Wegovy because of its proven weight-loss benefit. (Ozempic contains a smaller dose of semaglutide than Wegovy.) Earlier this month, Wegovy was also shown to reduce the risk of … Read more
The Food and Drug Administration is now regularly approving new drugs after just one or two clinical trials — a significant departure from the more rigorous vetting process the agency was previously known for, newly published research reveals. Furthermore, the authors say, there’s now less information available to the public about the results of all trials. … Read more
Cancer has a powerful new enemy — and it is fueled by a 9-year-old girl with an unforgettable smile. Researchers have developed a drug containing a molecule called AOH1996 that “appears to annihilate all solid tumors” in preclinical research — while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The drug AOH1996 is named after Anna Olivia Healey, a … Read more
A commonly prescribed drug for diabetes, metformin, has a new side hustle. Besides helping to manage blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, metformin can also fight off a type of cell that builds up in the body over time and plays a role in the aging process. Senescent cells are sometimes known as “zombie” cells because … Read more
In a dramatic first, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a daily oral contraceptive available without a prescription. Consumers can easily buy the drug, named Opill (norgestrel), at grocery stores, convenience markets, drug stores or online. “Today’s approval marks the first time a nonprescription daily oral contraceptive will be an available option for millions … Read more
Over 30 million Americans a year use benzodiazepines, or “benzos,” including Xanax, Valium, Ativan and Klonopin. Benzodiazepines are prescribed to treat anxiety disorders, insomnia, muscle spasms, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, seizures and epilepsy. But this widely used class of drugs is linked to severe side effects and life impacts that can last for years — even … Read more