What We're Reading: Novo Nordisk Stops US Sales of Levemir; Weight Loss Drug Has Sleep Apnea Potential; Vertex Sues HHS

Novo Nordisk Under Scrutiny for Stopping Sales of Levemir Insulin in the US

US Senate Democrats will meet with Novo Nordisk executives to address the fallout from its decision to stop selling one of its long-acting insulins in the country, according to Reuters. In November 2023, Novo Nordisk said the discontinuation of the insulin drug was because of manufacturing constraints, reduced patient access, and available alternatives. This past April, lawmakers wrote to Novo Nordisk concerned about the decision to permanently discontinue insulin detemir (Levemir) by the end of the year. However, the company explains it gave patients plenty of time to switch to another medication. Despite there being a number of long-acting insulins on the market, experts have stressed the inconvenience this can cause for people with diabetes.

Sleep Apnea Potential New Target for Weight Loss Drug

With the rise of semaglutide (Ozempic), tirzepatide (Zepbound), and other glucagon-like peptide-1 medications, research is attempting to prove the health benefits of these drugs beyond weight loss abilities in order to reimburse expensive medications while generating more sales, according to the Wall Street Journal. More than a million prescriptions a week are filled for the weight loss medications, but the majority of health plans do not cover the cost, leaving patients paying for these medications out of pocket. Both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are funding research that evaluates the medicines for heart, kidney, and liver disease; Alzheimer disease; and sleep apnea. Results from Eli Lilly studies found tirzepatide reduced the severity of sleep apnea by more than 60% compared with a placebo and noticed many participants returned to normal breathing. If the drug is found to be successful for sleep apnea, it could create an estimated $5 billion in additional sales for tirzepatide. The company has applied to the FDA for the approval of tirzepatide for sleep apnea treatment and a decision should be made by the end of 2024.

Vertex Sues HHS Over Gene-Editing Therapy

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is suing HHS, which has argued that the fertility support program Vertex offers for its gene-editing therapy violates antikickback laws, according to Reuters. The program is offered to patients prescribed exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy), a gene-editing therapy for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia that can cause infertility. Vertex says the program helps patients afford fertility preservation methods like egg freezing, which are not covered by government-supported plans like Medicaid. Antikickback laws prohibit offering something of value to influence a medical decision, and HHS believes the program could incentivize doctors to prescribe exagamglogene autotemcel. However, Vertex argues its program eliminates a financial barrier to treatment, allowing patients to make informed choices about their health care.