Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and rewarding, because that oh-so-familiar routine of meetings, online calls, and deadlines has predictably returned. But what can you do? The world keeps spinning no matter how much we push back. So time to get on with it. Please join us for a cup of stimulation \u2014 hot buttered rum is our choice today \u2014 as we cast about for items of interest. Speaking of which, here are some tidbits. Hope your day goes well\u2026<\/p>\n
Weight-loss drugs may eventually reach only about 50% of the overweight \u200cand obese people who could benefit from them due to complexities of health care systems and financial constraints<\/strong>, Reuters writes, citing comments made by Eli Lilly chief executive officer David Ricks said at a conference. Lilly and Novo Nordisk are competing for share in the global market for \u200bGLP-1 drugs, which analysts see topping $100 billion per year in the next decade. But \u200bjust one in 10 people who are overweight or obese are using GLP-1s. \u201cIt\u2019s never going to be a hundred,\u201d Ricks said. \u201cFor institutional reasons \u200bin health care and some other complexities in managing health, it\u2019s never going to be that high.\u201d He pointed to low-cost statins, \u200bthe most commonly prescribed cholesterol drugs, as a comparable example. \u201cBetween 40 and 50% of people who should be on them, are on them. I think of that as maybe a ceiling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Trump administration\u2019s desire to pry open the black box of prescription drug prices is facing stiff opposition from the phalanx of lobbyists representing pharmacy benefit managers and health insurers<\/strong>, STAT notes. In January, the U.S. Department of Labor proposed a rule\u00a0that would mandate PBMs disclose a wide range of drug pricing information to employers and make it easier to be audited. The public had until last week to submit comments. A review of the more than 500 letters reflects varying interests: predictable resistance from PBMs and health insurers; enthusiasm from Mark Cuban\u2019s pharmacy and others in the business community who want middlemen to face more accountability; and drug companies cheered PBMs being in the regulatory crosshairs but wanted pullback on disclosure of drug pricing data.\u00a0<\/p>\n STAT+ Exclusive Story<\/p>\n Already have an account? Log in<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n Already have an account? Log in<\/p>\n![\"STAT+\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/themes\/stat\/images\/stat-plus-breaker-bg.png\")
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