Parathyroid Drug on Hold; FreeStyle Libre Safety Note; Levothyroxine Overprescribed?

The FDA "identified deficiencies" in Ascendis Pharma's new drug application for its hypoparathyroidism drug palopegteriparatide (TransCon PTH), putting new labeling and post-marketing discussions on hold for now, the developer said.

"As long as manufacturers have unchecked control of prices, the diabetes community remains vulnerable as these companies can increase prices at any time, which they have repeatedly and unabashedly done in the past," Kathryn Nagel, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told JAMA after the recent insulin price cuts.

Abbott issued a safety notification for the company's FreeStyle Libre family of glucose readers after reports of issues with lithium-ion batteries used in the devices.

From 2019 to 2021, 42% of U.S. adults were living with obesity, according to a report from NORC at the University of Chicago. Mississippi and West Virginia took the top spots for states with the highest adult obesity prevalence, both at 51%.

A Novo Nordisk official said that persons who discontinue the use of weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide (Wegovy) could regain all lost body weight in about 5 years. (Reuters)

Babies born to mothers with prenatal COVID-19 tended to have lower BMI z-scores at birth, but more rapid weight gain in the first year of life. (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism)

IBSA Pharma said it is offering three new dosages of levothyroxine sodium (Tirosint) capsules for hypothyroidism -- 37.5, 44, and 62.5 mcg -- in addition to the other 12 dosing options.

But could as many as 90% of people prescribed levothyroxine not actually need it? (Clinical Chemistry)

A new study found that the forever chemicals PFAS used on upholstery fabrics aren't even effective at preventing furniture stains. "It was surprising that these harmful but supposedly indispensable chemicals had no practical benefit," said lead author Jonas LaPier, a PhD candidate at Stanford University. (AATCC Journal of Research)

Nearly 10,000 active duty members of the U.S. Army developed obesity during the pandemic; increases were also seen among members of the Navy and Marines. (AP via ABC News)

Are obesity drugs essential medicines? That's what the World Health Organization is currently considering. (Reuters)

An investigational peptide tri-agonist of the GLP-1, peptide Y1, and peptide Y2 receptors -- called GEP44 -- helped rats with obesity lose an average of 12% of their body weight in just 16 days, without side effects like nausea and vomiting, according to a study presented at the American Chemical Society's spring meeting.

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