Ozempic for everyone, Zepbound is back, and the top CEO pays: Pharma news roundup

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro promises to make an Ozempic-style version of the city’s health network available – if he wins re-election. The top 5 highest paid CEOs made more than $60 million last year. And CVS Health Corporation (CVS) plans to cut 2,900 jobs as part of a multi-year cost-savings plan aimed at cutting costs and increasing investment in AI.

Check out the stories and medical news highlights from this week.

The mayor promises Ozempic for everyone saying ‘there will be no more fat people’ in his town

A Brazilian politician runs an interesting campaign: Ozempic for all. Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, is running for re-election and has recently promised to make the generic version of Ozempic available through the city’s public health network if he wins.

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Zepbound is no longer lacking. That would hurt weight loss drug sellers

The shortage of Eli Lilly’s ( LLY ) diabetes and weight loss drug has officially ended, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The news could put pressure on companies that have been able to sell GLP-1 weight-loss products because of widespread shortages.

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Eli Lilly, Moderna and more: The 5 highest-paid healthcare CEOs

Health care stocks underperformed the broader market in 2023, with many companies missing their profit targets and some CEOs missing out on bonuses. However, despite these obstacles, the executives of the top 300 industrial companies still received an astonishing $3.5 billion in total last year, according to a new report by STAT News. Although the average CEO salary has dropped from $13 million in 2022 to $11 million in 2023, the highest earners still take home more than $100 million each. Here’s how much the top 5 highest paid CEOs in healthcare made in 2023.

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The success of weight-loss drugs, gene therapies, and more: 8 clinical trials to watch now

We’re only a few months away from the end of the year, but pharma companies still have a steady stream of clinical trial results to announce before then. Several companies – including Novo Nordisk (NVO), Viking Therapeutics (VKTX), and Amgen (AMGN) – are expected to post the results of their next weight loss drugs. Also, CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) intends to share preliminary findings from the experimental trial CTX112, a genetically engineered cell therapy for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Learn more about these tests and others to watch.

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Drugs like Ozempic are now more popular than insulin for treating diabetes

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic took just seven years to overtake insulin as the second most common treatment for Type 2 diabetes, according to a new report by a market research firm and Trilliant Health review.

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CVS will cut up to 3,000 jobs as it plans AI investments — and considers a spin-off.

CVS Health Corporation (CVS) plans to cut about 2,900 jobs as part of a $2 billion cost-savings plan aimed at cutting costs and increasing investments in technology.

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New weight loss drugs could be developed very quickly if Roche gets its way

Roche ( RHHBY ) told investors on Monday that it plans to cut the cost and time it takes to develop new drugs, including an experimental weight loss and diabetes drug.

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Costco, Hims, Noom, and more: 6 companies that started selling weight loss products this year

The explosion in sales of weight loss drugs has made Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Eli Lilly (LLY) the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical companies. This constant demand has not only led to an ongoing deficit but has also boosted Denmark’s GDP over the past year. Analysts at Morgan Stanley (MS) predict that the global market for GLP-1 drugs could reach $105 billion by 2030. With so much money, many companies have begun to offer weight loss medication.

Check out which companies have entered the weight loss market this year.

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