politics

Fresh turmoil at the FDA with Prasad's exit

Alastair Grant/AP

Vinay Prasad is out at the Food and Drug Administration for the second time during the Trump administration, after a tumultuous reign as head of the Center for Biological Evaluation and Research. (He was fired in July of last year, then re-hired a few weeks later.) Read STAT's Lizzy Lawrence on the news of his upcoming departure, and STAT's Matthew Herper on five key takeaways.

Next, check out Lizzy's related feature on how the lack of public advisory committee meetings at the FDA is worrying rare disease advocates after a series of surprising drug rejections under Prasad.

Under the Trump administration, the number of adcomms meetings on drugs fell by 72%. “Advisory committees are costly,” one senior FDA official told reporters. “Advisory committees are slow.” 

weight loss drugs

Generic Ozempic could be made for $28 a year, says analysis

The cost of weight loss medications is on the way down, with Novo Nordisk slashing list prices for Ozempic and Wegovy to $675 — half their current costs — next year. Direct-to-consumer prices are even less. But the semaglutide drugs remains unaffordable for lots of people in the U.S. and elsewhere.

A new analysis suggests generic versions of the drugs could be a whole lot cheaper as patents expire, starting this month in countries like India, China, Canada, Brazil, and Turkey. Researchers estimate that the generics could be made for as little as $28 per person per year, translating into lower costs for people with conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes for whom the drugs are currently out of reach. Read more from Ed Silverman.

first opinion

Why some parents beg for an autism diagnosis

Rates of autism diagnoses are on the rise in the U.S., and pediatrician Lawrence Diller says one explanation is to “follow the money.”

Lots of parents want insurance coverage for a treatment called applied behavioral analysis, or ABA, that’s been shown to benefit not just young children with autism but also those with conditions like global developmental delays. But insurance companies are only required to cover the services if children meet autism criteria, and a year’s worth of treatment can cost a family $70,000 out of pocket.

“The only way to stop this desperation for an autism diagnosis is to offer financial support and services for all conditions that affect toddlers and preschoolers,” Diller writes. Read more.