The study published in Nature shows the drastic economic cost of obesity through medical expenses and lost productivity. Credit: zimmytws / Getty Images

A new study published in Nature Nutrition & Diabetes estimates the economic burden associated with obesity on major US industries to have been in excess of $347bn in 2023.

Published on 4 December 2024, the study considered economic and health data from national surveys to describe a population of 158 million American employees working in the country’s seven major industries. By modelling the productivities and costs associated with healthy weight, overweight, and obese Americans, the authors projected that average weight loss from 5%—25% among workers would yield five-year medical savings of $153.3bn—$326.1bn, respectively.

The authors calculated an average annual cost of $6,472 per obese employee and $1,244 for those overweight. The chief causes were identified as excess medical cost, decreased productivity, worker absenteeism, and disability payments. In the paper, authors stated their results “highlight the need for resources dedicated to treatment and prevention, which can result in reduced medical expenses and improved productivity.”

Puberty blockers for people aged under 18 years with gender dysphoria will be indefinitely banned by the UK Government following expert advice on medication’s safety.

The Commission of Human Medicines (CHM) provided an independent report on the continued prescribing of puberty blockers in children to the government, concluding there is “currently an unacceptable safety risk”.

Upon the commission’s recommendation of “indefinite restrictions”, the Government will continue with existing emergency measures banning the sale and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones that came into force in May this year.

The updated ban will apply to the private and public sectors and cover England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

UK Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led. The independent expert CHM found that the current prescribing and care pathway for gender dysphoria and incongruence presents an unacceptable safety risk for children and young people.” 

New Amsterdam Pharma’s obicetrapib has exceeded company expectations in the Phase III BROADWAY trial in adult patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with the company now seeking approval for the therapy.

The Phase III trial (NCT05142722) sought to establish the efficacy and safety of obicetrapib in patients living with a cardiovascular disease whose levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are not controlled despite being on lipid-lowering therapy.

The BROOKLYN trial met its primary endpoint, achieving a mean LDL-C reduction of 36.3% compared to placebo at day 84. The reduction was sustained at day 365 with a mean LDL-C reduction of 41.5%. The company observed reductions in other biomarkers, including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), non-HDL-C, lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB).

Results also found that the treatment’s safety and tolerability exceeded New Amsterdam’s expectations, with the company noting a difference in major adverse cardiovascular events after one year of treatment. 

The future of the BIOSECURE Act was made more uncertain over the weekend after senators left the legislation out of a pivotal defence budget bill. 

The omission means the act, which intends to prevent Chinese biotechs and manufacturers from accessing US funding and collaborating with US pharma companies using federal funding, will likely miss the chance to be passed this year before Congress heads into the holiday recess. Five Chinese biotechs are currently mentioned in the act, namely WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics, as well as BGI Group and subsidiaries MGI Tech and Complete Genomics. 

A WuXi AppTec spokesperson told Pharmaceutical Technology: “The company is aware that the BIOSECURE Act was not included in the latest published version of the FY2025 National Defense Authorisation Act. “We continue to provide lawmakers and federal agencies with the facts about our company and educate them on the valued services we provide customers in the US and around the world.” 

Outlook Therapeutics’ second attempt to obtain US approval for its wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) therapy, Lytenava (bevacizumab-vikg) has suffered a setback as the therapy failed to meet a key endpoint in Phase III NORSE EIGHT trial.

Although the NORSE EIGHT study (NCT06190093) did not meet the pre-specified non-inferiority endpoint at eight weeks outlined in the special protocol assessment (SPA) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Outlook was quick to note that it is moving forward with its plans to gain US approval for Lytenava, adding that it intends to resubmit the biologics license application (BLA) with complete analysis of the NORSE EIGHT trial in Q1 2025.

In August 2023, the FDA declined to approve Lytenava as a treatment for wet AMD. The US regulatory agency cited several manufacturing issues and the need for additional confirmatory clinical data which Outlook intends to supply from the NORSE EIGHT trial.