Obesity Drug Trial Dilemma; Tiny Insulin Pump Cleared; Type 5 Diabetes Deaths

There’s a problem with obesity drug trials: patients often can quickly tell if they’re on placebo and drop out to get an effective treatment. (Bloomberg via MSN)

The FDA cleared the MiniMed Flex, a next-generation, smartphone-controlled insulin pump that’s half the size of the MiniMed 780G system and features the SmartGuard adaptive algorithm for real-time insulin delivery correction.

The agency also approved a new indication for setmelanotide (Imcivree) to include treatment of acquired hypothalamic obesity in adults and kids 4 years and up, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals announced.

In other news, setmelanotide missed the mark on four substudies of a phase III trial, failing to significantly reduce body mass index compared with placebo at week 52 in patients with four rare, genetically driven types of obesity.

Deaths from diabetes — including “type 5” diabetes, which afflicts undernourished people — are starting to rival mortality from infectious diseases in parts of Africa. (New York Times)

In a phase III trial of inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes, the investigational triple agonist retatrutide reduced HbA1c and body weight by up to 2% and 16.8%, respectively, Eli Lilly reported.

A large target trial emulation found people with type 1 diabetes using GLP-1 drugs had significantly reduced risks of major cardiovascular events and end-stage kidney disease without increasing the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis or severe hypoglycemia. (Nature Medicine)

As Novo Nordisk nears the end of patent protection in certain regions, semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) is about to go generic for billions of people in India, China, and several other nations. (New York Times)

A randomized trial found that normal-weight individuals who took 5 days of oral BPA showed significantly decreased peripheral insulin sensitivity, but no changes in body weight or fasting glucose. (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism)

The Fracture Risk Assessment Tool helped stratify fracture benefits from parathyroidectomy in a study of nearly 60,000 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. (JAMA Network Open)

The Endocrine Society announced five recipients for its Early Investigator Awards.

Kids with metabolically healthy obesity had an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases as they transitioned into young adulthood, a cohort study in JAMA Pediatrics found.

Most Americans who haven’t tried GLP-1 drugs said they are not interested in them, citing reasons other than cost. (Axios)

Following federal policy changes, monthly out-of-pocket insulin costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries dropped from about $51 in 2019 to $22 in 2023. (JAMA)