DOJ sues OhioHealth over alleged anticompetitive hospital contracts; Novo to slash Ozempic, Wegovy prices up to 50% in 2027; lightweight ‘exoskeleton’ helps stroke survivors walk – Morning Medical Update

DOJ sues OhioHealth over alleged anticompetitive hospital contracts

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Ohio Attorney General have filed an antitrust lawsuit against OhioHealth, alleging the health system uses contract terms that block insurers from offering lower-cost or innovative health plans. The complaint claims OhioHealth requires insurers to include its hospitals in all commercial networks, limiting competition and driving up costs for patients and employers in central Ohio. The lawsuit seeks to bar the enforcement of those contract provisions and increase access to more affordable coverage options.

“Americans deserve low-cost, high-quality health care — not anticompetitive hospital system contracts that make health care less affordable,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will continue taking legal action to protect consumers and drive down health care costs across America."

Novo to slash Ozempic, Wegovy list prices up to 50% starting in 2027

Novo Nordisk says it will cut U.S. list prices for its GLP-1 drugs Wegovy and Ozempic to $675 per month beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The move, which comes as competition intensifies from Eli Lilly and its rival GLP-1 products, amounts to a roughly 50% price cut for Wegovy and a 34% reduction for Ozempic. The lower list prices are expected to mainly benefit insured patients whose out-of-pocket costs are tied to a drug’s sticker price — such as those with high deductibles or coinsurance. Novo said the change will not affect existing discount programs for cash-paying patients. The Wall Street Journal has more.

Lightweight ‘exoskeleton’ helps stroke survivors walk

Researchers at the University of Utah report in Nature Communications that a 5.5-pound, battery-powered hip exoskeleton reduced the energy stroke survivors with hemiparesis need to walk by 18% in treadmill testing. In a study of seven participants, the device offloaded about 30% of the work from the hip joint, helping compensate for weakness that typically forces patients to expend far more energy with each step. The team is now working to adapt the technology for use outside the lab.

“Improving quality of life after a stroke is one of the biggest unmet challenges in health care today,” said senior author Tommaso Lenzi, Ph.D., M.Sc., associate professor in Utah’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “We’re now showing that robotics can make a measurable impact here.”