Lilly appeals to employers about GLP-1 coverage; reviews of global diet problems; nuclear medicine in Congress – Morning Medical Update

Lilly takes weight loss to the boss

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has announced a new plan to fil the coverage gap for patients seeking GLP-1 drugs to treat obesity. On Nov. 21, the maker of Zepbound rolled out “a new employer-focused model designed to expand access” to its drugs through three core components:

• Flexible benefit design options to cover obesity management care.
• A dedicated pharmacy network for employers to understand the drugs and evaluate costs for health plans and employees.
• Customized, holistic obesity management programs through independent third parties to fit workforce needs.

“Treating obesity like the chronic disease it is requires an integrated approach: combining healthy habits with clinical care and, when appropriate, medicines to help people manage obesity,” the company’s announcement said. “Employers are uniquely positioned to align these elements, remove friction, and deliver results at scale.”

UPFs and the diet of earth

Lilly has the medicine covered and The Lancet examines the recipe for better health through better foods. The journal published an editorial and a three-paper series reviewing evidence about the increase in human consumption of ultraprocessed foods. “Deteriorating diets are an urgent public health threat that requires coordinated policies and advocacy to regulate and reduce ultra-processed foods and improve access to fresh and minimally processed foods,” the online introduction said. Links to the papers and an accompanying editorial are here. If you’re pressed for time or want to share a summary with patients, check out this graphic that explains the situation.

Congressional docs and medical imaging

This month the congressional GOP Doctors Caucus hosted a meeting with members Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals to discuss domestic production, international supply chains and cost and patient access challenges.

“Nuclear medicine is a unique specialty that uses limited quantities of radioactive substances to diagnose and treat diseases,” said a summary from the office of Rep. Greg Murphy, MD (R-North Carolina). “While MRIs and X-rays can only image the structure of soft tissues, such as organs, intestines and blood vessels, nuclear imaging evaluates function. This method is critical for deeper evaluation and detecting diseases earlier through assessment at the cellular and molecular level.”

Murphy, a urologist, and congressional physician Rep. John Joyce, MD, FACP, FAAD (R-Pennsylvania), an internal medicine and dermatology specialist, issued a joint statement on the meeting.
“The GOP Doctors Caucus is committed to advancing health innovation in the United States,” theysaid. “Nuclear medicine is a powerful diagnostic tool that has revolutionized disease detection and treatment outcomes. We appreciate the contributions of America‘s radionuclide and radiopharmaceutical industry to improve patient care and look forward to supporting its continued growth here at home and globally.”