Novo Nordisk cuts price of Ozempic; NIH gene-editing advance offers hope for Tay-Sachs; bee-stinger microneedles speed healing, track wounds – Morning Medical Update

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Novo Nordisk cuts Ozempic price for self-pay patients

Novo Nordisk will now offer Ozempic for $499 a month to uninsured or self-paying patients, the company announced Monday. For the first time, the diabetes drug will be available for home delivery through NovoCare Pharmacy, with access also via Ozempic.com, NovoCare.com and GoodRx, which is extending the same $499 price to Wegovy at more than 70,000 pharmacies. The move comes as demand for GLP-1 drugs has fueled a market for cheaper, unapproved versions. Novo Nordisk said the new program is aimed at improving affordability and keeping patients on FDA-approved treatments.

NIH gene-editing advance offers hope for Tay-Sachs

National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers have taken an important step toward treating late-onset Tay-Sachs disease, showing in lab studies and mice that gene editing can boost the enzyme activity missing in patients. The approach, which corrects mutations in the HEXA gene, eased symptoms and extended lifespan in mice, raising hope for a therapy that could slow progression of this rare, devastating disorder. Scientists say even small increases in enzyme function could make a real difference — and the work may also pave the way for treatments for related conditions like Sandhoff and Niemann-Pick disease.

Bee-stinger microneedles speed healing and track wounds

Scientists in China have designed a microneedle patch inspired by honeybee stingers that can lock into the skin, release insulin, stimulate healing and monitor wounds in real time. The smart dressing, detailed in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, uses serrated microneedles coated with a conductive polymer and hydrogel tips that respond to body heat, delivering drugs while tracking tissue recovery. Researchers say the technology could transform treatment for stubborn diabetic wounds by combining therapy and monitoring in a single wearable patch.