Current Health News Briefs: Ozempic Use, Mpox in DR Congo, and More

This material provides a summary of the latest developments in health news, covering patient adherence to weight-loss drugs, mpox cases in DR Congo, price pressures on Novo Nordisk's products, implications of bird flu containment in Michigan, and insights into Neuralink's brain chip trial. Highlights also include a focus on insulin packaging deals, FTC's actions against drug middlemen, and legal battles over abortion rights and COVID test kit fraud.

Most patients prescribed Novo Nordisk's Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss stop using the medications within two years, according to a recent analysis of U.S. pharmacy claims. This finding highlights long-term patient experiences with these drugs.

At least 25 cases of a new strain of mpox have been detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern city of Goma, predominantly in displacement camps, health authorities reported. The DR Congo has witnessed a significant outbreak with 20,000 cases and over 1,000 deaths in 2023.

In Michigan, dairy farmers are resisting the state's rigorous bird flu containment measures, fearing economic repercussions reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on rural America.

Senator Bernie Sanders is optimistic about pressuring Novo Nordisk to reduce the prices of its weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. The senator aims to publicly highlight the disparity between U.S. and international pricing.

Novo Nordisk has entered a partnership with Indonesia's Bio Farma to package insulin for diabetes treatment, marking a significant move in combating the disease in Southeast Asia.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is preparing to sue major pharmacy benefit managers UnitedHealth, Cigna, and CVS Health over their roles in insulin price negotiations, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Neuralink's brain chip trial on its first participant shows that the tiny wires in the implant have stabilized, despite initial challenges. The trial aims to offer insights into the technology's future applications.

Marc Schessel, former CEO of SCWorx Corp, has been convicted of securities fraud for misleading investors about the company's purported deal to supply COVID-19 rapid tests during the early pandemic.

In Arizona, abortion rights proponents are suing to alter the language used in voter pamphlets for a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion, arguing that the current terminology is not neutral.

Novo Nordisk's attempt to get approval for its weekly insulin treatment has been halted by the U.S. FDA, which has requested more information related to the manufacturing process and its type 1 diabetes application.

(With inputs from agencies.)