Novo Nordisk has lowered direct-to-consumer prices for Wegovy and Ozempic to $349 per month from $499 per month, with the highest dose of Ozempic remaining at $499. A temporary offer allows new patients to access lower doses for $199 monthly for the first two months. This move follows President Donald Trump's agreements with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to make GLP-1 drugs more accessible and affordable, including Medicare coverage for certain patients.

A Drug Channels analysis shows that Medicare's stand-alone Part D drug plan market is collapsing after the Inflation Reduction Act, with the number of plans falling 55% since 2023, preferred pharmacy networks disappearing and the majority of control being consolidated among just five insurers. The market contraction has led to significant disruption for beneficiaries, particularly those in rural areas, Medigap users and employer group waiver plans.

A growing wave of Americans is injecting unproven peptides promoted by influencers, wellness entrepreneurs and figures aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., even though most of these compounds have never been approved for human use and lack meaningful clinical evidence. The FDA has spent years trying to restrict unsafe peptides, as biohackers and overseas suppliers market them as "natural" or for "research use only" to skirt regulations, exposing users to contamination, allergic reactions and other risks.

A partnership between the National Community Pharmacists Association and the University of Southern California has produced the first publicly accessible mapping tool to identify pharmacy shortage areas, which affect millions of Americans. "Pharmacy shortage areas represent a persistent and worsening crisis in health care access. This interactive mapping tool can now be used to combat that crisis -- identifying critical pharmacies and allowing communities and policymakers to come together to ensure pharmacy access for individuals and families," said Ronna Hauser of the NCPA.

The use of GLP-1 receptor agonists has expanded significantly beyond diabetes, addressing obesity and cardiovascular disease, but access and affordability remain significant barriers. Pharmacists are critical in managing these challenges by ensuring treatment adherence, managing side effects and facilitating medication access. "Pharmacists can help with comprehensive medication reviews that take all of these factors into account," said pharmacist Thomas So.

The FDA has proposed regulations to accelerate the approval of biosimilars, potentially cutting costs and time to market by 50%. However, the US Patent and Trademark Office is making it more difficult to challenge patents through "inter partes review," which could delay the entry of biosimilars. Industry officials say patent challenges are a major obstacle, as brand-name drugmakers file numerous patents to protect their products.

The FDA has introduced a "plausible-mechanism" pathway to approve personalized treatments for rare and deadly genetic diseases using data from small patient groups. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer Vinay Prasad wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine that the pathway prioritizes treatments for fatal rare diseases and severe childhood disabilities, allowing companies to bypass traditional, larger randomized trials if they use well-designed studies with small sample sizes.

India's Biocon anticipates a 50% reduction in biosimilar development costs following a US proposal to ease clinical testing requirements. "You can do more because it's [the FDA's draft proposal] going to halve the cost of development ... you can develop them [biosimilars] and bring them to patients faster and make it more affordable," said CEO Shreehas Tambe of Biocon Biologics. The company, which derives over 60% of its revenue from biosimilars, plans to launch two more in the US in the next six months.

A federal bankruptcy judge has approved a $7.4 billion settlement for Purdue Pharma, ending years of litigation over the company's role in the opioid epidemic. The settlement, which does not shield the Sackler family from future lawsuits, transfers Purdue's assets to Knoa Pharma, which is focused on addiction treatment.