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A next-generation Eli Lilly weight-loss drug that hasn't even been submitted for Food and Drug Administration review is already spawning a rash of cheap knockoffs that are being heavily touted on social media. The experience with the drug, called retatrutide, shows how demand for GLP-1s and other peptides is outpacing the regulatory system. (Reed, 8/24)

Hims & Hers Health Inc. was put on notice by Visa Inc. for excessive customer complaints in its weight-loss subscription business, internal documents show, adding to mounting scrutiny of its billing and cancellation policies. The telehealth company was enrolled in Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program after a surge of customer credit card disputes in July, according to the documents seen by Bloomberg. Each dispute will carry an $8 surcharge, resulting in a nearly $75,000 bill that will hit in September, the documents said. (Muller, 8/21)

For people living with diabetes, managing blood sugar can mean constantly watching the clock, keeping meals and medications on schedule and staying alert to changes in glucose levels. While little can be done about timed meals, researchers have developed a biological system that detects rising blood sugar levels and automatically responds by releasing medication to bring glucose back down. (Mondal, 8/23)

Al Carr took small steps from his Lexington home’s back door, swaying a walking cane back and forth in front of him. The Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses he wore were doing a lot of work for him. A camera built into the frame transmitted his forward view to a remote volunteer, who assumed Carr’s view via monitor and told him which direction to step next. (Dickens, 8/24)

Precise activation of tens of thousands of genes is critical for healthy development and growth. Specialized segments of our DNA are responsible for carefully orchestrating genetic sequences that result in the production of enzymes, hormones, proteins and other crucial components underlying cell structure and function. But if these genes are not correctly activated, cells can stop functioning or result in various disorders, including cancer. (Aguilera, 8/22)

The wife of former Purdue Pharma LP board member David Sackler was sentenced to home confinement for destroying WhatsApp messages with a Colombian pharmacist who was supplying her with illegal opioids to feed her addiction to painkillers. Joss Sackler, 42, pleaded guilty in May to obstructing a federal grand jury investigation into a shipment of prescription drugs seized by US border agents in 2024. Sackler claimed her addiction was the result of medical and mental health conditions in addition to undergoing four surgeries in the previous two years. (Van Voris, 8/21)

Senior citizens are at a record high for getting high. For Fiorella Terenzi, it’s been…not cool, man. The 64-year-old astrophysicist started to notice wafts of marijuana coming into her home from a nearby unit in her Miami-area high rise. Her neighbors, a married couple in their 70s, told her it was medical marijuana used in small amounts. (Gamerman, 8/23)

The condition known to cause “scromiting” among some marijuana users has become more prevalent in the U.S., a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows, though the trend among a specific age group may contradict previous understandings of the syndrome. Cannabis (or cannabinoid) hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is as serious as it sounds. The condition, which can cause excessive vomiting with recurring bouts of severe stomach pain and nausea, was first detected in Australia two decades ago. (Bink, 8/22)

At an off-site leadership meeting held by Moderna in March 2023 — after mid-stage results of the biotech company’s cancer vaccine showed promise — CEO Stéphane Bancel had the floor. He asked if any of the 100 or so executives present had expected the experimental treatment to succeed. If they did, he said, please stand up. Stephen Hoge, Moderna’s president, was standing on stage. He sat down. Then, Hoge recalled in an interview with STAT, Bancel sat down, too. (Herper, Mast and Chen, 8/24)

After Mark Orwig had a melanoma tumor removed from his cheek in 2023, he began to worry about the future. The smallest remnants of the deadly skin cancer can linger in the body after a successful surgery, eventually causing the disease to recur. Orwig, like most melanoma patients, must watch for the cancer for the rest of his life. He worried about affording scans and treatments that could help keep it at bay. He thought about his odds. Then a doctor told him about a clinical trial being run nearby at the University of California at San Francisco. (Wu, 8/23)

Moderna has always been a stock driven by narrative extremes. During the pandemic, it traded as if mRNA would transform medicine overnight, with its market capitalization peaking near $200 billion. Then came the hangover: Vaccine sales cratered, and investors questioned the company’s pipeline. (Wainer, 8/23)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: �������ýҕ�l Health News’ ‘On Air’: Journalists Highlight Innovations In Vaccines And Safeguarding Maternal Health

Céline Gounder, �������ýҕ�l Health News’ editor-at-large for public health, discussed the potential of Moderna’s melanoma vaccine breakthrough on CBS News 24/7’s The Daily Report on Aug. 19, drawing on her experience as a former melanoma patient. (8/22)