Olympic Athletes Embrace Diabetes Tech for Medal Hopes

Olympic athletes, including Dutch marathon runner Abdi Nageeye, are turning to continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) traditionally developed for diabetes patients to enhance their performance and increase their chances of winning medals. Manufacturers like Abbott and Dexcom see significant opportunities in the sports and wellness sectors.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Olympic athletes turn to diabetes tech in pursuit of medals

Olympians including Dutch marathon runner Abdi Nageeye are using a new tool they hope will boost their medal chances this summer: tiny monitors that attach to the skin to track blood glucose levels. Continuous glucose monitors or CGMs, were developed for use by diabetes patients but their makers, led by Abbott and Dexcom, also spy opportunities in sports and wellness.

Skye Bioscience to stop eye disease drug development after failing mid-stage study

Skye Bioscience said on Monday it will discontinue development of its experimental eye disease treatment after the drug failed to meet the main goal of a mid-stage study, sending the company's shares down 38% in premarket trade. In the 56-subject study, the eye drop, SBI-100, failed to significantly lower eye pressure in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma when compared with the placebo, the company said.

Indonesia ramps up fight against tuberculosis amid concerns on economic impact

Indonesia plans to run clinical trials of several vaccines to fight surging cases of tuberculosis (TB) this year, with concerns the disease might affect economic growth, ministers said on Monday. The Southeast Asian country has seen TB cases spike during the past few years, with the health ministry estimating there were over 1 million cases in 2023, compared to around 820,000 in 2020.

EU to secure 40 million avian flu vaccines for 15 countries - officials

The EU will sign a contract on Tuesday to secure over 40 million doses of a preventative avian flu vaccine for 15 countries with the first shipments heading to Finland, EU officials said on Monday. The deal secures up to 665,000 doses from vaccine manufacturer CSL Seqirus and includes an option for a further 40 million vaccines for a maximum of four years. The vaccines will be jointly procured by the Commission's emergency health arm HERA and 15 countries in the EU and the European Economic Area.

Moderna COVID/flu combo vaccine superior to separate shots in trial

Moderna said on Monday its combination vaccine to protect against both COVID-19 and influenza generated a stronger immune response in adults aged 50 and over when compared to separate shots against the viruses in a late-stage trial. In the study, the combination using messenger RNA technology generated greater antibodies than currently marketed traditional flu vaccines and Moderna's Spikevax mRNA COVID shot, the company said.

US FDA clears Abbott's continuous glucose monitors for over-the-counter use

Abbott said on Monday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared its two continuous glucose monitoring systems for over-the-counter use. One of the devices, known as Lingo, is a consumer biowearable, designed for consumers 18 years and older who are looking to improve their overall health and wellness.

Factbox-Why are top athletes using diabetes tech in pursuit of medals?

Some Olympic athletes are using a new tool they hope will boost their medal chances this summer: tiny monitors that attach to the skin to track blood glucose levels. The market for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), developed to help diabetes patients fine-tune their insulin shots, is already worth billions of dollars per year.

Added health benefits of Wegovy, Zepbound could attract more men, doctors say

Evidence that weight-loss drugs like Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound can cut heart disease risk, treat sleep apnea and address other health issues may help convince more men to use them, five doctors who prescribe the medicines regularly told Reuters. Men prefer to shed extra pounds with diet and exercise changes before reaching for drugs, if they address their weight at all, doctors and three healthcare industry analysts said in interviews.

US FDA advisers to review Eli Lilly Alzheimer's drug

An independent advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will vote later on Monday on the safety and effectiveness of Eli Lilly's experimental Alzheimer's drug donanemab. Donanemab, if approved, would compete with Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi. Both drugs are designed to remove toxic beta amyloid plaques from the brains of people with early Alzheimer's disease.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)