Top Health Updates: Weight Loss Drugs, Mpox Outbreak, and More

This summary highlights major health news updates, including an analysis showing a majority of U.S. patients quit popular weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic within two years. It also covers an mpox outbreak in DR Congo, the FTC's stance on drug pricing, and the FDA's alert on a shortage of blood test tubes.

An analysis has found that only one in four U.S. patients prescribed Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss were still taking the medications two years later. The data from U.S. pharmacy claims, provided to Reuters, shows a steady decline in use over time.

At least 25 cases of a new strain of mpox have been detected in the eastern city of Goma, DR Congo, primarily in displacement camps, health authorities have reported. So far this year, Congo has seen over 11,000 cases and over 400 deaths from mpox.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission revealed that pharmacy benefit managers have an outsized influence on drug prices in the country. These middlemen negotiate discounts and create lists of covered medications, significantly affecting consumer drug costs.