Weight Watchers is dead; long live WW. The company has rebranded itself to better communicate that its programs go beyond weight loss and instead focus on overall health and lifestyle. (Fortune)
Amarin’s prescription fish oil Vascepa hit its primary endpoint — and then some — in a clinical trial, reducing the risk of serious cardiovascular events by 25%. The drug has been approved by the FDA for patients with high triglycerides levels, but the results mean it could take the heart medication market by storm. (Forbes)
In a large patient trial, AstraZeneca’s diabetes drug, Farxiga, met its primary endpoint of reducing hospitalizations for heart failure or cardiovascular death, although it did not significantly reduce the number of heart attacks or strokes. (Reuters)
The face of Novo Nordisk’s campaign for its dial-a-dose insulin injector actually has Type 2 diabetes. Pharma companies are increasingly using real patients in ads for over-the-counter and prescription drugs. (New York Times)
Two cataract patients in Dallas have filed lawsuits after a botched drug was injected into their eyes and left them nearly blind. At least 68 patients in the region were affected. The drug in question was made by a “compound pharmacy,” which make customized pharmaceutical products with little government oversight. (BuzzFeed)
