• District of Columbia: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Justice (DOJ), and HHS have launched an investigation into private equity investments in healthcare. Specifically, the agencies requested information on the effects of private equity and other corporate investor-backed healthcare transactions. They have also requested information on smaller transactions that would not be reported to FTC or DOJ for antitrust review. In their request, FTC, DOJ, and HHS expressed concern that these healthcare transactions may prioritize profits for corporate investors over patients' health, workers' safety, and affordable care. "When private equity firms buy out healthcare facilities only to slash staffing and cut quality, patients lose out," said FTC Chair Lina Khan. "Through this inquiry the FTC will continue scrutinizing private equity roll-ups, strip-and-flip tactics and other financial plays that can enrich executives but leave the American public worse off." (Kacik, Modern Healthcare, 3/5; HHS news release, 3/5; Firth, MedPage Today, 3/6; Nylen, Bloomberg, 3/5)
• New Jersey: Novo Nordisk recently reported that amycretin, an experimental weight-loss pill, could lead to greater weight loss than its injectable obesity medication Wegovy. In a Phase 1 trial, participants lost an average of 13.1% of their body weight after taking amycretin for 12 weeks. In comparison, people who took Wegovy lost around 6% of their body weight, and those in the placebo group lost around 1%. According to the company, early data suggests that amycretin is safe and well-tolerated. It also had similar side effects to Wegovy and other weight-loss medications. Martin Lange, Novo Nordisk's head of development, said the Phase 1 trial was small, but the promising results justify further research into the medication. Novo Nordisk plans to begin a larger Phase 2 trial of amycretin in the second half of 2024, with results expected in early 2026. (DeAngelis, STAT+ [subscription required], 3/7; Hart, Forbes, 3/7)
• Texas: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has appealed its lawsuit challenging Medicare drug price negotiations after a federal district judge in Texas dismissed the case in February. The lawsuit, which was originally filed last June by PhRMA, the National Infusion Center Association, and the Global Colon Cancer Association, argued that the argued the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) delegated too much power to HHS and violated drug companies' due process. After the district court dismissed the case, PhRMA appealed the decision to the Fifth Circuit. "We disagree with the district court's legal assessment and have appealed the decision," said PhRMA spokesperson Nicole Longo."We continue to believe the IRA's price setting provisions are unconstitutional." In response to the decision, HHS spokesperson Sara Lonardo said that the Biden administration will continue defending Medicare drug price negotiations in court. "As Secretary [Xavier] Becerra said when the lawsuit was dismissed, allowing Medicre to negotiate the price of prescription drugs is both critically important for the millions of people it will help and sound policy," Lonardo said. (Lim, POLITICO Pro [subscription required], 3/6; DeFeudis, Endpoint News, 3/6)

The latest generation of weight management medications have sparked new questions about chronic obesity treatment. We answer five questions we’re hearing in conversations with healthcare leaders to help you understand how the medications differ from past iterations and their potential impacts.