• Denver: On Monday, DaVita, a kidney care company, announced it had been impacted by a ransomware attack targeting its operations. DaVita became aware of the attack on Saturday and encrypted some elements of its network in response. It has also implemented interim measures to allow some functions to be restored. Currently, DaVita is working with outside cybersecurity experts to assess and remediate the situation, though the full scope, nature, and potential impact of the attack are still unclear. "We have implemented our contingency plans, and we continue to provide patient care. However, the incident is impacting some of our operations, and while we have implemented interim measures to allow for the restoration of certain functions, we cannot estimate the duration or extent of the disruption at this time," the company said. "Given the recency of the incident, our investigation and response are ongoing, and the full scope, nature, and potential ultimate impact on the Company are not yet known." (Kellaher, Wall Street Journal, 4/14; McKeon, TechTarget, 4/14)
• New York: Pfizer on Monday announced that it is stopping development of its experimental weight-loss pill danuglipron after a patient suffered a liver injury potentially caused by the drug during a clinical trial. According to the company, the patient did not experience any symptoms, and the injury resolved after discontinuing the drug. After reviewing the clinical data and consulting with regulators, Pfizer said it decided to halt its research on danuglipron. "While we are disappointed to discontinue the development of danuglipron, we remain committed to evaluating and advancing promising programs in an effort to bring innovative new medicines to patients," said Chris Boshoff, Pfizer's chief scientific officer and president of research and development. Previously, the company discontinued development of a twice-daily version of danuglipron in 2023 after patients had trouble tolerating the drug in a mid-stage study. Although Pfizer no longer plans to develop danuglipron, it is still working on another experimental weight-loss drug called a GIP antagonist. (Weixel, The Hill, 4/14)
• Maryland: Last month, FDA issued a warning letter to Dexcom, citing quality issues at its facilities responsible for testing the company's G6 and G7 continuous glucose monitors. Last year, agency investigators found that Dexcom's facilities had inadequate process monitoring and test validation. In addition, FDA expressed concerns about a change in the design of a component used in the resistance layer of Dexcom's sensors. The sensors with the changed coating "cause higher risks for users who rely on the sensors to dose insulin or make other diabetes treatment decisions," FDA said in its letter. The agency warned Dexcom that if it did not sufficiently address the issues cited in the letter, it could face seizure, injunction, and civil money penalties. Dexcom was given 15 business days from when it received the letter to provide FDA with specific steps it had taken to address the violations and prevent them from occurring in the future. (Dubinsky, Modern Healthcare, 3/25; Reuter, MedTech Dive, 3/26)

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.