• Georgia: Last week, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 14-0, with one abstention, to recommend the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for high-risk patients ages 50 to 59. Previously, ACIP unanimously recommended that all adults ages 75 and older, as well as adults ages 60 to 74 with an increased risk of severe RSV, get one dose of the RSV vaccine. "I don't think I can say it enough, but [we need] more studies in moderate-to-severe immunocompromised patients who are at highest risk for RSV disease," said Mini Kamboj, a committee member from Weill Cornell Medical College. During the meeting, ACIP also unanimously voted to recommend that GSK's meningococcal vaccine MenABCWY "may be used when both MenACWY and MenB are indicated at the same visit." The recommendation would apply to healthy individuals ages 16 to 23 years old when shared clinical information that would favor the MenB vaccine and individuals ages 10 years and up who are at an increased risk of meningococcal disease. ACIP also approved a similar recommendation for the Vaccines for Children program. (Frieden, MedPage Today, 4/16)
• Illinois: With potential pharmaceutical tariffs on the horizon, Abbott Laboratories has announced plans to invest $500 million on two U.S. facilities in Illinois and Texas. The funding will be used to expand existing plants and increase U.S. research and development for the company's transfusion business, which screens the U.S. blood supply. According to a company spokesperson, Abbott will hire as many as 200 people in Illinois and 100 people in Texas to support the new work. "Right now, we estimate the tariff impact in '25 to be a few hundred million dollars," said Abbott CEO Robert Ford. "There are definitely short-term things that can be done to mitigate and close the gap." (Muller, Bloomberg, 4/16)
• Indiana: According to new clinical trial results, Eli Lilly's experimental GLP-1 pill orforglipron may be as effective as injectable GLP-1 drugs at helping patients with type 2 diabetes improve their blood sugar and lose weight. In the Phase 3 clinical trial, 559 patients with type 2 diabetes received either orforglipron or a placebo for 40 weeks. During that time, patients who took orforglipron saw their A1C blood sugar levels decrease by 1.3% to 1.6%. They also lost an average of 16 pounds when taking the highest dose. These findings are like those reported for previous clinical trials on Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, which are both injectable GLP-1 drugs. Compared to injectable GLP-1 drugs, orforglipron is a small molecule, which makes it easier and cheaper to manufacture and distribute. "As a convenient once-daily pill, orforglipron may provide a new option and, if approved, could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use by people around the world," said Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks. Currently, Eli Lily plans to submit the pill to regulators for approval to treat obesity later this year and for diabetes sometime in 2026. (Joseph/Chen, STAT+ [subscription required], 4/17; Kolata/Robbins, New York Times, 4/18)

Hospitals and health systems are experiencing surging demand for medical weight loss programs offering novel GLP-1 medications. Join us to learn about the latest obesity prevalence estimates, bariatric surgery market forecasts, and trends in obesity care, including how GLP-1s are reshaping the future of obesity prevention and management.