Higher Rybelsus Doses More Effective; Insulin Cap for All? Win for GLP-1/GIP Drug

In the phase III PIONEER PLUS trial, 50- and 25-mg doses of once-daily oral semaglutide (Rybelsus) were significantly better at reducing HbA1c levels and weight in patients with type 2 diabetes compared with a 14-mg dose when added to stable doses of other oral antidiabetics, Novo Nordisk announced.

An estimated 80% of paper receipts from major store chains in the U.S. use “toxic chemicals,” such as bisphenol A (BPA), according to a report from the Ecology Center.

Certain biomarkers of gut bacteria in infants may help predict development of type 1 diabetes later in life. (Diabetologia)

There’s a renewed bipartisan push in the Senate to cap insulin costs at $35 for everyone with private insurance — not just for those with Medicare. (The Hill)

Viking Therapeutics’ investigational injectable dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist VK2735 yielded a 6% greater average weight loss in patients with obesity compared with placebo within 28 days in a phase I trial. A phase II dose-escalation trial is planned for later this year, the developer said.

The chemical acetyl tributyl citrate — once thought of as a “safer” alternative to phthalates — was found to disrupt brain health in a cell culture study presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting.

A medical billing dispute over an insulin pump for a 12-year-old boy has left one family paying an $872 monthly bill. (USA Today)

Yale School of Medicine announced the establishment of its new Yale Obesity Research Center to be led by Ania Jastreboff, MD, PhD.

Transgender patients say that visits to the doctor can be more traumatizing than they’re worth, and they often have little access to affordable healthcare. (Washington Post)