Global Scans · Drugs · Weekly Summary

• [New] Australia's peak medicines regulator has issued product warnings for several type 2 diabetes and obesity-related drugs over the potential to cause a rare but severe form of eye disorder. The Guardian
• Thursday's announcement that Eli Lilly will acquire AtaiBeckley, a clinical-stage maker of psychedelic drugs, for $3.8 billion indicates Big Pharma's increasing embrace of a long-stigmatized class of medications as alternatives for treating an array of mental health conditions. CNBC
• The shift from accelerated FDA approval to full approval is now the key Medicare coverage trigger for Alzheimer's drugs - a pattern expected to repeat with the next generation of disease-modifying therapies. Understood Care
• CMS's Coverage with Evidence Development policy means Medicare will only pay for anti-amyloid Alzheimer's drugs when you are enrolled in a qualifying clinical trial or approved registry. Understood Care
• So far, Florida intends to request approval to import only 14 drugs, which will be available only to patients of certain state agencies and government programs or facilities. Oncology Practice Management
• If Congress acts to expand permanent Medicare coverage of GLP-1 drugs for obesity, the coverage picture after 2027 could change. Medical Daily
• A second round of 15 drugs, including blockbuster GLP-1s, takes effect in 2027. Patients Rising
• The FDA is not expected to act on any longevity indication for GLP-1 drugs in the near term. Medical Daily
• The Food and Drug Administration requires drug companies to run studies investigating whether GLP-1s increase the risk of cardiovascular problems - a mandate for all diabetes drugs. The New York Times
• Around $230bn of biopharma revenue is at risk from loss of exclusivity by 2030, including blockbuster drugs like Keytruda, Eliquis, Gardasil and Jardiance. Blogs on Markets
• Biosimilar adoption in the United States is increasing as more biologic drugs face patent expirations, creating significant opportunities for developers despite concerns about a future shortage of biosimilar candidates. The Real Economy Blog
• Telehealth providers like Hims and Hers could soon see more business, now that more and more employees are losing insurance coverage for weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound. Scripps News
• Five drugs will each sell $20 billion that year. LinkedIn
• Spending on Part D prescription drugs has accounted for a relatively constant share of Medicare benefit spending for much of the past decade but rose to 15% in 2025 and is projected to continue growing in the coming years. KFF
• Severe dehydration from GLP-1 drugs may raise the risk of kidney injury and damage. Healthline Media
• The MFN framework is expected to generate an estimated $529 B in domestic savings and a 30% decrease in net prices for drugs in the U.S. over the next 10 years. GoodLifeSci

Last updated: 03 August 2026