MarketingRx roundup: Analyst group finds no ‘obvious’ link to GLP-1s and suicidal ideation; Amgen debuts new Prolia TV ad

Last month, the European Medicines Agency began looking into reports of suicidal ideation and thoughts of self-harm by users of GLP-1 medicines such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, Wegovy (both semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide), and now other GLP-1 receptor agonists.

While the European investigation is ongoing, analyst group TD Cowen says its own analysis of the FDA’s adverse events database found that with the potential exception of Saxenda, there was “no obvious link” between incretin drugs and suicide-related events. Wegovy and Saxenda’s US labels do include warnings about suicidal behavior and ideation.

The Cowen researchers pulled all adverse event case reports between 2018 and June 2023 and included not only the GLP-1s under initial investigation, but also other drugs for comparison such as Prozac (fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline), which have black box warnings for suicidal thoughts in young people. They also included other type 2 diabetes drugs including Trulicity, Victoza, Jardiance and Farxiga; and other obesity treatments Qsymia and Contrave.

Suicide-related adverse events as a percentage of total cases per drug largely landed below 1%, the Cowen analysts found. Cowen reported that while the FDA dataset it studied is different from the EMA data under investigation, its findings suggest the European regulator “may well reach a conclusion similar to FDA – a warning for suicidal behavior is probably not warranted for most members of the GLP-1 class though it may be applied out of an abundance of caution.”

The EMA is expected to conclude its investigation in November.

Amgen debuts first new Prolia TV ad in two years

Amgen has long advertised its osteoporosis med Prolia — including a stint with celebrity spokesperson Blythe Danner — but its new TV ad debuted last month is the first new commercial in almost two years. The new spot features a woman chef working in a kitchen, saying: “I’m not just accomplished, I am accomplishing. So I’m doing all I can to help lower my risk of breaking a bone.”

The one-minute TV ad targets postmenopausal women with its message to continue doing what they love. The same chef is also featured on the Prolia brand website.

Prolia is expected to lose patent exclusivity in the US in 2025.

Americans interested in weight loss drugs, but prefer no needles and insurance payouts — survey

Almost half of Americans (45%) are interested in new weight loss and obesity prescription drugs, but interest drops off when asked about payment and injection administration, according to a July Kaiser Family Foundation poll. The number jumps to 59% among people who are currently trying to lose weight.

However, only 23% of the roughly 1,300 people polled said they’d still be interested if it were a routine injection, and only 16% if the drugs were not covered by insurance. That said, most (80%) think insurance companies should pay for the drugs for people who are overweight or obese, while a majority (53%) say insurance should pay for anyone who wants to use them to lose weight.

On other general issues of cost, survey respondents answered similarly. More than one-quarter report difficulty paying for drugs, and another 31% said they didn’t take their medicines as directed in the past year because of the cost. People do overwhelmingly trust pharma companies to develop new drugs (75%) and offer reliable safety and side effect information (66%), but only 22% say they trust pharmas to price drugs fairly.

Takeda partners with National Urban League on new health equity initiative

Takeda is teaming up with civil rights organization National Urban League on a new health equity effort “to raise awareness, knowledge and action” about social determinants of health and obstacles to healthcare access in communities across the country, the two said in a press release last week.

The new Health Equity Continuum of Service Structure will work across the Urban League network with Takeda’s support to develop and implement plans for local health equity, along with webinars and workshops to help educate and develop the league’s affiliates.

“The COVID-19 pandemic shone a harsh light on the historic and structural inequities in our health care system and the urgent need for reform,” said Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. “The National Urban League is proud to work with forward-thinking partners like Takeda, the first organization to fund our health equity infrastructure.”

Chris Reddick, head of US health equity at Takeda, added, “Working alongside trusted leaders in the community and community-based organizations is vital to ensure we’re prioritizing the complex needs of historically marginalized people and can help to implement thoughtful solutions.”

Boehringer hires new corporate affairs and charitable foundation leader

Rob Anderson

Boehringer Ingelheim tapped Rob Anderson in a dual role as VP of corporate affairs and president of the Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation. Anderson joins Boehringer from his role as VP of global communications at US Pharmacopeia. Before that Anderson held comms roles at Rabin Martin, Fenton and Golin.

Stand Up To Cancer sets date for latest televised fundraiser with celebrity slate of brand ambassadors

The well-known cancer research and treatment nonprofit Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) will debut its eighth fundraising special called “How It Started, How It’s Going” on August 19 at 8 pm ET and PT and 7 pm CT. It d will be simulcast across all four major US broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) among the more than 50 media platforms that airing it in the US and Canada.

The event will include a huge cast of celebrities both live and pre-recorded aimed at highlighting the research its funded, including more than 3,000 scientists at more than 200 institutions that have contributed to nine FDA-approved cancer therapies, SU2C says.

Among the stars participating are longtime cancer screening advocate and SU2C co-founder Katie Couric, who’s also helmed efforts for Merck and Exact Sciences. SU2C partners with pharmaceutical companies on Catalyst teams for collaborative research projects, and includes charter program supporters Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb and Genentech.

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