FILE - The Purdue Pharma offices are seen, May 8, 2007, in Stamford, Conn. (AP Photo/Douglas Healey, File)
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Volunteer physician Dr. Valerie Panzarino sorts through medications inside the fully staffed medical facility at Camp Boggy Creek, where children with serious illnesses and their families are provided with a free camp experience, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Eustis, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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About half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure and too few have it under control. Now some patients who've tried everything — multiple drugs, diet and exercise — without help are checking out a different option — zapping away some nerves on their kidneys that are fueling their high blood pressure. Using catheters, doctors selectively target the overactive nerves with beams of ultrasound or radiofrequency energy. Two catheter systems hit the U.S. market about a year ago, based on studies showing a modest benefit for hard-to-treat patients, and hospitals now are cautiously beginning to offer it.
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The Biden administration says popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have been added to Medicare’s list of medications that will be negotiated directly between the government and drug manufacturers. The price negotiations for the additional 15 drugs selected Friday will be handled by the incoming Trump administration and almost assure billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra says “this is a big deal.” Drug companies oppose the program and say it “fails to address the true challenges facing seniors and Medicare.” Ozempic and Wegovy are made by Novo Nordisk, which is based in Denmark and has U.S. headquarters Plainsboro, New Jersey.
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FILE - President Joe Biden speaks about prescription drug costs at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
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FILE - The injectable drug Ozempic is shown, July 1, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
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FILE - A dosage of Wegovy, March 1, 2024 in Front Royal, Va. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)
FILE - A Medicare card is seen on Monday, June 10, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)