Posts Tagged ‘innovation’

Zafgen, a small biotech company “dedicated to the treatment of obesity,” is learning about the risks of their strategy of focusing on drug development for severe obesity. We’ve commented before that their focus is impressive and now it’s being tested. The pivotal randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the lead Zafgen obesity drug, beloranib, was halted after […]

Recent reports from business analysts are making it clear that Saxenda is succeeding in the market for obesity treatment where other competitors are struggling. Marketed by Novo Nordisk, Saxenda is the fourth new obesity drug treatment introduced in the last four years. The other three — Qsymia, Belviq, and Contrave — all seem to be […]

Over the past five years, the pace of obesity innovation has noticeably quickened. But health plans are clearly not keeping up in providing access to evidence-based care for obesity. In a new commentary published by the American Journal of Managed Care, Ted Kyle and Fatima Cody Stanford point to a growing gap: Responding to the […]

The latest food conspiracy pits the vast empire of Big Egg against a little fake mayo upstart called “Just Mayo.” And here is where the trouble starts — with a brand name that quietly screams authenticity. That’s because, according to legal definitions of what’s real mayonnaise, “Just Mayo” is just not mayonnaise. The result is that […]

The Obesity Society this week announced the winners of its highest honors for 2015, recognizing five of the top leaders in obesity. These fine people will be recognized at ObesityWeek 2015 in Los Angeles November 2-6 for their exemplary leadership, advancing efforts to reduce the health impact of obesity. Thorkild I. A. Sørensen (above) was named to […]

Late yesterday, FDA approved the Orbera gastric balloon as a short-term treatment for obesity. This makes two FDA approvals for medical devices to treat obesity – booth gastric balloons – in one week. Counting the Maestro VBLOC system approved in January, we now have three devices approved this year after more than a decade passing […]

Tucked away in the July issue of PharmacoEconomics is a treasure trove of insights into obesity economics. Some of the world’s top experts on economics and obesity have contributed 13 papers that provide a remarkably complete resource on the subject and support four key insights. A Big Burden. With a third of the world’s population […]

With a new editorial published in Nutrition & Diabetes, Arnaldo Perez and Geoff Ball make an excellent point about a missed opportunity for qualitative research to “encourage more inclusive discussions about obesity as well as provide academic venues for publishing and disseminating research of greater epistemological breadth and relevance.” But perhaps without intending to do so, they are raising […]

Early reports are in on uptake of the latest new treatment available for obesity, Saxenda liraglutide injection. Industry analyst Spencer Osborne reports that sales for Saxenda surpassed a rate of 1,000 prescriptions per week just nine weeks into the introduction of the product. Considering a very targeted positioning for people with BMIs greater than 35 and a […]

A smarter desk can be yours today for just three or four thousand dollars! It goes up and down and gets to know you. It has bluetooth, WiFi, tidy storage for all your cords, and a really nifty touchscreen. Who knew that your desk could be a high tech imaginary friend and wellness coach? But […]