• Georgia: CDC is currently tracking a new COVID-19 variant called BA.3.2, which is unofficially known as "cicada." So far, the variant has been identified in 23 different countries, including the United States. The BA.3.2 variant was first identified in South Africa in November 2024. Detection of the variant began increasing in September 2025, with the highest number recorded during the week of Dec. 7, 2025. The variant was first detected in the United States in June 2025. Since then, it has been detected in clinical samples from five patients in four states and 132 wastewater samples from 25 states. Compared to the JN.1 and LP.8.1 variants, which are targeted by the most recent COVID-19 vaccines, BA.3.2 has 70 to 75 additional mutations to its spike variant. Among the seven variants tested against the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine, antibody neutralization was lowest against BA.3.2. According to CDC, real-world data on vaccine effectiveness is still needed, and current vaccines continue to protect against the predominant circulating COVID-19 variants. (Bean, Becker's Clinical Leadership, 3/30; Lee, Forbes, 3/31)
• Maryland: FDA has approved Eli Lilly's new weight-loss pill orforglipron, which will be sold under the brand name Foundayo. It is the second weight-loss pill to be approved after Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill was approved in December. In clinical trials, people who took the highest dose of orforglipron lost an average of 12% of their body weight after 72 weeks. The lowest dose of the medication will cost $149 a month without insurance, while higher doses could cost up to $349 a month. "It's a breakthrough in that it's a simple oral medication," said Lilly CEO Dave Ricks. "You just put it in that pill case in the morning, and it fits into your daily routine." Aside from weight loss, Lilly plans to submit the drug for FDA approval to treat diabetes later this year. In a clinical trial of people with type 2 diabetes, those who took the highest dose of the medication saw the hemoglobin A1C value drop by an average of 2.2 percentage points. The company is also developing another weight-loss drug called retatrutide, which has shown greater weight loss in clinical trials than any other drug currently on the market. (Blum/Robbins, New York Times, 4/1; Lovelace, NBC News, 4/1)
• Minnesota: UnitedHealthcare* (UHC) has launched a new generative AI assistant called Avery to help members navigate healthcare services. Avery is designed to understand members' benefits to help them understand their coverage details and care options before scheduling an appointment. The tool can help members with appointment scheduling, cost estimates and plan balances, claim approval status, rewards opportunities and well programs, and more. Currently, the tool is available to around 6.5 million members with UHC employer-sponsored health plans and 160,000 Medicare Advantage members. UHC expects the tool to be available to 20.5 million commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid members by the end of 2026. "People want healthcare to be easier to use and tailored to their personal needs," said Dan Kueter, CEO of UHC's commercial business. "Avery is one way we are responding to consumer demand for a more coordinated and simpler experience and enabling our members to focus on what matters most: getting and staying well." (Cass, Becker's Health IT, 3/27)

*Advisory Board is a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare. All Advisory Board research, expert perspectives, and recommendations remain independent.  

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