• California: Leila Turner-Scott and Angus Scott, a couple from California, are suing OpenAI to pause the rollout of its health-focused chatbot ChatGPT Health after the death of their 19-year-old son, Sam. According to the family, Sam died of an overdose after ChatGPT gave him instructions on how to mix Xanax with kratom, an herbal supplement. In the lawsuit, the family is seeking monetary damages and asking for ChatGPT Health to be postponed until it is independently proven to be safe. In a statement, a spokesperson for OpenAI said "[t]his is a heartbreaking situation, and our thoughts are with the family." The spokesperson also noted that Sam used an older version of ChatGPT that is no longer available to the public, adding that "[t]he safeguards in ChatGPT today are designed to identify distress, safely handle harmful requests, and guide users to real-world help. This work is ongoing, and we continue to improve it in close consultation with clinicians." (Bruce, Becker's Health IT, 5/13
• Indiana: Eli Lilly reported that its next generation weight-loss drug retatrutide led to an average weight loss of 28.3% in a late-stage clinical trial. Retatrutide is known as "triple-G" since it targets three hormones: GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. In a statement, Dan Skovronsky, Lilly's chief scientific and product officer, said the roughly 30% weight loss seen in the trial was an "incredible number to see" and that "we haven't seen that level of weight loss before with these kinds of medicines." These results were similar to that of bariatric surgery, which typically leads to 30% to 35% weight loss after two years. However, despite the drug's effectiveness, there are also potential concerns about its side effects. In the trial, 11% of patients who took the highest doses discontinued treatment due to adverse events. Most of the side effects reported in the trial were gastrointestinal-related, but abnormal skin sensations and urinary tract infections were also reported. Participants tolerated the drug better at the lowest dose, which led to around 19% weight loss, similar to the highest dose of Lilly's GLP-1 drug Zepbound. Overall, "I think we're making history here, both on the high end with the high dose and on the low dose for what we can offer patients," Skovronsky said. (Chen, STAT+ [subscription required], 5/21; Kolata/Robbins, New York Times, 5/21; Constantino, CNBC, 5/21)
• Rhode Island: CVS Health has received approval from a bankruptcy court to sell its long-term care pharmacy Omnicare. CVS originally acquired Omnicare in 2015 for almost $13 billion. However, the federal government sued Omnicare for fraudulently billing Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare for drugs without valid prescriptions. The company was ordered to pay a $15.3 million settlement due to controlled substances being dispensed. Last year, Omnicare was ordered to pay an additional $949 million after a jury found that the company was liable for over 3.3 million false prescription claims. After the lawsuit, Omnicare filed for Chapter 11 protection last fall. CVS is planning to sell Omnicare to GenieRx for $250 million. GenieRx is a partnership between the private investment firm Milrose Capital and healthcare investment and management firm Integro Healthcare Services. "We are entering this next phase with clarity on what matters most: delivering reliable pharmacy services, maintaining safe and clinically appropriate care, and being transparent and fair in how we operate," said Omnicare president, David Azzolina. "Our teams continue to show a deep commitment to our customers, and I am grateful for the work they do every day to support residents in skilled nursing and assisted living settings." (Japsen, Forbes, 5/14; Casolo, Becker's Hospital Review, 5/14)

Recorded at HLTH, Rae moderates an expert panel on GLP-1s — exploring policy, access, and how wraparound care can deliver real value for patients and payers.