• California: According to a new study published in the National Bureau of Economic Research, middle-aged adults who use GLP-1 medications for obesity could save almost $200,000 in lifetime medical costs. For the study, researchers from the University of Southern California simulated health and economic outcomes for U.S. adults ages 25 and older, comparing people who used GLP-1s for obesity and those who did not. The researchers found that middle-age adults who used GLP-1s for obesity could save an average of $192,735 in lifetime medical costs. Adults who started taking GLP-1s between the ages of 25 and 30 could potentially save as much as $270,800 over their lifetime. Education levels also seemed to impact potential lifetime savings, with adults ages 40 to 50 without college degrees saving around $220,000 compared to $163,000 for individuals with college degrees. According to Becker's Hospital Review, the findings add to growing evidence about GLP-1s' cost-effectiveness. However, access continues to be an issue, especially since many health plans don't cover GLP-1s for weight loss. (Jeffries, Becker's Hospital Review, 6/15)
• Illinois: AbbVie has agreed to acquire Apogee Therapeutics for roughly $10.9 billion in cash. The deal will help bolster AbbVie's immunology and inflammation portfolio. Through the deal, AbbVie will gain access to Apogee's experimental drug zumilokibart, which could be used to treat moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. AbbVie currently has two high-performing autoimmune drugs, Rinvoq and Skyrizi, and the addition of Apogee's experimental drug could give AbbVie a boost over its competitors. "While investors have debated which long-acting atopic dermatitis competitors could show best sustained efficacy (many looking to Nektar as well), we see obvious synergies with AbbVie's portfolio for zumilokibart if the company is able to ultimately ... commercialize the product," analysts at BMO Capital Markets said in a note to investors. According to the Wall Street Journal, the deal is currently expected to close in the third quarter of the year. (Kellaher and Loftus, Wall Street Journal, 6/22; Taylor, Fierce Biotech, 6/22)
• Maryland: FDA has agreed to reverse its initial rejection of Regenxbio's experimental gene treatment for Hunter syndrome, a rare and fatal genetic brain disease that affects around 2,000 people worldwide. Regenxbio filed the first application for its treatment Navsunli in 2025. At the time, FDA approved a plan to study the experimental treatment that did not include a placebo. However, the agency later told Regenxbio that the study did not include a placebo and requested more clinical data. In February, FDA rejected Regenxbio's application, citing uncertainty about study eligibility and requested the company conduct a new trial with patients who received a placebo — something that Regenxbio protested since a new study could take years and pose an ethical problem for untreated patients. Three weeks ago, FDA agreed to reverse its initial rejection and said it could review Navsunli in as little as two months. According to the Wall Street Journal, FDA has recently reversed several rejections for different disease treatments, including Replimune's melanoma therapy and uniQure's gene therapy for Huntington's disease. (Martinez, Wall Street Journal, 6/22)

Stay ahead of the curve with these ready-to-use slides breaking down the biggest trends impacting the obesity care market.  Learn about the state of obesity care today and how to position your organization for future success.