We read about anti-pharma bus tour, smoking cessation drugs

Good morning everyone and welcome to another work week. We hope the weekend break was restful and invigorating because – you guessed it – the oh-so-familiar routine of online meetings, tedious commutes and deadlines has returned as expected. But what can you do? The world, such as it is, somehow keeps turning no matter how hard we try to slow it down. So, to cope with that, let's fire up the coffee kettle to brew up another cup of inspiration. Our pick today is strawberry cream. As always, you are welcome to join us. In the meantime, here is the latest menu of tasty treats for you to digest. We hope your day is fruitful and insightful. And of course, please stay in touch. …

A next-generation obesity drug candidate from Novo Nordisk resulted in modest weight loss but also higher rates of psychiatric side effects such as anxiety and sleep disturbances – results that challenge the pharmaceutical giant's efforts to find new obesity drugs that could build on the success of its blockbuster Wegovy.writes STAT. A Phase 2a trial tested monlunabant, a pill that inhibits CB1 receptors. Patients on the lowest dose of 10 milligrams lost an average of 6.4 percent of their weight after 16 weeks, compared with 0.6 percent in the placebo group. The trial also tested higher doses of 20 milligrams and 50 milligrams, but Novo said “limited additional weight loss” was observed, although it did not disclose specific data. Novo also said there were more reports of mild to moderate neuropsychiatric side effects — mainly anxiety, irritability and sleep disturbances — in treated patients compared with those who received placebo.

A new dark money group called Americans for Pharma Reform, formed last month, has launched a multi-state bus tour to raise awareness of what it calls bad behavior by the pharmaceutical industry.reports STAT. The argument that the pharmaceutical industry should be reformed is not an outlandish stance, considering that more than 60% of Americans view the industry negatively. But whoever is funding the bus tour has gone out of their way to conceal their identity. Rob Burgess, the group's executive director, says it is registered as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that does not have to disclose its donors and can be politically active as long as that is not its primary purpose. Burgess said the group does not comment on its supporters. Its registration with the Delaware Division of Corporations lists its address as a nondescript building in Delaware, and the Web address “BustBigPharma.com” listed on the side of the bus takes visitors to a fake news site with headlines that are unflattering to the industry.