"Medicare Expands Coverage for Weight-Loss Drug Wegovy, Impact on Pharmaceutical Companies"
Medicare's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that Part D drug benefits plans can now cover weight-loss drugs for patients with a history of heart disease or at risk of recurring heart attacks or strokes, reversing a long-standing rule. This decision affects drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, benefiting companies like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. The change comes after the FDA approved Wegovy for lowering the risk of cardiovascular problems, but Lilly will need to prove Zepbound's benefits on cardiovascular outcomes in clinical testing to gain Medicare coverage.