FDA Moves on PFAS in Food Packaging; Mayo Clinic No. 1 for Endocrinology

The FDA announced voluntary agreements with manufacturers to phase out per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from food packaging typically used for grease-proofing paper.

The phase III OPTIC and OPTIC-X clinical program found that teprotumumab-trbw (Tepezza) — the only medication approved for the treatment of thyroid eye disease — showed long-term durability and was also effective in patients with longer disease duration, Horizon Therapeutics announced.

Mayo Clinic topped U.S. News & World Report‘s 2020-2021 Best Hospitals Honor Roll for diabetes and endocrinology, followed by Massachusetts General Hospital and UCSF Medical Center.

Empagliflozin (Jardiance) was superior to placebo in reducing the risk for the composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization due to heart failure, when added to standard of care in adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction — even in those without diabetes — in the EMPEROR-Reduced phase III trial, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly announced. Currently, dapagliflozin (Farxiga) is the only SGLT-2 inhibitor to carry such an indication.

A survey conducted by the American Diabetes Association and the dQ&A diabetes social research company found that 18% of people with diabetes were unemployed or furloughed in June versus the national rate of 12%, leaving many with little to no income.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals may be a contributing factor in explaining why women going through menopause experience insomnia. “This study raises concerns and additional questions about a possible contribution of phthalates to sleep disturbances in premenopausal and perimenopausal women,” commented North American Menopause Society medical director Stephanie Faubion, MD, MBA. (Menopause)

A randomized pilot study found that people with type 2 diabetes who swapped out breakfast and an afternoon snack with a diabetes-specific nutritional shake had better glycemic control. (BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care)

On average, annual out-of-pocket spending on insulin was nearly $500 for privately insured U.S. children and young adults with type 1 diabetes, according to an analysis of 2018 data from the IBM MarketScan Commercial Database. (JAMA Pediatrics)