The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated guidance on what many people already know to be a (literal) pain: IUDs.

The August 8 recommendations notably suggest medication use for intrauterine device (IUD) placement, noting that misoprostol, which was approved to treat stomach ulcers and can be used to soften the cervix for easier IUD placement, should not be used routinely but only in select circumstances, and that lidocaine, a local anesthetic, may help reduce pain.

With these updated guidelines, the CDC addressed what has been a longstanding issue among some patients who faced pain during the procedure.

The guidance also comes after the number of laws heavily restricting reproductive rights has increased following the US Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs ruling. As eight states are taking steps to reduce birth control access so far this year, the CDC wants to make the medications more accessible. That’s in addition to 14 states banning abortion and false claims swirling around that IUDs cause abortions, according to the Washington Post.

And IUD is a form of birth control that is inserted through the cervix and into the uterus. The device can stay in place for eight to 10 years, according to Yale Medicine, though it can be removed any time.

Keep reading here.—CM

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Pfizer is stepping out from the pharmacy aisle and into the living room with a new website called PfizerForAll.

The platform helps patients find information about migraines, Covid, flu, or other seasonal respiratory viruses, the pharma giant said in a Tuesday press release.

“People often experience information overload and encounter roadblocks when making decisions for themselves or their family in our complex and often overwhelming US healthcare system. This can be extremely time-consuming and lead to indecision or inaction—and as a result, poor health outcomes,” Aamir Malik, EVP and US chief commercial officer at Pfizer, said in the release.

Pfizer said it partnered with several providers for this effort. According to the company, the site directs patients to telehealth platform UpScript to make $35 virtual doctor appointments or to Instacart and prescription delivery service Alto Pharmacy to get treatments and diagnostic tests delivered.

Keep reading here.—CC

Eli Lilly is slashing the price of its blockbuster weight loss drug, Zepbound, offering new, single-dose vials, the company announced on August 27.

Self-pay patients with an on-label prescription can purchase 2.5-mg and 5-mg single-dose vials of Zepbound at roughly 50% off the drug’s list price through the pharma giant’s direct-to-consumer website, LillyDirect, which launched in January. This is the first time the drugmaker has offered the drug in single-dose vials rather than an autoinjector.

“These new vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but also broaden access for patients seeking a safe and effective treatment option,” Patrik Jonsson, EVP of Eli Lilly and Company, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, and president of Lilly USA, said in a press release on Tuesday.

A month’s supply will now cost $399 for the 2.5-mg dose vials and $549 for the 5-mg dose. In comparison, the original autoinjectable version of Zepbound comes with a list price of about $1,060 per month on drug marketplace GoodRx.com.

Keep reading here.—MA