The Handoff: Your Week in Endocrinology – 11/25/16

The Handoff is a weekly roundup of endocrinology and general medicine news covering various developments in subspecialties, as well as pharmaceutical industry, association, and society news.

• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved 2 new treatments—Xultophy® 100/3.6 (Novo Nordisk) and Soliqua^TM 100/33 (Sanofi)—to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Both drugs are once-daily injections that combine an insulin with a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist.
• In other FDA news, the agency also approved Intrarosa (prasterone, Endoceutics Inc) for pain during sexual intercourse—a symptom of vulvar and vaginal atrophy due to menopause.
• In today’s modern world, researchers know sedentary behavior is a significant problem that contributes to the growing prevalence of chronic health problems, like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, but how much is necessary for humans? Evolutionary biologists sought to answer this question by studying hunter-gatherers in Africa to gain insight into the amount of physical activity people typically engaged in prior to industrialization.
• Thanksgiving may have come and gone, but with more holidays around the corner, there is a noticeable uptick in donations to food banks, pantries, and shelters. However, a push for healthier products has caused some of these food banks to turn down junk food.
• Osteoporosis or deteriorating bone health is not uncommon as men and women age, which significantly increases the risk for fractures. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one-third of people older than 65 fall each year. Consequently, more resources are being dedicated to fall prevention.
• Congress hopes to pass legislation that would allow the FDA to approve drugs and devices more quickly by December, according to The Washington Post, but some issues still remain up for debate.
• According to a study recently published in Nature, Chinese researchers have become the first to use the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique in humans.
• Many manufacturers of snacks market their products, which can include unhealthy food options, to children. Unfortunately, these advertisements appear to be effective.