Buzz Newsletter 9/25/25

GLP-1s Still Getting Denied by Insurance Carriers

In spite of the mounting evidence that GLP-1s have multiple benefits beyond just weight loss, most insurance coverage for semaglutide and tirzepatide is still non-existent. A new report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, covered here in the Washington Post, shows that both medications are highly-cost effective when measured over the lifetime of the patient. 

With no generic version available, most patients are paying around $500 a month for Wegovy or Zepbound, and even with insurance coverage, costs can range between $25-$650 a month. 


We're offering a weekend of immunization training for technicians and pharmacists! Register today and reserve your spot on Saturday, October 4 (technicians) or Sunday, October 5 (pharmacists). 

These trainings are open to both GPhA members and non-members, so please feel free to share with any pharmacists or technicians who may be interested. 
 

FOR TECHNICIANS: 

Immunization Training for the Pharmacy Technician
Saturday, October 4, 2025
9:00 am – 1:00 pm EDT
GPhA Headquarters
6065 Barfield Rd NE Suite 100 | Sandy Springs, GA 30328

GPhA Members: $199
Non-GPhA Members: $235*

*Non-member rate includes a full GPhA Membership through December 31, 2026 for all attendees residing or licensed in the state of Georgia. See a full list of member benefits here.

FOR PHARMACISTS:

APhA’s Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery: A Certificate Program for Pharmacists
Sunday, October 5, 2025
8:00 am – 5:00 pm EDT
GPhA Headquarters
6065 Barfield Rd NE Suite 100 | Sandy Springs, GA 30328

GPhA Members: $349
Non-GPhA Members: $499*
 

*Non-member rate includes a full GPhA Membership through December 31, 2026 for all attendees residing or licensed in the state of Georgia. That's $100 of the regular membership price for pharmacists. See a full list of member benefits here.

Pennsylvania Pharmacist Is Local Hero 

We know that pharmacists are heroes of health care, and one pharmacist in Lansdale, PA, is dressing the part. Mayank Amin is donning a Superman costume to administer vaccines to children and the elderly in his pharmacy. 

Which we love, because the world needs more superheroes right now. 

Keytruda Goes Sub-Q

The FDA approved a new formulation of Keytruda that can be delivered subcutaneously. It combines pembrolizumab with berahyaluronidase alfa, and allows the medication to be delivered via shot rather than intravenously, making delivery time of the drug much quicker. 

It can still only be administered by a qualified health care provider, but it's better than sitting for half an hour waiting for the full dose to be administered via IV. 

Keytruda has been successful in treating a wide variety of cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, and bladder cancer. 

Ten Trials To Watch in 2025

Biopharma Dive has put together a list of the top 10 clinical trials they're watching over the rest of 2025, including oral GLP-1s and immunotherapies. Check them out here. 
 

Measles Outbreaks Grow in Southwest US 

Well we thought the measles outbreaks were waning but it looks like areas of Utah and Arizona are increasing the number of reported cases. 

There are now 23 confirmed cases in southwest Utah, and 42 in Mohave County, Arizona. The outbreaks are believed to be related, and occur mostly in unvaccinated children. 
 

Miracle Gene Therapy Too Expensive to Use 

There are a number of diseases that can be cured with gene editing therapy. It's incredible what science can accomplish. But in most cases, the cure is so expensive, and the disease so rare, that very few people actually benefit from the treatment. This New York Times article details the miracles -- and the drawbacks -- of these remarkable treatments. 

Scientists Capture Water Molecules In the "In Between" 

One of our first science lessons in elementary school is regarding the three states of water -- solid, liquid, and vapor. We learn early on that it is always one of those three things.

Scientists in Tokyo have captured water's "in between" state, a "premelting" state in which it is both solid and liquid at the same time. Confinement of water makes it behave in different ways, and in one scenario scientists caught it behaving as both. It's neat science that shows us no matter how much we learn, we have many more mysteries to uncover.