SAN DIEGO — Non-FDA-approved GLP-1 receptor agonists remain largely available despite recent resolutions to drug shortages, data at the Obesity Medicine Association’s annual meeting indicate.
Michael J. DiStefano, PhD, MBE, an assistant professor of pharmaceutical outcomes research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, explained during a presentation that compounding is “a process where pharmacists or physicians mix or alter the ingredients of a drug to produce a medication that meets the specific need of an individual patient.”
According

SAN DIEGO — Semaglutide use was not tied to a higher risk for non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, in patients with overweight or obesity, data presented here show.
The study further showed that semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy, Novo Nordisk) lowered the risk for NAION by 64% in patients with type 2 diabetes.
As Healio previously reported, prior research suggested that semaglutide use may raise the risk for NAION and other eye complications like diabetic retinopathy, although these occurrences are rare.
But Richele Corrado, DO, MPH, FACP, DABOM, a clinical associate professor

WASHINGTON — When preparing for cataract surgery in patients with retinal pathologies, ophthalmologists must be sure to set reasonable expectations and modify the surgical plan accordingly, according to a presenter.
At the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting, Jessica Ciralsky, MD, said that the first and most important step in managing these patients is to identify the cause of the vision loss.
“Is it the cataract? Is it the retina? Is it both? Sometimes this is really difficult to know,” she said. “And so, I think setting reasonable expectations is so important for

WASHINGTON — Alcon launched its Clareon TruPlus enhanced monofocal and toric IOLs in the U.S., according to a press release.
The lens offers improved distance vision and depth of focus by boosting light energy via Alcon’s Opti-Balance technology, the release said.
“It gives excellent distance vision but also gives more functionality. You sit down at the computer, and you can still see your computer. As you’re cooking your dinner, you can see what’s in the pan,” Mark Lobanoff, MD, told Healio at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting. “That extra boost of vision is

SAN DIEGO — Structured de-escalation of GLP-1 receptor agonists may lead to sustained health benefits while reducing treatment burden, according to data shown at the Obesity Medicine Association’s annual conference.
“What I found was actually surprising, where in addition to losing weight initially on the weekly regimen, people actually lost further weight on the every-other-week regimen,” Mitch Biermann, MD, PhD, an obesity medicine physician and scientist at Scripps Health, told Healio. “I was just hoping people would break even, not get an additional 2% weight loss.”
Prior data have shown