STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about FDA’s Makary resigning, a Lilly weight loss drug trial, and more

STAT PlusNewsletterPharmalot Pharmalittle: We’re reading about FDA’s Makary resigning, a Lilly weight loss drug trial, and more A drug used to mitigate the risk of deadly gene therapy side effects could blunt efficacy Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Ed SilvermanMay 13, 2026 Pharmalot Columnist, Senior Writer Ed Silverman[email protected]Ed Silverman, a senior writer and Pharmalot columnist at STAT, has been covering the pharmaceutical industry for nearly three decades. He is also the author of the morning Pharmalittle newsletter and the afternoon Pharmalot newsletter. Good morning, everyone, and how are you today?

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… U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary is resigning from his role, and Kyle Diamantas, the top food regulator at the agency, will step in as acting commissioner, STAT notes. A group within the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services was unhappy with Makary’s leadership and had been looking into ways to remove him for months. His tenure was filled with the announcement of dozens of new and ambitious initiatives, including efforts to shorten drug review timelines, crack down on misleading ads, and pressure the food industry to remove chemical dyes. But it was also tumultuous, marked by personnel drama, departures of long-time staff, and controversy over political pressure impeding the FDA’s scientific process.Advertisement Eli Lilly disclosed that patients in ​a late-stage trial who had been taking an injectable GLP-1 medication for over a year did not ‌regain significant weight after switching to its new weight loss pill Foundayo, Reuters writes.

People who switched from Novo Nordisk’s injectable Wegovy to Lilly’s oral Foundayo regained an average of 2 pounds after a year, according to study results presented at an obesity conference. Patients who switched to Foundayo from Lilly’s ​own more potent injectable Zepbound regained an average of 11 pounds. The study looked at patients ​switching to Foundayo, known chemically as orforglipron, after 72 weeks of losing weight on Lilly’s tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound and Mounjaro, or injectable ‌semaglutide, Novo’s ⁠Wegovy and Ozempic.

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Subscribe Log In pharmalittle, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Ed Silverman Pharmalot Columnist, Senior Writer Ed Silverman, a senior writer and Pharmalot columnist at STAT, has been covering the pharmaceutical industry for nearly three decades. He is also the author of the morning Pharmalittle newsletter and the afternoon Pharmalot newsletter. Newsletter Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world every day Recommended Pharmalot May 12, 2026 STAT Plus: European Union inks a draft deal to boost local production of medicines and avoid shortages Pharmalot May 12, 2026 STAT Plus: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about pharma lobbying, Bristol’s deal with a Chinese partner, and more Advertisement Pharmalot May 11, 2026 STAT Plus: Colombia wins a key court ruling over a compulsory license issued for an HIV medicine Pharmalot May 11, 2026 STAT Plus: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Medicare and Alzheimer’s drugs, estrogen patch shortages, and more Pharmalot May 8, 2026 STAT Plus: Capricor Therapeutics accuses Nippon Shinyaku of slow-walking plans on Duchenne drug Subscriber Picks