Health care industry

• Eli Lilly CEO says Medicare coverage of obesity drugs could 'change the game' for upcoming pill launch - Lilly CEO Dave Ricks is confident in the ability of the company's pill to compete and is preparing for a "full launch" in the second quarter.
• What obesity drugmakers see next in the market: More pills, easier access and drug combinations - CNBC spoke to executives from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer and other drugmakers at the annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.
• OpenEvidence, the 'ChatGPT for doctors,' doubles valuation to $12 billion - OpenEvidence, based in Massachusetts, has topped a $12 billion valuation in a funding round led by Thrive and DST.
• 2026 is the year of obesity pills. Here's how they could reshape the GLP-1 market - Patients can already access the first GLP-1 obesity pill from Novo Nordisk, and a rival oral drug from Eli Lilly is slated for U.S. approval later this year.
• CNBC's Becky Quick details daughter's rare disease journey - CNBC Squawk Box anchor Becky Quick details her daughter's rare disease journey, and explains why it inspired her to launch CNBC Cures.
• Shares in Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk pop 6% after GLP-1 pill approval - The FDA on Monday approved the first-ever GLP-1 pill from the Danish pharmaceutical giant.
• FDA approves first GLP-1 pill for obesity from Novo Nordisk - Health and ScienceFDA approves first GLP-1 pill for obesity from Novo NordiskPublished Mon, Dec 22 20256:06 PM ESTUpdated 1 Min AgoAnnika Kim Constantino@annika
• UnitedHealth Group commits to improvements after independent audit, patient backlash - The company said it has adopted 23 ongoing "action plans" to track and implement recommended improvements, all of which will be completed by the end of March.
• Wall Street banked on a flurry of deals under Trump in 2025. It wasn't that simple - Dealmakers expected a flood of M&A to take place in 2025 following the election of President Trump. The number of transactions didn't live up to the hype.
• Trump signs executive order reclassifying cannabis, opening door to broader weed access - President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III substance with looser restrictions.