Patient advocacy groups are urging the South African government to reopen an antitrust investigation into Vertex Pharmaceuticals over allegations the company misled authorities into closing a high-profile case last year over access to a cystic fibrosis treatment.
Last December, the Competition Commission ruled that the company had sufficiently provided access to its medication after a patient filed a complaint alleging that Vertex violated the South African Constitution. The petition cited human rights failures — such as a basic right to health — as one justification for the complaint, as well as claims that the company abused its patent status.
Notably, the petition maintained that Vertex, which is the leading purveyor of cystic fibrosis drugs, including a highly effective treatment called Trikafta, had failed to register the medication with regulators. And since Vertex held patent rights in the country, the only available route to obtain Trikafta was to import the medicine from the U.S. at a prohibitive cost, given a list price exceeding $300,000.
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Every month, Forbes Vetted rounds up the top products that piqued our readers’ interest across a range of categories. Curious about what caught their eyes? Look no further.
This past July, Forbes Vetted readers invested in health and wellness, shopping everything from pain-relieving neck pillows to LED face masks ahead of their post-summer glow-ups. Meanwhile, others beat the heat with a quick-cooling portable AC or by jetting off to cooler destinations with a chic carry-on suitcase in tow.
These are the most popular products our readers loved in July across all categories, from the best … More walking shoes to our top-rated laptop.
ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTOS: RETAILER
Ahead, we’ve compiled a list of the 24 most popular products our readers loved in July, from a lightweight, AI-powered laptop to a stylish bezel-set diamond tennis bracelet. Check back next month to see the products Forbes Vetted readers shopped in August.
Most Popular Products In July At A Glance:
Most Popular Mattress & Sleep Products
Most Popular Fashion Products
Most Popular Gear Products
Most Popular Home Products
Most Popular Travel Products
Most Popular Tech Products
Most Popular Grooming & Beauty Products
Most Popular Kids & Baby Gear Products
Our reigning best mattress overall earned top marks for its medium-firm feel that’s comfortable for most sleepers, solid edge support (ideal for those who move around a lot in their sleep) and cooling features, like copper infusions and pocket coils. One tester reports, “The quilting on the cushy top of this mattress is lifted yet tight, indicating its balance of cushion with underlying firmness and support.”
Proper body alignment while sleeping makes a key difference in whether you feel soreness in the morning—which is where our best pillow for neck pain overall comes in. The Tempur-Neck Pillow’s contoured, ergonomic shape supports the head and neck for optimal alignment, and it features dense foam for pressure relief.
As far as cervical options go, Osteo’s pillow remains a popular pick thanks to its signature butterfly shape that cradles your neck. This effectively corrects body misalignment and reduces tension for a sounder night’s sleep. For more on our favorite cervical pillow, read our broader review on the best pillows for neck pain.
As our favorite place to buy prescription glasses online, the wide selection of frames available at GlassesUSA (which includes top brands like Gucci, Ray-Ban and Oakley) thoroughly impressed our editors. The website also has a virtual try-on feature to alleviate potential buyer’s remorse—but just in case, your first pair of glasses falls under a 14-day return policy, no questions asked.
Quince is a beloved brand among our fashion team for its selection of high-quality jewelry at a relatively affordable price. This bezel tennis bracelet, for instance, is carefully crafted with 14K gold and 2- or 4-carat lab-grown diamonds—all for under $2,000. For more details, check out our full roundup of the best lab-grown diamond tennis bracelets.
These Cozy Earth joggers, our top pajama pants for men, are built to withstand night sweats: Their viscose-bamboo fabric regulates body temperature and has been carefully woven to prevent pilling over time. “They’re exceptionally soft and breathable, offering a cooling effect that’s perfect for a restful sleep,” says tester and audience development director Spencer Dukoff.
A perennial Forbes Vetted favorite, these On Cloud 5 sneakers regularly top a number of our guides, including the best walking shoes for men and the best travel shoes for women. One standout feature is the shoes’ mesh uppers for all-day comfort: “I really enjoy their breathability; the mesh allows air flow that helps keep my feet cool after a long walk,” says one tester.
Therabody US
Therabody JetBoots Prime Compression Boots
In his detailed guide of the best compression boots, Forbes Vetted gear editor Cam Vigliotta praises the Therabody JetBoots for their adjustable settings, simple setup and portability (they easily fold into a lightweight bag so you can bring them to the gym, physical therapy appointments and more). While similar boots on the market feature even more customizability, the JetBoots’ range of compression levels justifies their price.
Kuru
Kuru Draft 2 Slippers
The Kuru Draft 2 Slippers are designed specifically to provide relief to those with chronic pain from plantar fasciitis: They feature thoughtfully incorporated cushioning around the arches to reduce strain and breathable materials to cool your feet. Check out Forbes Vetted’s list of the best slippers for plantar fasciitis for additional info on our best overall pick.
After a period of rigorous review in our tester’s humid Florida home, home and kitchen editor Kelly O’Sullivan deemed the Midea Duo the best portable air conditioner overall. The unit cooled a living room faster than other models, and at a relatively quiet noise level (around 52 decibels).
Litter-Robot
Whisker Litter-Robot 4 Litter Box
In her review of the best automatic litter boxes, executive strategy editor Lindsay Boyers chose the Whisker Litter-Robot 4 as her top pick after two years of testing with her three cats. One reason is its high-tech features (like its advanced laser-sensing system) that make it worth the steep price tag. It’s also odor-controlled, with a large waste drawer that doesn’t need frequent emptying.
canopy
Canopy Filtered Showerhead
The dermatologist-recommended Canopy Showerhead can filter up to 3,000 gallons of water for irritants like chlorine, mercury and chromium. “It was also super easy to install and immediately made my shower feel more luxe,” notes our tester—features that earned it a spot on our list of the best filtered showerheads.
A ribbed exterior and leather detailing are just some of the hallmarks of the Carl Friedrik Carry-On, our top stylish luggage pick. In addition to its trendy design, it has expansive front pockets for extra storage space.
Hardside suitcases that are both design-savvy and sturdy are hard to come by, which is why our testers loved the Monos Carry-On Pro Plus, our top hardside luggage pick. “I was impressed with its durability, size and thoughtful design details; the easy-access front compartment was a big time-saver as I went through security,” says one tester.
Sturdy polycarbonate meets steel aluminum frame in this sleek carry-on from Nobl—a stylish piece with enough packing room for up to seven travel days. Use code FORBES to take $125 off your purchase of two suitcases.
Tech and electronics editor Rebecca Isaacs crowned the 14 Plus the best Dell laptop overall, citing its powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, spacious 32GB of RAM and diverse array of ports (for USB-C, HDMI, USB-A outputs, plus headphones). With a 2.5K-resolution display, this one’s a must-grab for multi-taskers.
In her guide to the best wireless earbuds, Isaacs highlights the Apple AirPods Pro 2’s sleek design, crisp audio quality and robust noise-cancelling abilities. One of its unique features is Hearing Loss Detection, which is supplemented by an FDA-approved Hearing Aid mode should any signs of deterioration be discovered.
Our tester found that the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e offers the speediest printing times (about 35.6 seconds for a single-sided, six-page job) of all the machines they tested for our guide to the best all-in-one printers. Connect it to the HP Smart App to enable a whole host of features (like copying and scanning) from the comfort of your smartphone.
LED face masks can vary widely in their comfort level while wearing, which is why the Omnilux Contour stands out in the market. In our list of the best LED Face Masks, our testers praise its lightweight, snug feel against the face, with one remarking that her skin became “slightly more even and glowy” after months of consistent use.
If you’re looking for an at-home laser hair removal option within your budget, the RoseSkinCo. Lumi is a great value, according to our beauty editors’ list of the best laser hair removal devices. Despite its under-$200 price tag, the device has an easy-to-use design, six intensity levels and the promise of results in as little as three weeks (with correct usage).
With its proprietary ergonomic design, the Waterpik Cordless Advanced 2.0 is a favorite in our editors’ roundup of the best water flossers due to its portability. Its compact size, contoured grip and waterproof build make it great for travel—or for maneuvering it in and out of the shower.
Our pick for the best kids’ mattress overall hits all the marks of a top-notch sleep aid, from its hybrid construction forged from natural materials (like latex, wool and cotton) to its extra coils that give it durability and a medium-firm feel. “My 6-year-old son’s sleep has truly improved immensely since he started sleeping on it,” one of our testers adds.
After extensive review, our testers love how their little ones slept on the Naturepedic Organic Crib Mattress, our pick for the best crib mattress overall. Not only is it chemically safe (with a long list of certifications to back this up) and waterproof, but the mattress is also crafted for long-term use, featuring a firm side for infants and a softer side for toddlers.
Resistance to water and stains is just one of the perks our testers love about this mattress, our choice for the best value mattress for kids. Its 6-inch layer of memory foam ups its quality alone, as does its fiberglass-free construction. “I would consider buying this bed again if I had another child,” says one tester with a 3 1/2 year old.
Fourteen healthy TS participants (female = 7, age = 31.71 ± 8.20 years, right-handedness = 13) underwent MRI scans at four different machines (two at the University of Fukui, one at Osaka University, and one at Chiba University) over a three-month period. The study used the TS dataset from the Child Developmental MRI (CDM) project [5] to address measurement bias in each MRI machine. Participants with ADHD were recruited from hospitals of the University of Fukui, Osaka University, and Chiba University in Japan. Children with TD were recruited from the local community and assessed to ensure that none of them had developmental delays, received any special support education, or had a history of epilepsy or other psychiatric disorders. Participants with ADHD fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for ADHD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Participants in the current study participated in the experiments from 2014 to 2022. None of the participants had a history of severe head trauma, neurological illness, or potential for hazards associated with MRI examinations (such as the presence of metal on the body surface or internal structures, pregnancy, claustrophobia, or fear of the dark). The demographic data of the participants with ADHD and TD in each MRI machine are summarized in Tables 1 and S1.
Table 1 Demographic data of the participants.
MRI data acquisition
Participants were scanned with T1-weighted imaging at the University of Fukui, Osaka University, or Chiba University using a 3T GE Signa PET/MR scanner (General Electric HealthCare, Chicago, Illinois, USA; University of Fukui), 3T GE Discovery MR750 scanner (General Electric HealthCare; University of Fukui or Chiba University), or 3T GE Signa Architect scanner (General Electric HealthCare; Osaka University). The scanning parameters are provided in Table S2.
MRI analysis
The fully automated segmentation procedure implemented in FreeSurfer version 7.3.8 was used to estimate the gray matter volumes of the cortical and subcortical regions (http://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/). The structural data were obtained using a standardized processing pipeline. The analysis used the Desikan-Killiany atlas for classifying cortical regions (68 brain regions) and for segmenting subcortical regions (14 brain regions, such as thalamus, caudate, putamen, pallidum, hippocampus, amygdala, and accumbens). Details of the segmentation method are provided by Fischl et al. [19].
Harmonization methods
We followed the TS harmonization method reported by Yamashita et al. [5], which extends a general linear model harmonization using the TS dataset. Python was used to estimate the measurement bias of each MRI machine using the TS dataset and reduce measurement bias from the CDM dataset. We first utilized the TS dataset to calculate scanner differences using ridge regression. The model included dummy variables for both the 4 scanners and the 14 TS participants as follows:
Here, m signifies the measurement bias (4 machines × 1), and p signifies the TS participant factor (14 TS participants × 1).
There is no sampling bias in the TS participants, as participants across different MRI machines do not differ. The TS harmonization method only estimates variations between MRI scanners. Once we estimated the machine differences using the model above, we applied them to the CDM dataset to correct the measurement bias.
ComBat harmonization was also used to control measurement bias for comparison. ComBat was initially developed to correct the batch effect in genomics [20] and has recently been applied to MRI datasets [18]. ComBat corrects a type of multivariate dataset using an empirical Bayesian estimation approach and can be used to analyze datasets obtained using different scanning machines. In the current study, we used the module “neuroCombat” to correct structural brain data using Python [21]. We used ComBat harmonization in the TS dataset and CDM dataset individually. In the TS dataset, we included age, sex, and handedness as covariates for data correction. Whereas, in the CDM dataset, we included age, sex, handedness, and diagnosis (ADHD or TD) as covariates.
Measurement and sampling biases of different harmonization methods
To quantitatively investigate the validity of different harmonization methods in structural brain data, we calculated measurement biases, sampling biases, and disorder factors, following recommendations from Yamashita et al. [17]. We estimate the measurement and sampling biases using the following model:
where m represents the measurement bias (4 machines × 1), s represents the sampling bias of TD (3 sites × 1) and ADHD (3 sites × 1), d represents the disorder factor (ADHD × 1), and p represents the participant factor (43 participants with repeated measures × 1). We used ridge regression to calculate the parameters. We also assessed measurement bias and sampling bias by excluding or including participants as a random intercept in the model, detailed in the Supplementary Material. The brain structures were normalized for ridge regression. The model was tested on raw CDM data, TS-corrected CDM data, and ComBat-corrected CDM data to analyze measurement and sampling bias before and after harmonization. Measurement bias was calculated as the average of the effect sizes of the brain structures across different MRI scanners. The sampling biases in participants with TD and patients with ADHD were defined separately as the average effect sizes of the brain structures across different sites.
Statistical analyses
We used R (version 4.3.1; The R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) and Python (version 3.11.6; Python Software Foundation, Wilmington, DE, USA) for statistical analyses. First, we examined the necessity and validity of harmonization. We used a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) on the TS dataset to examine the necessity of harmonization. Additionally, we computed the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the harmonized structural brain of the TS dataset, a descriptive statistic that can be used when quantitative measurements are made on units organized into groups (the individuals in this study) to examine validity [22]. We compared the ICC among the raw, TS-corrected, and ComBat-corrected data of the TS dataset using ANOVA, followed by a post hoc test using Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference (HSD) method with family-wise error rate (FWE) correction. We subsequently adapted TS and ComBat to correct the brain structure data in 178 children with TD and 116 children with ADHD from the CDM project. We calculated the measurement and sampling biases for TD and ADHD and compared these biases among TS-corrected, ComBat-corrected, and raw data using ANOVA and a post hoc test using Tukey’s HSD method with FWE correction.
Additionally, we examined the association between brain structures and ADHD in CDM dataset. First, we adapted a linear mixed-effects model to examine the relationship between brain structures harmonized by TS and ADHD. We analyzed this model using the R-package “lmerTest”. For the mixed-effects model with a group (ADHD or TD) as the independent variable and brain structures as the dependent variable, we considered participants’ age, sex, handedness, intelligence quotient (IQ) measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), and intracranial volume of the brain as covariates. As some participants participated in the experiment multiple times, the subject ID (used to distinguish whether it was the same person) was modeled as a random effect. Raw brain structural data and brain structures harmonized using ComBat were also used in the mixed-effects model to compare children with ADHD and TD. Additionally, considering the differences in age, sex, and handedness between the ADHD and TD groups, we adapted the propensity score matching method to match the age, sex, and handedness of the TD group with the ADHD group (N = 94) by using the R package “Matching” with caliper = 0.25, and analyzed them similarly [23, 24]. Specifically, after matching, we conducted mixed-effects regressions to examine the differences between ADHD and TD, with group (ADHD or TD) as the independent variable and brain structures as the dependent variable, controlling for IQ and ICV as covariates. In the current study, for analyses involving brain structures, we applied false discovery rate (FDR) correction to 82 brain regions, 68 cortical regions and 14 subcortical regions, for multiple comparisons correction [25].
They are supposed to monitor you throughout the working day and help make sure that life is not getting on top of you.
But a new study has concluded that smartwatches can’t accurately measure your stress levels – and may think you’re overworked when really you’re just excited.
Researchers found almost no relationship between the stress levels reported by the smartwatch and the levels that participants said they experienced. However, recorded fatigue levels had a very slight association with the smartwatch data, while sleep had a stronger correlation.
Eiko Fried, an author of the study, said the correlation between the smartwatch and self-reported stress scores was “basically zero”.
He added: “This is no surprise to us given that the watch measures heart rate and heart rate doesn’t have that much to do with the emotion you’re experiencing – it also goes up for sexual arousal or joyful experiences.”
He noted that his Garmin had previously told him he was stressed when he was working out in the gym and when excitedly talking to a friend he hadn’t seen for a while at a wedding.
“The findings raise important questions about what wearable data can or can’t tell us about mental states,” said Fried. “Be careful and don’t live by your smartwatch – these are consumer devices, not medical devices.”
Fried said although there is a lot academic work looking for physiological signals that can act as proxies for emotional states, most aren’t precise enough. This is because there is an overlap between positive and negative feelings – for example, hair standing on end can signal anxiety as well as excitement.
Fried, an associate professor in the department of clinical psychology at Leiden University in the Netherlands, and his team tracked stress, fatigue and sleep for three months on 800 young adults wearing Garmin vivosmart 4 watches. They asked them to report four times a day on how stressed, fatigued or sleepy users were feeling before cross-referencing the data.
And the results, published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, found that none of the participants saw the stress scores on their watches meet the baseline for significant change when they recorded feeling stressed. And for a quarter of participants, their smartwatch told them they were stressed or unstressed when they self-reported feeling the opposite
The relationship with physical fatigue, described by Garmin as “body battery” was “quite a bit stronger than for stress but overall quite weak” said Fried. Garmin does not disclose the calculations it uses to work out the body battery score, though he suspected it was a combination of a pulse measurement and activity levels.
The relationship with sleep was stronger again, though Fried noted it measures sleep duration and tells us little about how well rested someone is, other than the fact there tends to be a relationship between how long you sleep and how well rested you feel.
There was a significant association between the Garmin and self-reported data for two-thirds of the sample for sleep. The researchers noted that in nearly all cases, if participants went from one day of self-reporting bad sleep quality, to another day with a good score, they could predict an increase in sleep duration on the Garmin of around two hours. “This is a really noticeable effect,” they said.
The research is intended to feed into an early warning system for depression, in which wearable tech users receive data that will help them receive preventive treatments before an episode begins.
So far, there are promising signs that lower activity levels could be a predictor, though Fried has been unable to identify whether this is because of exercise’s protective effect against depression or because people feel less energetic as their mental state deteriorates.
“Wearable data can offer valuable insights into people’s emotions and experiences, but it’s crucial to understand its potential and limitations,” said Margarita Panayiotou, a researcher at the University of Manchester, after reading the study.
“This research helps clarify what such data can reliably reveal and makes an important contribution to ongoing discussions about the role of technology in understanding wellbeing. It’s important to remember that wearable data does not necessarily represent objective truth and should be interpreted alongside broader context, including individuals’ perceptions and lived experiences.”
In iOS 26, Apple Music introduces playlist folders, bringing the same organizational power that’s long been available for photos and notes to your music collection. Whether you’re juggling workout mixes, seasonal soundtracks, or genre-specific selections, folders should be a welcome management tool for your most favored collections.
The feature works exactly as you’d expect – simply create the folder, rename it to suit the intended content, and you’ll be navigating your music library with newfound efficiency in no time. You can even nest playlist folders by mood, activity, artist, or whatever system that makes sense for how you actually listen to music.
How to Create a New Folder
Here’s how to create a playlist folder in the Music app:
In the Playlist section, tap the + icon at the top.
Choose New Folder… from the popup menu.
Give your new folder a name, then tap Create.
Move Playlists into a Folder
With your folder created, move in some playlists like so:
Long press on a playlist.
Choose Move to… from the popup menu.
Select the folder from All Playlists.
Tap the red Move button.
That’s all there is to it. Finally, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 bring a little more feature parity with the Music app on Mac.
Don’t forget, iOS 26 also introduces Music pins, allowing you to pin your most frequently accessed songs, playlists, albums, and artists directly to the top of your Library tab. iOS 26 is currently in beta, with a general release expected in September.
Lau Mo Sheung Grace of Hong Kong, China competes in the women’s kata final of Karate at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)
Lau Mo Sheung Grace wins historic women’s kata gold, delivering the first-ever women’s title and second overall medal of Hong Kong, China in World Games history.
CHENGDU, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — Lau Mo Sheung Grace of Hong Kong, China claimed the women’s kata gold in karate at the 2025 World Games here on Friday, delivering the Hong Kong delegation’s first gold in Chengdu and only its second in the World Games history – and its first-ever in a women’s event.
Lau’s flawless 45.3-point routine beat Japan’s Maho Ono for silver and Spain’s Paola Gacia Lozano for bronze.
“This gold medal was a promise to my grandmother, who passed away two weeks ago,” said the 33-year-old. “This world title makes it real – I am a world champion now.”
In the men’s kata final, Japan’s Kakeru Nishiyama took gold ahead of America’s Ariel Torres Gutierrez, with Alessio Ghinami of Italy earning bronze.
Drama struck in the women’s kumite -55kg semifinals when China’s Wei Yuchun saw a 9-1 lead over Ukraine’s Anzhelika Terliuga erased after a successful protest. The match was restarted from Terliuga’s original 1-0 lead, and Wei eventually lost, finishing fourth. Germany’s Mia Bitsch went on to win gold, beating Terliuga, while Chile’s Valentina Toro Meneses claimed bronze.
Wei Yuchun (R) of China fights against Anzhelika Terliuga of Ukraine in the women’s kumite -55kg semifinal at the World Games on Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Tenzin Nyida)
“Having all nine points stripped and restarting from 1-0 down – I’ve never experienced this,” Wei said, adding that she was still proud of outscoring the defending champion. “She was my idol as a child, and now I believe I can beat her.”
Also on Friday, Iran’s Sara Bahmanyar upset world No. 1 Moldir Zhangbyrbay of Kazakhstan for the women’s kumite -50kg gold, with Croatia’s Ema Sgardeli taking bronze.
In the men’s kumite -60kg division, Turkey’s Eray Samdan beat Japan’s Hiromu Hashimoto for gold, and Greece’s Christos Xenos secured bronze.
Morocco’s Said Oubaya beat Japanese Yugo Kozaki in the men’s kumite -67kg final to take gold, and Abdel Rahman Tayel Hayel Almasatfa of Jordan pocketed bronze. ■
HBO Max intends to aggressively crack down on password sharing. The company, which has given users the option to pay an additional $8 per month to share passwords outside the home will begin to make that fee mandatory starting in September.
The watch party is over for people who have been freeloading on their subscription to HBO Max.
Warner Bros. Discovery says it will begin to more aggressively going after people share passwords on a recent earnings call. People who insist on adding viewers outside of their household will be asked to pay an additional $7.99 per month.
That fee has actually been in place for a while, but the restrictions haven’t been strongly enforced. That ends at the end of August, said WBD Streaming Chief JB Perrette.
The company, Perrette said, has been testing for months to determine “who’s a legitimate user who may not be a legitimate user.” With that determined, he said, “we are putting the net in the right place, so to speak.”
Warner Bros. Discovery has been threatening a crackdown on password sharing for over a year. The enforcement will follow Netflix’s decision to put an end to password sharing in 2023 and a similar action in February 2024 by Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Disney CEO Bob Iger said the issue was “a real priority” in an earnings call with analysts in 2023.
Password sharing has become a problem for all streaming services and could cost the industry up to $25 billion a year, according to a Citibank report. Netflix said in 2022 that more than 100 million households are using accounts paid for by other people.
Crackdowns drive subscriptions, though. Netflix saw a big surge in sign-ups after it prohibited the sharing of user passwords. Subscriber growth in the quarter following the action saw 5.9 million new users, nearly three times what analysts had estimated.
Introducing the 2025 Fortune Global 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in the world. Explore this year’s list.
Grok will let advertisers pay to appear in chatbot suggestions. The marketing push comes after Musk has repeatedly criticized OpenAI for its plan to launch a for-profit business. Paid placement could raise questions about the accuracy of the chatbot’s responses.
Elon Musk is looking to monetize Grok. Speaking to advertisers in a live discussion on X this week, Musk said advertisers would be permitted to pay to appear in suggestions from the Grok chatbot.
“Our focus thus far has just been on making Grok the smartest, most accurate AI in the world and I think we’ve largely succeeded in that. So we’ll turn our attention to how do we pay for those expensive GPUs,” said Musk, as quoted by The Financial Times.
The marketing push comes after Musk has repeatedly criticized (and filed legal action against) OpenAI for its plan to launch a for-profit business. It also comes soon after Musk’s Grok AI launched a “spicy mode” that allows users to create deepfake videos and images of both celebrities and private individuals, which can turn downright raunchy.
It also raises questions about the accuracy of responses. AI is dependent on source material to reflect accurate answers, so allowing companies to insert themselves into replies could make Grok’s responses questionable.
“If a user’s trying to solve a problem [by asking Grok], then advertising the specific solution would be ideal at that point,” Musk said.
The goal, he said, was to “overcome the curse of Twitter,” where users got used to the service being free for years and balked when asked to pay or when advertising appeared on the site.
Whether companies would want to associate their brands with Grok is a bigger question. Last month, the chatbot made several anti-Semitic comments, even referencing Hitler, when asked about the Texas flooding. (The tech team says the issue has since been corrected.) Grok has even turned on Musk in the past. In January, when asked “Is Elon Musk a good person?,” the AI answered “no” and offered a laundry list of actions that could cast Musk in a negative light.
Introducing the 2025 Fortune Global 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in the world. Explore this year’s list.
Managing weight is crucial to maintaining cardiovascular health, according to study authors of research published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).1,2 In these studies, the authors discuss actionable guidance to manage obesity, therefore improving individual cardiovascular health. Amid a new era of obesity management, there is an “ever-expanding set of tools” that can be used to help patients navigate diagnosis and weight reduction and mitigate the risk of cardiovascular disease.1,2
Image credit: H_Ko | stock.adobe.com
Weight Management Strategies
Obesity is a chronic disease that affects over 1 billion adults worldwide. Across 3 decades, the rates of obesity in adults have doubled, and in children and adolescents, they have quadrupled internationally. Specifically, approximately 40.3% of US adults have obesity (defined as a body mass index [BMI] of ≥30 kg/m2), and 9.4% have severe obesity (BMI: ≥40 kg/m2).1
“Obesity remains a stigmatized condition, and clinicians should be aware that some individuals may experience discomfort with being weighed, abdominally measured, or talking about weight during a medical visit,” study author Michelle Kittleson, MD, PhD, director of education in Heart Failure and Transplantation and professor of medicine at Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai, said in a written interview with Pharmacy Times®. “Diagnosis is important as the first step to treatments, as addressing obesity can improve [heart failure] symptom burden, functional capacity, and quality of life.”
The newest generation of obesity medications are nutrient-stimulated hormone (NuSH) therapies, which represent a broad treatment category that targets metabolic pathways while helping to control the patient’s appetite. Current targets of FDA-approved NuSH therapies include glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonists.1,2
It is important to note that although BMI is an inexpensive, easily acquired, and readily reproducible metric that is strongly embedded in research and clinical practice, significant limitations remain because this measurement does not take into account excess adiposity, the location of said adiposity, or applicability to diverse populations. Therefore, additional assessments of certain anthropometric criteria (eg, waist circumference) may be necessary to identify clinical obesity. Despite this, current indications for currently available antiobesity medications rely on BMI as a measurement.
“Regarding diagnosis of HF, this is encouraging individuals to think outside the ‘BMI box’ for diagnosis of obesity, including consideration of fat distribution, muscle mass, or sex/racial differences,” study author Olivia N. Gilbert, MD, MSc, FACC, associate professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and vice chair of quality and service in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, said in the written Q&A.
Regarding pharmacological interventions, Kittleson explained there are FDA-approved, second-generation antiobesity medications, including orlistat (Xenical; H2 Pharma, LLC), phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia; Vivus, Inc.), and naltrexone/bupropion (Contrave; Currax Pharmaceuticals); however, these are reported to have minimal efficacy and are limited by adverse effects (AEs), notably in patients with HF. Conversely, third-generation agents such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy; Novo Nordisk) and tirzepatide (Zepbound; Eli Lilly) are more effective than lifestyle interventions and less risky than invasive procedures, with increasing evidence of cardiovascular benefit in individuals with HF with preserved ejection fraction.
Pharmacists Are Crucial in Helping Patients With Weight Management
In the implementation of solution sets for obesity management, pharmacists can collaborate in a multidisciplinary setting to ensure patients are educated and aware of potential adverse events, as well as adherent to treatments to gain the best outcomes. Outside of education, pharmacists can also help patients navigate insurance-related challenges or the prior authorization process. Above all, Gilbert emphasized that as insurance coverage expands, there is a greater opportunity for accessibility to broaden beyond weight management and be used for cardiovascular outcomes.
“There is a key role for pharmacists in managing cardiometabolic clinics. Cardiometabolic clinics could serve as a dedicated, multidisciplinary platform for the early detection, prevention, and comprehensive management of the interrelated conditions of obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic dysfunction,” Kittleson explained. “The role of the pharmacist would be to provide personalized treatment strategies, including lifestyle interventions, pharmacotherapy (such as titrating and tapering medications), and metabolic procedures, and provide structured follow-up to improve long-term outcomes.”
On the Horizon
There are some promising innovations coming up in the pipeline, said Kittleson and Gilbert. For instance, agents that are not only GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists but also glucagon receptor agonists, and these triple agonists may provide even more potent efficacy. Further, there are several novel agents that have dual and triple mechanisms of action that target other NuSH therapies that are currently undergoing development.1,2
Alongside pharmacological innovations, the need for guidelines is also required. In her paper, Gilbert emphasizes the benefits of Concise Clinical Guidance (CCG) documents and how they help fill the gaps for practical management of specific conditions, particularly in diseases in which none exist.1
“The intent [of CCGs] is to make the information accessible and digestible with an emphasis on figures, tables, and checklists. As the evidence base evolves, it is expected that information within a CCG may be further addressed in more comprehensive clinical practice guidelines,” said Gilbert.
REFERENCES
1. Gilbert O, Gulati M, Gluckman T, et al. Concise Clinical Guidance: An ACC Expert Consensus Statement on Medical Weight Management for Optimization of Cardiovascular Health: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee. JACC. Published online 2025, June 20. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2025.05.024
2. Kittleson M, Benjamin E, Blumer V, et al. 2025 ACC Scientific Statement on the Management of Obesity in Adults With Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology. JACC. Published online 2025, June 13. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2025.05.008
