Nov 11 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly (LLY.N), opens new tab is dropping CVS Health’s (CVS.N), opens new tab drug benefit plan for its employees after CVS stopped covering its weight-loss drug in favor of a rival medication from Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), opens new tab, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Beginning on January 1, Lilly employees covered by the company’s medical plan will be automatically enrolled with pharmacy benefit coverage through pharmacy benefit manager Rightway, according to a document viewed by Bloomberg.
Sign up here.
CVS in May said its Caremark pharmacy benefit management unit had decided to drop Lilly’s weight-loss drug Zepbound as a preferred product from its reimbursement list from July 1 and that it will retain rival Wegovy after negotiating more favorable pricing for Novo Nordisk’s medicine, adding that will make the drug more affordable for patients.
CVS spokesperson David Whitrap told Reuters that while the company won’t comment on specific clients, Caremark’s overall client retention remains in the high 90% range year after year, adding that it offers options that covers both Zepbound and Wegovy, but “this option is costlier for plan sponsors than our standard commercial formulary that excludes Zepbound.”
“Our move earlier this year to negotiate Lilly and Novo against one another drove significant savings for our clients,” Whitrap added.
Eli Lilly and Rightway did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the Bloomberg report.
Novo faces increasing competition from Lilly’s Zepbound and compounded copycat drugs in the weight-loss drug market.
Wegovy and Zepbound are the only highly effective GLP-1 weight-loss drugs sold mainly in the U.S. as weekly injections.
Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal and Dheeraj Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
British adults with diabetes overwhelmingly favor simple, adaptable eating patterns over rigid low-calorie meal replacements, highlighting that personal choice may be key to long-term adherence and better health outcomes.
SINGAPORE, Nov. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Real-time translator app Owll Translator has released a new update that introduces a host of workflow and user experience improvements to make app use even faster, more intuitive, and more…
There could be tug of war under the Christmas tree this year owing to the growing trend of adult toy collectors, a rundown of the season’s must-haves suggests.
Singing Wicked 2 dolls, manga-themed Lego, a Pokémon game and a mini-fridge playset are among the items on the annual DreamToys selection that experts say are as likely to feature on the wishlists of adults as children.
In recent years, the industry has been bolstered by the passions of “kidults” (buyers aged 12 and over) who spend their spare cash on expensive Lego sets and collectible figurines. This group is behind £1 in every £3 spent on toys in the UK.
Almost half of adults (43%) have bought a toy for themselves or another adult this year – a figure that rises to 76% among gen Z (aged 18 to 28) shoppers, according to figures from the data company Circana.
After several difficult years, encouragingly, data from January to the end of June showed that toys for children grew 6%, the strongest performance in years.
“It’s a double success story,” said Melissa Symonds, the UK toys director at Circana. “We’re seeing children rediscover the joy of play while adults are embracing it as a form of self-care, nostalgia and fandom. That combination is keeping the market vibrant and relevant.”
Given the recent strong run, gift retailers were feeling optimistic about the all-important Christmas period but there is now concern that tax rises in the autumn budget could hit spending.
However, Symonds argued the toy market was different: “Toys don’t always follow the general economic trends because they are part of the joy economy.”
Toys are also relatively affordable, she said. Last December, the average selling price for a toy was £13.43, with the £10-20 range accounting for a third of sales.
Paul Reader, the chair of the DreamToys selection panel at the Toy Retailers Association, said it had been an “incredible” year for the sector. “We are in seriously positive territory … and optimistic that the momentum is going to follow into Christmas.”
“There is a strong sense that we are going to have less disposable income coming out of the budget,” he said, adding that the list could help consumers “make informed decisions about what we believe are the best toys this Christmas”.
People were starting to think about how much they would spend and it was “too early” to tell what impact the budget would have. “The magic of Christmas is always going to be there and parents and grandparents all work hard to make sure it is enjoyable for the whole family,” said Reader.
The cheapest toy on the DreamToys list is a £13 Dress to Impress doll spun out of the hit fashion game on Roblox. The most expensive is a £120 Lego ship inspired by the Japanese anime series One Piece.
A new Lego collaboration with hit Japanese manga One Piece will let fans build the Going Merry Pirate Ship at home. Photograph: James Manning/PA
With the highly anticipated sequel out next week, there is expected to be feverish demand for all things Wicked including the £35 singing Elphaba and Glinda dolls that make the list.
Characters from film and TV loom large. There is a £30 interactive Evie Pig (baby sister to Peppa) and an £80 Stitch soft toy that has 100 sounds and reactions.
One of the most unusual entries is the £20 Fill the Fridge playset. However, it ticks two boxes: it taps into the viral “fridge restocking” trend as well as the popularity of collectibles that make up just over a fifth of all toys sold.
DreamToys list 2025
Dress to Impress Mystery Model Dolls – £12.99
Gui Gui Shimmer deluxe pack – £19.99
Hot Wheels Racing F1 Grand Prix circuit – £79.99
Human Controller – £34.99
Jurassic World Primal Hatch T-Rex – £64.99
Marshmallow Madness – £19.99
Fill the Fridge playset – £19.99
Monster Jam Smash & Bash Grave Digger – £49.99
Lego One Piece: the Going Merry Pirate Ship – £119.99
Peppa Pig Oinks & Snuggles Evie doll – £29.99
Pokémon Trading Card: Mega EvolutionElite Trainer Box – £54.99
Researchers have long established that hormones significantly affect the brain, creating changes in emotion, energy levels, and decision-making. However, the intricacies of these processes are not well understood.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents an escalating healthcare burden across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region; however, system-level preparedness remains…
• Get NBA League Pass TODAY • NBA All-Star 2026: Complete coverage
NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) today announced a new U.S. vs. World format for the 2026 NBA…
ROME (Reuters) – Millions more people risk famine in at least a dozen crisis spots around the world, including Sudan and Gaza, two UN agencies warned on Wednesday, appealing for funds to address a shortfall amid…
