EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health and former White House COVID-19 response coordinator, joined 12 News at 4 to talk about health care trends and predictions for 2025.
Injectable weight-loss drugs
Jha told 12 News anchor Kim Kalunian that he expects to see more Americans using GLP-1s — injectable drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy — to lose weight in 2025.
“They’re very, very safe … they help people have less heart disease, diabetes, lots of benefits,” he said. In addition, insurance companies are starting to cover these treatments, which he says will bring costs down.
Opioid crisis
In an op-ed for The Boston Globe, Jha said that the opioid crisis is finally “turning a corner,” as the year-over-year number of opioid deaths in the United States has begun to decrease.
He credited more available treatment for substance abuse disorder, as well as safe injection sites like the one in Providence, with helping turn the tide. He also touted a new, non-addictive pain medicine that could get approved by the FDA in the coming year…