The HCPFive: Top News for Healthcare Providers from the Week of 03/29

Welcome to The HCPFive, your go-to roundup for the latest healthcare news and breakthroughs, curated specifically for busy healthcare professionals.

Each week, we highlight 5 key developments or headlines from healthcare that you need to know—whether it's a cutting-edge treatment, regulatory updates, or innovations shaping the future of medicine. This week's top stories include the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label expansion of 2 cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator regimens and approval of Lilly’s orforglipron (Foundayo) for adults with obesity or overweight with weight-related medical problems, an indirect analysis comparing weight loss with oral semaglutide (Wegovy) versus orforglipron (Foundayo), new Clinical Practice Guidelines from the American Society of Hematology on the diagnosis and management of severe and very severe acquired aplastic anemia, and phase 3 VALOR trial data on brepocitinib in adults with dermatomyositis who had failed multiple prior treatments.

With The HCPFive, you'll get the essential takeaways to stay informed and ahead of the curve. Here’s your quick dive into the top stories for the week of March 29, 2026—let’s jump in!

FDA Expands CFTR Modulator Labels, Covering ~95% of US Cystic Fibrosis Patients

On April 1, 2026, the FDA approved label expansions for a pair of CFTR modulator regimens, vanzacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (Alyftrek) and elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (Trikafta), broadening eligibility to an estimated 95% of people with CF in the United States. The expanded indications now encompass any CFTR gene variant resulting in production of CFTR protein, in addition to variants previously identified as clinically or in vitro responsive.

FDA Approves Orforglipron (Foundayo) As First Daily GLP-1 Pill Without Food, Water Restrictions

On April 1, 2026, the FDA approved Lilly’s orforglipron (Foundayo) for adults with obesity or overweight with weight-related medical problems. When used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, orforglipron helps individuals lose excess body weight and keep the weight off. In the ATTAIN-1 clinical trial, adults taking orforglipron lost an average of 27 pounds on the highest dose.

Of note, the once-daily small molecule (non-peptide) oral glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist can be taken any time of the day without restrictions on food and water intake.

Indirect Analysis Suggests Greater Weight Loss With Oral Semaglutide vs Orforglipron

On April 2, 2026, Novo Nordisk announced a population-adjusted indirect comparison presented at the Obesity Medicine Association 2026 found greater mean weight loss with oral semaglutide (Wegovy) than with orforglipron (Foundayo) in adults with obesity or overweight and at least 1 weight-related comorbidity, both without diabetes. The analysis, which came the day following orforglipron’s FDA approval for obesity, also suggested lower odds of treatment discontinuation due to adverse events, particularly gastrointestinal events, with oral semaglutide.

ASH Publishes Guidelines on Diagnosis and Management of Severe and Very Severe Acquired Aplastic Anemia

The American Society of Hematology (ASH)’s new Clinical Practice Guidelines on Diagnosis and Management of Severe and Very Severe Acquired Aplastic Anemia (AA) outline 33 recommendations and 4 good practice statements for children and adults. The document focuses on tools to improve diagnosis and treatment decisions, including expanded use of specialized blood and genetic tests, personalized initial treatment based on age and availability of a fully matched donor, the addition of eltrombopag to standard immunosuppressive therapy to improve blood cell counts, and earlier transition to second-line treatments after initial immunosuppression for patients who do not respond or relapse.

“It’s critical to definitively diagnose individuals with aplastic anemia to ensure that they are promptly connected to appropriate treatment,” said Phil Scheinberg, MD, head of the division of hematology at Hospital Beneficência Portuguesa Hospital in São Paulo, and chair of the ASH 2026 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Severe and Very Severe Acquired Aplastic Anemia. “We hope these guidelines will not only improve patient outcomes but also expand access to diagnostic testing and catalyze broader global access to transplant and immunosuppressive therapies.”

VALOR: Brepocitinib AAD Data Support Priority Review for Dermatomyositis

Brepocitinib, an investigational oral therapy targeting TYK2 and JAK1 produced rapid, sustained improvements in global disease activity, skin disease, itch, and physical function in adults with dermatomyositis who had failed multiple prior treatments, prompting the FDA to grant the therapy Priority Review with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date in the third quarter of 2026. The new data from the phase 3 VALOR trial were published March 28, 2026, in the New England Journal of Medicine and simultaneously presented as a late-breaking abstract at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting held in Denver, Colorado, from March 27-31.