The HCPFive: Top News for Healthcare Providers from the Week of 08/17

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) approval of Ionis Pharmaceuticals’ donidalorsen (DAWNZERA) for hereditary angioedema (HAE) attack prevention, Orphan Drug Designation granted to Crinetics Pharmaceuticals’ atumelnant for the treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, real-world data on semaglutide’s impact on healthcare resource utilization in the context of heart failure, phase 2 data for RE104 in postpartum depression, and research suggesting a link between metabolic syndrome and Parkinson’s disease risk.

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 August 17, 2025—let’s jump in!

FDA Approves Donidalorsen to Prevent Hereditary Angioedema Attacks

On August 21, 2025, the FDA approved Ionis Pharmaceuticals’ donidalorsen (DAWNZERA), an RNA-targeted medicine, to prevent HAE attacks in adults and children aged 12 years or older. The decision follows an Orphan Drug Designation in 2023 and is supported by pivotal data from the phase 3 OASIS-HAE and OASISplus trials, along with findings from the ongoing phase 2 OLE trial.

FDA Grants Atumelnant Orphan Drug Designation for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

On August 21, 2025, the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation to Crinetics Pharmaceuticals’ atumelnant, an investigative treatment for congenital adrenal hyperplasia, based on positive topline results from the phase 2 TouCAHn trial demonstrating rapid, substantial, and sustained reductions in key biomarkers across all doses, including up to an 80% mean reduction in androstenedione.

Semaglutide Reduces Medical Costs, Healthcare Resource Utilization in Heart Failure

Findings from a real-world analysis of Komodo Healthcare Map data suggest use of semaglutide 2.4 mg incurs lower medical costs and inpatient resource utilization among patients with overweight or obesity and heart failure compared with those who did not receive the GLP-1 receptor agonist. Specifically, semaglutide treatment was associated with 28% lower all-cause medical costs, 55% lower inpatient hospitalization costs, and 42% lower inpatient visit rate, a key driver of the lower costs observed with semaglutide.

RE104 Reduces Postpartum Depression Symptoms by Day 7 in Phase 2 RECONNECT

On August 19, 2025, Reunion Neuroscience announced the phase 2 RECONNECT trial met its primary endpoint, with RE104 providing a significant reduction in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) from baseline to day 7 in patients with postpartum depression.

“Despite its prevalence and severity, current treatment options for PPD remain limited and are often slow-acting and burdensome, leaving many new mothers without timely, effective care,” said lead investigator Anita H. Clayton, MD, Wilford W. Spradlin Professor and Chair of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, in a statement.

Dyslipidemia, Other Metabolic Syndrome Factors May Raise Parkinson’s Disease Risk

A larger waistline and higher blood pressure, among other factors connected to metabolic syndrome, may be associated with an increased risk of Parkinson disease, according to findings from a recent study. After adjusting for age, smoking status, physical activity and genes that increase the risk of Parkinson disease, investigators found people with metabolic syndrome were about 40% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those without the syndrome.