| If we had to come up with a health-related name for 2023, we would probably call it the Year of Ozempic. But it's a new year, and that means, well, new news. We polled the Bloomberg newsroom to find the themes most likely to dominate 2024. Will this be the Year of Crispr? Or drug-pricing reform? Here's what our journalists are anticipating:
US regulators just approved the first use of Crispr, the gene-editing technology. Now we'll see whether modifying DNA is a good business. While some 20,000 Americans with sickle cell disease are eligible for the first Crispr treatment, analysts expect that far fewer will actually get it in 2024. That's because having your genes edited isn't like taking a pill. It requires months of preparation and taking cancer drugs that can lead to infertility. The other big question is whether insurers will foot the bill for a treatment that costs over $2 million per patient. All of these are major questions as a long list of DNA-altering companies rush to bring their therapies to market. — Gerry Smith, biotech reporter
The big health story this year is going to be how SCOTUS's overturning of Roe v. Wade will impact the 2024 elections. Since the constitutional right to reproductive freedom was overturned, nearly two dozen states have imposed restrictions on abortion, impacting access to that type of care for millions of people. It's also mobilized voters advocating for state ballot measures to protect abortion rights. Seven states have already voted directly on abortion. All of those cases resulted in victories for pro-choice advocates. — Riley Griffin, national health reporter The health insurance industry faces a slew of challenges this year. While private Medicare Advantage plans have powered profits for years, the US is tightening rules for payments, promising to make the business less lucrative. Big insurance companies that have spent years buying clinics, pharmacies and other services firms may have their vertical integration strategies tested by more restrictive reimbursements. Finally, employers are pressing for more accountability on where their health care spending is going. — John Tozzi, insurance reporter
The weight-loss drug race is heating up. How will Novo Nordisk maintain its edge in a market that more and more drugmakers are getting into? Will Zepbound supplant Wegovy as the bestselling weight-loss drug? There's likely to be a flurry of corporate mergers and acquisitions as more drugmakers throw their hats in the ring. I'll also be watching what happens with insurance coverage as more states begin to cover GLP-1 drugs through Medicaid, and other payers face mounting pressure to begin covering them. — Madison Muller, pharma reporter We should all be paying attention to how companies respond to the demands of health-care workers in 2024. Last year was marked by escalating tensions between US companies and employees, from months of Hollywood strikes to pharmacy walkouts at CVS and Walgreens. The health-clinic chain workers weren't associated with a union, and weren't asking for more pay; they were demanding better working conditions. We often don't appreciate pharmacists' important role in the drug-supply chain, but their employers are certainly paying more attention now. — Fiona Rutherford, FDA and pharmacy reporter
The government's price negotiations with drugmakers is going to be a big story this year. In 2023, the US government released the first list of drugs for which Medicare will be able to negotiate prices. Now, the federal health insurer has until Feb. 1 to send an initial offer to drugmakers for each medicine that was selected. It's the start of a new era, in which the US, like many other countries, will be able to haggle over drug prices. — Nacha Cattan, pharma reporter
The rollout of disease-slowing Alzheimer's drugs will come into clearer focus this year, as a second drug from Eli Lilly is expected to be approved and compete with Eisai's Leqembi. Medical centers will have to devise protocols to use the complex regimens safely. Like Madison, I'm also eager to follow the story of obesity treatments. We'll get a much better sense of whether the GLP-1 boom is a fad or a revolution. — Robert Langreth, senior health reporter
In 2024, there will be more focus on the FDA's inability to police the many products it oversees. From lead-tainted cinnamon applesauce to cancer-causing CPAP machines and substandard generic drugs, the agency's track record will be scrutinized closely going into next year. That means there will be interest in more independent testing for food and drugs where the agency now relies on the word of manufacturers. — Anna Edney, senior health reporter Stay tuned for the latest on all of this (and more!) in Prognosis in 2024. — Kristen V. Brown and Cynthia Koons | 
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