Methylene Blue has moved from being a niche compound discussed mainly in research circles into something people interested in brain health and longevity are actively paying attention to. Not because it promises miracles. But because the underlying mechanisms are biologically interesting and grounded in cellular energy, specifically how mitochondria function. If you care about cognitive performance long term, you eventually end up talking about energy metabolism inside brain cells. That’s where Methylene Blue enters the discussion. This article looks at Methylene Blue as a longevity compound for brain health and cellular energy     , and why some researchers think it may also connect to long-term metabolic health.

Methylene Blue and the Brain: Starting at the Cellular Level

Brain performance depends on energy availability. Neurons consume large amounts of ATP, the molecule responsible for cellular energy transfer. When ATP production drops, people may notice slower processing speed, poor focus, or mental fatigue.

Methylene Blue appears to act directly on mitochondrial function, specifically the electron transport chain involved in energy production. Research suggests the compound may help mitochondria operate more efficiently by assisting electron transfer during oxidative phosphorylation. That means more consistent ATP production under certain conditions.

According to research summarized on AgelessRx¹, Methylene Blue can enter compromised mitochondria and support energy production pathways that may otherwise slow with age or oxidative stress.

That matters because mitochondrial decline is often associated with:

• Brain fog
• Reduced cognitive resilience
• Slower memory formation
• Neurodegenerative risk factors

Instead of acting as a stimulant in the traditional sense, Methylene Blue is being studied as a metabolic enhancer, potentially improving how brain cells generate energy rather than forcing activity through neurotransmitter manipulation.

Cognitive Enhancement Through Mitochondrial Support

Many nootropics focus on neurotransmitters like dopamine or acetylcholine. Methylene Blue takes a different path.

Research indicates² that improved mitochondrial efficiency may influence:

• Synaptic plasticity
• Neural signaling efficiency
• Cerebral blood flow
• Oxygen utilization in brain tissue

Instead of pushing the brain harder, the compound may help optimize energy use at the cellular level.

For people experiencing mental fatigue, poor focus during prolonged tasks, or difficulty sustaining cognitive performance, targeting mitochondrial function can be appealing because it addresses underlying energy availability rather than symptoms alone.

Methylene Blue Benefits Dosage: Why Protocol Matters

One of the biggest mistakes people make when researching methylene blue is assuming more is better. That approach misses how dose-dependent the compound appears to be.

Low doses are often discussed for potential cognitive or metabolic support. Higher doses historically served medical uses such as treatment for methemoglobinemia, an FDA-approved indication.

Several factors influence how dosing strategies are structured:

• Body weight
• Medication interactions
• Individual metabolic response
• Clinical supervision

AgelessRx outlines structured protocols where methylene blue capsules are typically taken with medical oversight, rather than daily high dosing.

Why does this matter?

Because mitochondrial signaling can follow a hormetic response curve, meaning lower amounts may support adaptive processes, while excessive exposure could produce the opposite effect.

Another common mistake: using liquid dye forms sourced outside medical channels. Capsules avoid staining issues and allow more consistent dosing accuracy.

Historical Context: Why Researchers Keep Studying This Compound

Methylene Blue is not new. Synthesized in the late 1800s, it has been used medically for more than a century and appears on the World Health Organization’s essential medicines list due to its established therapeutic uses.

That long history means scientists already understand many aspects of its pharmacology, which lowers barriers to exploring new applications.

Research areas continue to include:

• Neuroprotection
• Age-related cognitive decline
• Mitochondrial dysfunction
• Oxidative stress modulation

Laboratory studies suggest Methylene Blue may act as both an antioxidant and a redox cycling agent depending on concentration and cellular context.

That dual behavior is one reason longevity researchers remain interested.

Memory, Focus, and Mental Clarity: What Mechanisms Are Proposed?

Several mechanisms are frequently discussed when evaluating cognitive enhancement potential:

1. Improved ATP Availability

Higher cellular energy availability may support sustained neural activity. Neurons require constant energy supply, and mitochondrial inefficiency is linked with cognitive fatigue.

2. Increased Cerebral Blood Flow

Some studies suggest improved oxygen delivery to brain tissue, which may support memory processes and executive function.

3. Reduced Neuroinflammation

Inflammatory signaling in the brain is associated with mental fog and slower processing speed. Early research indicates Methylene Blue may influence inflammatory pathways, though outcomes vary depending on context.

4. Oxidative Stress Modulation

Oxidative damage accumulates with aging. Compounds that interact with mitochondrial redox processes may help maintain cellular balance.

These mechanisms do not guarantee outcomes. But they provide a biological explanation for why some individuals report improved clarity or focus during structured protocols.

How Methylene Blue Compares to Traditional Nootropics

Traditional nootropics often target neurotransmitter pathways directly, caffeine increases alertness through adenosine receptor activity, while racetams influence glutamate signaling.

Methylene Blue differs because its primary action appears metabolic.

According to AgelessRx discussions² comparing the compound to standard cognitive enhancers, the potential advantage lies in supporting underlying cellular processes rather than temporarily altering brain chemistry.

This difference may explain why some people describe effects as subtle but stable instead of fast and dramatic.

Mitochondria, Brain Health, and Long-Term Metabolic Function

Brain health and metabolic health are not separate topics.

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a role in:

• Insulin signaling
• Inflammatory pathways
• Cellular aging processes

If a compound influences mitochondrial efficiency, researchers naturally explore broader metabolic implications.

For example:

• Improved cellular respiration may help cells respond better to metabolic stress.
• Enhanced energy utilization may support resilience against age-related decline.

That doesn’t mean Methylene Blue directly treats metabolic disorders. But mitochondrial health sits at the intersection of brain function and systemic longevity discussions.

Methylene Blue Capsules: The Science Behind Energy, Focus, and Neuroprotection

One thing often overlooked when discussing compounds like Methylene Blue is sourcing and clinical oversight. The difference between pharmaceutical-grade formulations and unregulated alternatives is significant, not just in purity but in dosing precision. AgelessRx structures access through licensed providers who evaluate candidates before prescribing and provide monitored protocols rather than open-ended use. The capsules are produced through certified pharmacy channels and designed for consistent absorption without exposure issues that liquid forms may introduce. That combination, authenticated sourcing plus physician-guided titration, reduces the risk of people experimenting blindly with dosages while allowing individuals interested in cognitive longevity strategies to follow structured guidance backed by medical review.

Mitochondrial Support as a Cognitive Strategy

Methylene Blue sits at an interesting intersection between neuroscience and metabolic biology. Instead of targeting a single neurotransmitter, the focus shifts toward energy production, the foundation that allows brain processes to function efficiently.

For individuals exploring methylene blue capsules as part of a longevity approach, the discussion should stay grounded in realistic expectations:

• Potential support for mitochondrial function
• Possible improvements in memory or focus for some individuals
• Structured dosing protocols under medical supervision

The bigger takeaway is that cognitive enhancement may not always be about pushing the brain harder. Sometimes the conversation turns toward helping cells produce energy more effectively, and that’s where Methylene Blue continues to attract scientific attention.

1-https://agelessrx.com/methylene-blue-for-energy-longevity-a-deep-dive/

2-https://agelessrx.com/methylene-blue-vs-traditional-nootropics-what-you-need-to-know/

Anti-abortion protesters listen to President Donald Trump as he speaks at the 47th annual March for Life in Washington, DC on January 24, 2020.

Olivier Douliery | Afp | Getty Images

Voters in seven out of 10 states this week approved ballot measures protecting abortion rights, a hot-button issue that helped keep Americans turning out at the polls.

But President-elect Donald Trump's victory early Wednesday could make access to the procedure more vulnerable and uncertain across the U.S., health policy experts warned, leaving the reproductive well-being of many women at stake.

Trump has waffled considerably on his stance on abortion, most recently stating that he would not support a federal ban and would like to leave the matter to the states. But Trump and his federal appointees could further restrict federal abortion through methods that do not require Congress to pass new laws.

“The more restrictions on abortion are imposed over the next four years, the worse the health consequences will be. People are suffering and dying needlessly,” said Katie O’Connor, senior director of federal abortion policy at the National Women’s Law Center.

Abortion access in the U.S. has declined in the two years since the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade overturned and abolished the federal constitutional right to trial is already in flux – a decision Trump has taken credit for since reshaping the court. Last year, more than 25 million women ages 15 to 44 lived in states with more restrictions on abortion than before the court's ruling in 2022, according to PBS.

Experts say the Trump administration's continued crackdown on abortion could endanger the health of many patients, particularly those with lower incomes or people of color.

“As long as we have a government that is not fully committed to abortion access for all who seek it, there will be chaos and confusion on the ground about what is legal and what is available,” O'Connor said. “It will contribute to the ongoing crisis in health care access that we see with abortion.”

It is unclear what Trump's actions on this issue might be. There is little public support for Congress to pass nationwide abortion bans, according to a June poll conducted by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. At least 70% of Americans oppose a federal ban on abortion or a ban on the procedure after six weeks.

If Trump decides to restrict access, experts say that could include restricting the use of medication abortions, especially if they are performed via telemedicine or delivered by mail.

According to a March study by the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion access, medication is the most common method of terminating a pregnancy in the U.S., accounting for 63% of all abortions in the U.S. last year.

Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The decades-old Comstock Act

According to Julie Kay, co-founder and executive director of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, a Trump administration could severely restrict or ban medication abortion by enforcing an interpretation of the long-defunct Comstock Act.

The law, passed in 1873, makes it a federal crime to send or receive drugs or other abortion-related materials by mail. It was not widely enforced for decades.

National Women's Strike is holding a protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Monday, June 24, 2024, to mark the second anniversary of the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade.

Bill Clark | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images

Trump's administration could use the law to block and prevent doctors from shipping and distributing abortion pills and potentially all medical devices used in abortion procedures, such as dilators and suction catheters, according to Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the US hospital to perform abortions in hospitals Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics.

To pass it, Trump would have to appoint an anti-abortion attorney general, which would require Senate confirmation.

The Biden administration claims that the provisions of the Comstock Act are outdated. Trump said in August he had no plans to enforce the Comstock Act.

But anti-abortion advocates and people close to Trump, including his vice presidential running mate, Vice President-elect JD Vance, have called for the opposite. Some of Trump's former advisers also support using the Comstock Act to restrict abortion pills in their conservative policy proposal, Project 2025. This also applies to every major anti-abortion organization in the country.

There would likely be legal resistance to any attempt to enforce it, O'Connor noted.

This issue could end up in the Supreme Court, whose justices have been open to the idea that the Comstock Act could ban abortions. Earlier this year, Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas repeatedly invoked the Comstock Act during oral arguments in a medication abortion case.

Appointing anti-abortion actors to key positions in government agencies

Trump could also appoint anti-abortion leaders to control key federal agencies that could use executive power to severely restrict or ban the procedure in the US. These include the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Justice.

“These authorities have been instrumental in clarifying and protecting as much as possible when it comes to abortion rights in a post-Dobbs world,” said Kelly Baden, vice president of policy at the Guttmacher Institute, referring to the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade.

Trump and his political appointees at the FDA could direct that agency to sharply restrict or possibly eliminate access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used in a common medication abortion regimen.

In 2023, abortion opponents clashed with the FDA in a legal dispute over the agency's more than two-decade-old approval of the drug. In June, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the lawsuit against mifepristone, siding with the Biden administration, meaning the commonly used drug could remain widely available.

Mifepristone and misoprostol pills are pictured on Wednesday, October 3, 2018, in Skokie, Illinois.

Erin Holey | Chicago Tribune | Tribune News Service | Getty Images

But Trump's FDA appointees could push to reverse certain changes made from 2016 to 2021 that expanded access to mifepristone. This could include reintroducing requirements that would require in-person dispensing of mifepristone, which would effectively prevent access to the pill via telemedicine.

Telehealth has become an increasingly common way to access abortion bills, accounting for nearly one in five of them in the final months of 2023, according to a research project published in May by the Society of Family Planning.

Restricting telemedicine as an option would have an “incredibly chilling effect” on abortion access, said Alina Salganicoff, senior vice president and director of women's health policy at KFF, a health policy research organization.

“We are likely to see more people having to travel to states where abortion is banned, more delays in seeking medical care, and the possibility that more of them will actually be denied that care because of it “It’s difficult to do the procedure in person,” she said.

New FDA leaders could also try to take a more extreme approach: revoking the approval of mifepristone altogether. Both strategies would ignore significant scientific research supporting the safe and effective use of mifepristone in the United States, experts said.

Trump vaguely indicated in August that he wouldn't rule out ordering the FDA to cut off access to mifepristone. Just days later, Vance attempted to walk back those comments.

Trump's comments appear to be a departure from his stance in June, when the former president said during a CNN debate that he would “not block” access to mifepristone.

Revive old rules, gut Biden's

At a minimum, Trump could reinstate some of the policies implemented in his first term that made access to abortion more difficult and undo some of the Biden administration's efforts to expand access.

Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., left, points out states with restricted reproductive rights as Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, and Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., hold the map during a news conference about reproductive rights at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

Bill Clark | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images

Trump could reinstate a so-called “domestic gag rule” that he introduced in 2019 and that the Biden administration reversed in 2021.

The rule prohibited providers who are part of the federally funded Title X Family Program from referring patients for abortion care or providing counseling that includes abortion information. title

Guttmacher's Baden said the rule has “decimated” Title X's network of family planning clinics and limited its ability to serve low-income patients. She said those clinics are “still recovering from this.”

“I see no reason to believe he wouldn’t reinstate this rule in the first 100 days,” Baden said.

Baden said a Trump administration could also quickly roll back some of Biden's executive orders, memoranda and other efforts aimed at protecting and expanding access to reproductive health services.

A person walks past a CVS Pharmacy in Manhattan, New York, on November 15, 2021.

Andrew Kelly | Reuters

CVS Health reported mixed third-quarter results on Wednesday as higher medical costs weighed on its bottom line. The earnings report is CEO David Joyner's first at the helm of the troubled drugstore chain.

The company expects increased medical costs to continue to weigh on its performance this year, “and therefore we are not providing a formal outlook at this time,” a spokesperson told CNBC.

“Building credibility and earning the trust of our investors is one of my top priorities as the new leader of CVS Health,” Joyner said in a statement. “To achieve this, any guidance we provide should be achievable and provide clear opportunities for outperformance. That is a fundamental principle for me.”

CVS won't provide formal 2025 guidance until next year, when the company has a better view of its changing membership base and medical cost base for 2024, CFO Tom Cowhey said during a conference call Wednesday.

Wall Street's confidence in CVS has fallen this year after it cut full-year forecasts for three straight quarters, sparking pressure from an activist investor to turn around the business.

The company's shares are down nearly 27% for the year as higher medical costs at its health insurance unit Aetna hit profits, driven by seniors returning to hospitals to undergo procedures they needed during the Covid-19 pandemic. pandemic had postponed.

“While the entire industry saw increased utilization due to the pandemic, we were hit harder than others,” Joyner said. “Our top priority remains ensuring the stability of the company.”

Also on Wednesday, CVS named a new president for Aetna, effective immediately: Steve Nelson, the former CEO of health care giant UnitedHealthcare, a division of United Health Group. Joyner and Nelson are tasked with convincing investors that CVS can get back on track and better manage higher-than-expected costs.

Meanwhile, the company's longtime chief executive, Prem Shah, will take on a new, expanded role, overseeing the company's retail pharmacy, pharmacy benefits and health care businesses, CVS said.

Shares of CVS rose more than 10% on Wednesday.

Here's what CVS reported for the third quarter compared to Wall Street's expectations, based on an analyst survey from LSEG:

• Earnings per share: $1.09 adjusted vs. $1.51 expected
• Revenue: $95.43 billion versus expected $92.75 billion

When CVS announced Oct. 18 that Joyner had succeeded former CEO Karen Lynch, the company also said it had conducted a strategic review that included layoffs, writedowns and the closure of 271 additional retail stores. Those moves came in addition to a plan announced in August to cut spending by $2 billion over the next few years, which would involve cutting nearly 3,000 jobs, or less than 1% of the workforce.

CVS reported third-quarter revenue of $95.43 billion, up 6.3% from the same period last year, driven by growth in its pharmacy business and insurance division.

The company reported third-quarter net income of $71 million, or 7 cents per share. In comparison, net income in the year-ago period was $2.27 billion, or $1.75 per share.

Excluding certain items such as amortization of intangible assets, restructuring charges and capital losses, adjusted earnings per share for the quarter were $1.09. That's in line with the estimate the company provided last month.

Adjusted and unadjusted earnings also included a charge of 63 cents per share, or $1.1 billion, from so-called insurance premium deficiency reserves related to expected losses in the fourth quarter of 2024.

This refers to a liability that an insurer may need to cover if future premiums are not sufficient to cover expected claims and costs. Premium deficit reserves “are effectively an acceleration of future losses and shift the revenue cadence between the third and fourth quarters,” a spokesperson told CNBC.

CVS expects these premium deficit reserves to be “substantially released” in the fourth quarter, which will benefit its results in that period. The spokesman said CVS does not expect to record a premium deficiency provision for 2025.

However, if medical costs continue to rise, Cowhey said the company could see another charge related to expected losses in 2025, which would “further weigh on” results this year.

CVS also recorded third-quarter restructuring charges of 93 cents per share, or $1.17 billion. That includes $607 million for additional store closures in 2025 and $293 million related to layoffs.

Pressure on the insurance unit

CVS's insurance business reported revenue of $33 billion in the quarter, up more than 25% from the third quarter of 2023. The division reported an adjusted operating loss of $924 million for the third quarter.

The insurance unit's medical benefit ratio – a measure of total medical costs paid relative to premiums collected – rose to 95.2% from 85.7% a year ago. A lower ratio typically indicates that a company has collected more in premiums than it has paid out in benefits, leading to higher profitability.

CVS's health services segment generated revenue of $44.13 billion in the quarter, down nearly 6% from the same quarter in 2023.

This unit includes Caremark, one of the nation's largest pharmacy benefit managers. Caremark negotiates drug discounts with manufacturers on behalf of insurance plans, creates lists of drugs – or prescription lists – covered by insurance, and reimburses pharmacies for the cost of prescriptions.

CVS' health services division processed 484.1 million pharmacy claims in the quarter, down from 579.6 million in the year-ago period.

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The company's pharmacy and consumer wellness division reported third-quarter revenue of $32.42 billion, up more than 12% from the same period last year. This unit dispenses prescriptions at CVS's more than 9,000 retail pharmacies and provides other pharmacy services such as vaccinations and diagnostic testing.

CVS said the increase was due in part to increased prescription volume. Reimbursement pressure from pharmacies, the introduction of new generics and lower store volume, also due to a smaller number of branches, weighed on the unit's sales.

In a statement, Joyner said CVS's share of the retail pharmacy market was at 27.3%, an all-time high.

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Packs of syringes of the drugs Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro in a shop in Mitte, Germany, July 11, 2024.

Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

All doses of Novo NordiskThe wildly popular weight loss drug Wegovy and the diabetes drug Ozempic are now available in the United States, according to an update to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's drug shortage database on Wednesday.

This is a sign that Novo Nordisk's efforts to increase supply of these weekly medications are starting to pay off as demand continues to skyrocket in the US

According to an earlier update, the lowest dose of Wegovy – 25 milligrams – was still in short supply.

Several doses of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, have been on the FDA's shortage list since early 2022.

Wednesday's update suggests the FDA could remove the blockbuster shots from its shortage list entirely, which could prevent manufacturing pharmacies from making customized and often cheaper versions of these brand-name drugs.

In a statement, Novo Nordisk said all doses of Wegovy and Ozempic will be shipped to wholesalers on a regular basis. The Danish drugmaker said the FDA's update was the result of the company's significant investments in expanding production capacity and “continuous communication” with the agency.

Still, Novo Nordisk said patients may not always be able to fill their prescriptions immediately at a particular pharmacy, even if a drug is listed as available.

“Our deliberate approach to gradually increase supply in the US market is working,” Novo Nordisk said. “We will continue to prioritize continuity of patient care and closely monitor market dynamics while prescribing trends.”

It comes a week after Novo Nordisk asked the FDA to stop compounding pharmacies from making unapproved versions of Wegovy and Ozempic, arguing that the drugs are too complex for those manufacturers to produce safely.

Earlier this month, the FDA removed the active ingredient tirzepatide from the market Eli LillyThe weight loss drug Zepbound and the diabetes drug Mounjaro were removed from the shortage list. But a trade group representing some drug makers sued the FDA, prompting the agency to say it would reconsider its decision to remove tirzepatide from its shortage list.

The exterior view of the entrance to Merck headquarters in Rahway, New Jersey, on February 5, 2024.

Spencer Platt | Getty Images

Merck reported third-quarter revenue and adjusted earnings on Thursday that beat expectations as the company posted strong sales from its top-selling cancer drug Keytruda, recently launched treatments and its animal health business.

But Merck's vaccine, which prevents cancer caused by HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S., posted another quarter of lower-than-expected sales. Sales of the Gardasil vaccine fell 11% compared to the same period last year.

The pharmaceutical giant lowered its full-year revenue forecast to a range of $63.6 billion to $64.1 billion from a previous forecast of $63.4 billion to $64.4 billion.

Merck also cut its adjusted earnings forecast to a range of $7.72 to $7.77 per share, from a previous forecast of $7.94 to $8.04 per share. This updated outlook reflects a one-time charge of 24 cents per share related to business development agreements with Curon Biopharmaceutical and Daiichi Sankyo.

Shares of Merck fell nearly 3% on Thursday.

Here's what Merck reported for the third quarter compared to Wall Street's expectations, based on an analyst survey from LSEG:

• Earnings per share: $1.57 adjusted vs. $1.50 expected
• Revenue: $16.66 billion versus expected $16.46 billion

Merck posted third-quarter net income of $3.16 billion, or $1.24 per share. In comparison, net income in the year-ago period was $4.75 billion, or $1.86 per share.

Excluding acquisition and restructuring costs, Merck earned $1.57 per share in the three-month period.

The company reported third-quarter revenue of $16.66 billion, up 4% from the same period last year.

The findings come as Merck is making significant progress in preparing for Keytruda's patent expiration in 2028. Losing exclusive rights to the drug will likely lead to a decline in sales and force the company to draw revenue from other sources.

Merck has a handful of new deals and major drug launches in its books that will help it offset those losses. This includes Winrevair, a drug approved in the US in March to treat a progressive and life-threatening lung disease.

And Capvaxive, a vaccine designed to protect adults against a bacteria called pneumococcus that can cause serious illness and lung infections, was approved in the U.S. in June.

The company's pipeline of late-stage drugs has nearly tripled in the past three years or so to more than 20 unique products, Merck CEO Rob Davis said during a conference call Thursday.

He said this will lead to a significant number of drug and vaccine launches over the next five years, most of which have “blockbuster-plus potential”. Blockbuster drugs generate at least $1 billion in annual sales.

Pharmaceutical unit beats estimates

Merck's pharmaceutical division, which develops a wide range of drugs, posted third-quarter sales of $14.94 billion, up 5% from the same period last year.

The company's immunotherapy drug Keytruda posted revenue of $7.43 billion in the quarter, up 17% from the year-ago period. Analysts had expected Keytruda sales of $7.33 billion, according to StreetAccount estimates.

This increase was due to higher uptake of Keytruda in early-stage cancers and strong demand for the drug against metastatic cancers that spread to other parts of the body.

Gardasil had sales of $2.31 billion. Merck said the decline was primarily due to lower demand in China compared to the same period last year. This was partially offset by higher sales in the US

That's below the $2.51 billion analysts were expecting, according to StreetAccount.

Davis said the company is “heavily focused” on the China market and is moving forward with its commercialization partner Zhifei to increase Gardasil promotional and patient education efforts.

“We expect these efforts will result in increased patient activation and demand, but as we said, this will take time,” Davis said.

Davis said Merck was confident in Gardasil's long-term prospects given that less than 10% of the eligible population worldwide has been vaccinated. The company expects to reach its goal of global Gardasil sales of $11 billion by 2030.

After approval in March, Winrevair reported third-quarter revenue of $149 million. Analysts had expected sales of $127 million.

About 1,700 people received a Winrevair prescription during the quarter, bringing the total number of new patient prescriptions since the drug's launch to 3,700, Merck CFO Caroline Litchfield said during the call. The company estimates that about 80% of these patients receive the actual drug.

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The company's type 2 diabetes drug Januvia posted sales of $482 million, down 42% from the same period last year. Merck said the decline was primarily due to lower drug prices in the U.S. as well as competition from generics in several countries.

According to StreetAccount, analysts had expected sales of $610 million.

Januvia is one of 10 drugs that are the subject of ongoing Medicare pricing negotiations, a policy aimed at making expensive drugs more affordable for seniors. Those price negotiations, a key provision of President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, will end in early August.

Sales of Merck's antiviral Covid pill Lagevrio also fell 40% to $383 million in the quarter.

However, according to StreetAccount, this beat analysts' expectations with revenue of $124.2 million.

Merck's animal health division, which develops vaccines and medications for dogs, cats and cattle, posted third-quarter sales of $1.49 billion. This is 6% more than in the same period last year and is slightly above the expectations of analysts surveyed by StreetAccount.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump attend a campaign rally sponsored by the conservative group Turning Point USA in Duluth, Georgia, United States, on October 23, 2024.

Carlos Barria | Reuters

Former President Donald Trump said Sunday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s proposal to remove fluoride from the U.S. water system “sounds fine” to him, a position that contradicts the advice of health officials.

“Well, I haven't talked to him about it yet, but it sounds fine to me. They know it's possible,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News' Dasha Burns when asked about Kennedy's proposal.

Kennedy wrote on X on Saturday: “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.”

Trump also said that Kennedy would play a large role in shaping public health policy in any Trump administration.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoride occurs naturally in almost all water sources and some is added to public water to prevent tooth decay.

“The safety and benefits of fluoride are well documented and have been extensively reviewed by multiple scientific and public health organizations,” says a post on the CDC website.

The American Dental Association says 70 years of research supports the safety and effectiveness of adding fluoride to water, a process known as community water fluoridation.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the fluoride remark.

Kennedy is also a known vaccine skeptic who has helped spread false conspiracy theories about public health. When asked by NBC News whether a “ban on certain vaccines would be considered” if Trump were president and Kennedy was in his administration, Trump left the door open.

“Well, I'll talk to him and other people and make a decision, but he's a very talented guy and has strong views,” Trump said.

The science on fluoride and water fluoridation is clear. But Trump's doubts, and the questions they could raise among voters about what public health might look like in a Trump White House, underscore a serious challenge for the Trump campaign in its final days: staying on message.

Last weekend, insult comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of trash,” something the Trump campaign distanced itself from.

Those comments dominated the news cycle for several days until President Joe Biden appeared to call Trump supporters “trash” before later saying that wasn't what he meant.

Republicans argue that voters are not paying attention to every controversial statement from Trump and his allies this week and are instead focusing on the larger issues in the race.

“Voters in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina are all talking about crime and unemployment,” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“They’re talking about the border. You're talking about 70,000 Americans losing their lives to fentanyl. They don’t talk about fluoride.”

The Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Development Center at Cambridge Crossing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Wednesday, December 27, 2023.

Adam Glanzman | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Bristol Myers Squibb on Thursday reported third-quarter earnings and sales that beat Wall Street expectations thanks to its blockbuster blood thinner Eliquis and a drug portfolio that the company promises will drive long-term growth.

The pharmaceutical giant also raised its full-year sales forecast and expects sales to increase by around 5%. Bristol Myers previously said it forecast revenue growth in the “high end” of low single digits.

The company also raised its adjusted 2024 earnings forecast to 75 cents to 95 cents per share, up from a previous forecast of 60 cents to 90 cents per share.

The results come as Bristol Myers seeks to cut costs by $1.5 billion by the end of 2025 and put that money into key drug brands and research and development programs. The company said in April that this would include laying off more than 2,000 employees, shutting down some drug programs and consolidating its locations, among other things.

The company's shares rose more than 4% on Thursday.

Here's what Bristol Myers reported for the third quarter compared to Wall Street's expectations, based on an LSEG analyst survey:

• Earnings per share: $1.80 adjusted vs. $1.49 expected
• Revenue: $11.89 billion versus expected $11.28 billion

Bristol Myers had third-quarter net income of $1.21 billion, or 60 cents per share. By comparison, net income in the year-earlier period was $1.93 billion, or 93 cents per share.

Excluding certain items, the company reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.80 for the quarter.

The pharmaceutical giant's sales rose 8% to $11.89 billion compared to the same period last year.

The increase is due to Eliquis and the company's so-called growth portfolio, which includes a cancer drug called Opdivo. However, sales were partially offset by leukemia drug Sprycel, which faces generic competition due to its loss of exclusivity.

The company is preparing to offset lost sales of top-selling drugs that will lose market exclusivity, including Eliquis, Opdivo and Revlimid, a blood cancer drug.

Sales of Eliquis could also take a hit in 2026 when a new price for the drug goes into effect for certain Medicare patients following negotiations with the federal government. The first round of these price talks, a key provision of President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, concluded over the summer.

Notably, during the quarter, the Food and Drug Administration approved Bristol Myers Squibb's highly anticipated schizophrenia drug Cobenfy. It is the first novel treatment for the debilitating, chronic mental disorder in more than seven decades.

Eliquis, new drugs record growth

Eliquis reported revenue of $3 billion in the quarter, up 11% from the same period last year. That was above the $2.84 billion analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount estimates.

The blood thinner Bristol Myers shares Pfizeris expected to lose its market exclusivity by 2028.

Revlimid posted revenue of $1.41 billion, down 1% from the same period last year. That beat analysts' revenue expectations of $1.11 billion for the treatment, according to StreetAccount.

More CNBC Health coverage

Revenue from the company's growth portfolio was $5.8 billion in the third quarter, up 18% from the same period last year.

This was driven in part by higher demand for anemia drug Reblozyl, which brought in $447 million in the third quarter, up 80% from the same period last year. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected the treatment to bring in $435 million in sales.

Advanced melanoma treatment Opdualag, lymphoma treatment Breyanzi and Camzyos, a drug for certain heart diseases, also helped boost growth portfolio sales in the third quarter, the company said.

According to StreetAccount, Breyanzi and Camzyos posted revenue above analysts' expectations, while Opdualag fell short of estimates.

Opdivo posted third-quarter revenue of $2.36 billion, up 4% from the same period last year. This was below analysts' estimate of $2.41 billion for the quarter, according to StreetAccount.

Meanwhile, Abecma, a cell therapy for a rare blood cancer called multiple myeloma, posted revenue of $124 million in the quarter. Analysts had expected sales of $110 million.

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Stacey Wescott | Chicago Tribune | Tribune News Service | Getty Images

Abbott Laboratories Shares jumped on Friday after Club Holding secured a surprise victory in a test over the safety of its infant formula for premature babies.

The “Wegovy” brand weight loss syringe is sold in the Achat Pharmacy in Mitte. The “Wegovy” slimming injection has been available in Germany for a year.

Jens Kalaene | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

A version of this article first appeared in CNBC's Healthy Returns newsletter, which brings the latest health news straight to your inbox. Subscribe here to receive future editions.

Happy Thursday! It seems like new research emerges every week that shows additional health benefits of the weight loss drug Wegovy.

This time, Novo NordiskThe blockbuster treatment helped relieve knee pain in patients with a type of arthritis and obesity, according to a study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study was funded by Novo Nordisk, which is conducting several studies on the other possible treatment uses of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy.

The results of the 68-week study could be a big deal for the Danish drugmaker: They could pave the way for regulatory approval of semaglutide to treat osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that causes the cartilage and bone in your joints to break down with the be dismantled over time.

It would be a further expansion of the accepted uses for the blockbuster drug.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is the most common type of arthritis, affecting about 33 million people in the United States. The condition is not a normal part of aging, but is common in adults ages 45 and older.

So how is the disease related to obesity? The risk of developing the disease is four times higher in people with obesity, said the study's lead author, Dr. Henning Bliddal, director and research professor at the Parker Institute in Denmark, in a statement.

Losing weight can help relieve symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, but maintaining these lifestyle changes can be challenging, Bliddal said. There are also not very many other effective treatments for the condition.

“There is a significant need for non-surgical and sustainable treatment options for people with obesity-related osteoarthritis,” Bliddal added.

Let's take a closer look at the trial.

These included around 400 patients with knee osteoarthritis. Participants were on average 56 years old and approximately 80% of the cohort were women, who suffer from osteoarthritis more often than men.

Patients received either a weekly injection of semaglutide or a placebo for 68 weeks. Everyone also received instructions on how to stick to a low-calorie diet and integrate exercise into their everyday lives.

Patients with osteoarthritis who dieted, exercised and took semaglutide lost more weight and reported greater reductions in knee pain than those who lost weight through diet and exercise alone. At the end of the study, participants who took semaglutide lost an average of nearly 14% of their body weight, or about 33 pounds, compared to just 3% for participants who received a placebo.

Changes in body weight were also associated with a reduction in pain, measured using a specific index that rates it on a scale of 0 to 100. On average, patients in the study started with an average pain score of 70.9.

Those who took semaglutide reported a significant reduction in pain – an average decrease of about 42 points – while those in the placebo group saw an average decrease of 27.5 points.

However, it is unclear whether semaglutide will have this benefit for all patients, such as those who are mildly obese or overweight. Most of the people participating in the study had a high BMI, so researchers need to extrapolate the results to other populations.

Feel free to send tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Annika at annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com.

Medicare Advantage is now a battleground on two fronts

Private Medicare Advantage plans have become a major source of conflict between major insurers – and it's now playing out on two fronts.

For one thing, they're fighting with the government over stricter quality ratings, creating a headwind for profits, while health insurers are seeing higher medical costs for their older members.

This creates a second problem: a battle royale between the major MA players and the hospitals where much of the increased spending occurs.

UnitedHealth is fighting on both fronts, suing the government over downgrading its plans' star quality ratings while raising a red flag against hospitals it says are “aggressively” upgrading their patients and thereby driving up medical costs.

Hospital operators Community Health, HCA and Tenet Health addressed what they called “more aggressive” pushbacks from some payers in their respective earnings calls.

Collective bargaining has become so acrimonious that more hospitals are threatening not to accept some providers' Medicare Advantage plans.

With more than half of seniors now on private Medicare Advantage plans, this combative trend could lead to increasing disruptions to their coverage.

Feel free to send tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Bertha at bertha.coombs@nbcuni.com.

Latest Technology in Healthcare: Change Health breaches affected at least 100 million Americans

UnitedHealth Group's Change Healthcare broke a grim record last week: It officially became the largest healthcare data breach ever reported to federal regulators.

At least 100 million Americans were affected by the Change Healthcare cyberattack, according to an updated figure posted on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' privacy portal. The previous record was set by Anthem in 2015, when hackers compromised data on 78.8 million patients.

The number is roughly consistent with the estimate UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty told lawmakers in May, when he estimated that about a third of Americans were affected. The company began sending written notices to affected individuals in late July.

Change Healthcare offers payment and revenue cycle management tools for medical providers and payers, as well as other solutions such as electronic prescription software. In February, UnitedHealth announced that a cyber threat actor had breached part of the company's IT network.

UnitedHealth shut down the affected systems when the threat was detected, and the disruption caused a ripple effect across the U.S. healthcare sector. Many doctors were temporarily unable to fill prescriptions or get paid for their services, and some providers withdrew thousands of dollars from their savings to keep their doors open.

In the months following the breach, UnitedHealth paid a $22 million ransom to the hackers, struggled to bring systems back online and confirmed that files containing personal information were compromised in the attack.

The exact type of data exposed in the breach varies from person to person, according to UnitedHealth's website. This means that a mix of patient contact information, health insurance information, medical records, and billing and payment information could be accessed.

UnitedHealth is offering two years of free credit monitoring to protect against identity theft to people who believe they may be affected. Patients can contact a dedicated call center to inquire about these offerings or speak with a doctor who can offer them emotional support, the company said.

Patients should also watch for suspicious activity on their tax returns and benefit statements, as well as bank and credit card statements, according to UnitedHealth's website.

Feel free to send tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Ashley at ashley.caroot@nbcuni.com.