President Donald Trump is taking action to reduce the price of drugs used for obesity and weight loss.
Trump revealed a new agreement with pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to make GLP-1 medications more affordable for those dealing with obesity.
According to the president’s plan, oral GLP-1 drugs will be priced at $149 per month for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, while other weight loss medication doses will be available for $245.
Typically, these innovative drugs can cost over $1,000 per month depending on market conditions.
“I call it the fat drug, remember?” Trump remarked to reporters, referencing previous comments he made about these medications.
The drug has gained popularity for its impressive weight loss results, with high-profile endorsements from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, who has touted its effectiveness in shedding pounds.
To date, George Santos remains the most prominent American political figure to have explicitly admitted taking Ozempic
The president praised the drugs for helping Americans lose weight and improve their health. He also spoke about people he knew who were on the medication.
President Donald Trump announces new lower prices on weight loss drugs during an event in the Oval Office
US President Donald Trump (C) speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC with pharmaceutical executives and cabinet members
‘You take any of this stuff Lutnick?’ Trump asked his Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
‘Not yet,’ Lutnick replied.
The president revealed that ‘Steve’ the ‘head of public relations for the White House’ also used the medication, a potential reference to White House communications director Steven Cheung.
The White House would not confirm Cheung’s use of the med.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised the president for making the drugs more affordable and available to Americans.
‘The American public, because of this agreement, will lose 125 million pounds by this time next year — so it is going to have dramatic effects on human health in this country,’ he said.
A senior Trump administration official told reporters that the president’s deal would help people both lose weight and reduce the costs associated with an obese lifestyle.
‘Over 40 percent of Americans have obesity it’s the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States and we spend over $300 billion directly on medical costs for obesity,’ the official noted.
‘Make no mistake, we’re in a war against obesity,’ the official added.
Patients eligible for the new price point include those with pre-diabetes, established cardiovascular disease, obesity with uncontrolled hypertension, kidney disease, heart failure, and severe obesity.
Oprah Winfrey has promoted the use of weight loss drugs like Ozempic for people struggling to lose weight
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during an event held by U.S. President Donald Trump
Medicare patients can expect to pay a co-pay of $50 under the new agreement, the official noted.
The president has been fixated on the high costs of anti-obesity drugs, frequently expressing his frustration that they cost more in the United States than they do overseas.
‘A friend of mine who’s a businessman — very, very, very top guy, most of you would have heard of him — a highly neurotic, brilliant businessman, seriously overweight, and he takes the fat shot,’ Trump told reporters at the White House in May.
Trump revealed that his friend told him that he purchased his anti-obesity drugs in London for $88, but when he was in New York, he was paying $1,300.
‘They’ve been justifying this crap for years,’ Trump said at the time, referring to pharmaceutical companies.
But now chief executives of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly were all smiles as they celebrated the new deal with the president.
‘We are standing here hand in hand as friends to have a common cause and the cause is to really provide access to millions of patients,’ Maziar Mike Doustdar, CEO of Novo Nordisk told the president.
