President Donald Trump is taking steps to make anti-obesity and weight loss medications more affordable. He recently unveiled a deal with pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to significantly reduce the prices of GLP-1 drugs for those battling obesity. According to the agreement, oral doses of GLP-1 medications will be priced at $149 a month for Medicare and Medicaid recipients, while other weight loss drugs will cost $245. Typically, these innovative treatments can exceed $1,000 per month, varying with market conditions.

During a press briefing, Trump humorously referred to these medications as “the fat drug,” recalling his previous remarks. These drugs have gained fame for their remarkable weight loss results, with celebrities like Oprah Winfrey endorsing them as effective weight management solutions. Among American political figures, George Santos is notably the most prominent to have openly acknowledged using Ozempic.

The president commended the drugs for their role in helping Americans shed pounds and enhance their health. He also mentioned acquaintances who use these medications. In a light-hearted exchange, Trump asked Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, “You take any of this stuff, Lutnick?” To which Lutnick responded, “Not yet.” The president also hinted that “Steve,” the head of public relations at the White House, uses the medication—a likely 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. 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.