A pharmaceutical executive collapsed in the Oval Office Thursday as members of the Trump administration were announcing a new deal for weight-loss medications.
The man was standing behind President Donald Trump during the event when his knees appeared to suddenly buckle underneath him. Reporters initially identified the man as Novo Nordisk executive Gordon Finlay however the company later denied that it was him.
Reporters who witnessed the incident first-hand said Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, helped the executive to the ground, preventing the man from hitting his head. As reporters were ushered out of the Oval Office, Cabinet members attended to the man, elevating his legs.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: “During the Most Favored Nations Oval Office Announcement, a representative with one of the companies fainted. The White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is okay. The Press Conference will resume shortly.”
Thursday’s press conference featured executives from drug makers, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which have worked with the administration on a deal to make weight loss medications, known as GLP-1s, more affordable.
Under the deal, the drug makers will expand access to their popular obesity medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound, by offering them direct-to-consumers on TrumpRx, the government website expected to launch next year.
The oral version of the medications is expected to be offered for as low as $149 per month, once approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The injectable GLP-1 medications will drop to $245 per month for patients on Medicare or Medicaid who utilize them to treat medical conditions such as diabetes that have already been approved by the FDA.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised the deal for giving those who cannot afford the drugs a chance to utilize it.
“Obesity is a disease of poverty. Overwhelming, and these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth,” Kennedy said.
Dr. Oz projected that by this time next year, he expects Americans to collectively lose “135 billion pounds.”
