President Donald Trump’s Thursday announcement of sweeping price reductions for popular weight-loss drugs in the Oval Office was briefly overshadowed when a health emergency occurred among the attendees.
Gordon Findlay, an executive with Novo Nordisk, appeared to faint during the event, prompting White House staff to usher the press out and Fox News to cut the live feed. Later reports confirmed that Findlay was “okay,” and the network indicated coverage would resume once the presser continued.
Despite the disruption, Trump’s message on affordable medications remained clear. Flanked by HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., and executives from major pharmaceutical companies including Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Novartis, the president announced dramatic reductions in the cost of weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound. Wegovy, formerly priced at over $1,000 per month, will now cost $250 per month, while Zepbound will drop to $346.
Trump highlighted the significance of the deal during his remarks. “Eli Lilly and Novartis will offer Zepbound and Wegovy for American patients, slashing the price from $1,350 a month to ultimately $250 a month. $1,350 to $250. Did I do a good job? They will not write about it. Do you think Biden could have done this? I don’t think so,” Trump said, underscoring the achievement as a milestone for affordability in American healthcare.
A man just had a medical emergency in the Oval Office and fortunately Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Dr. Oz was in attendance.
Oz immediately jumped into action to render aid and President Trump stood up to make sure he was ok.
Greatest administration of all time. pic.twitter.com/TLyJMyp2Of
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) November 6, 2025
He further explained that future oral GLP-1 weight-loss drugs under development will be capped at $149 per month. “It’s a massive, think of that, you go from $1,300 to $149. We anticipate new versions will be coming out in a very short period of time. All these drugs will be available directly to the consumer at trumprx.gov. They wanted to use my name. It turned out to be amazing,” Trump said, emphasizing direct access for Americans.
Medicare and Medicaid patients will also benefit from the initiative, with copays potentially as low as $50 per month. Trump called the reductions “tremendous savings” for seniors and highlighted the contrast with previous costs, stating, “You will remember what I had one eighth of 1 percent for the year and I was so thrilled. Now we’re cutting it 1,000%, 1,200%, nobody has seen anything like this before.”
The Oval Office gathering drew attention not only for the health emergency but also for its demonstration of Trump’s focus on healthcare affordability. By negotiating lower costs with pharmaceutical companies, Trump aimed to make effective weight-loss treatments accessible to millions of Americans struggling with obesity.
Despite the brief interruption, the announcement was framed as a major win for consumers, seniors, and Medicare beneficiaries. Trump’s remarks reflected his administration’s commitment to reducing costs in areas where government programs and private insurers often fall short. The price reductions for Wegovy, Zepbound, and upcoming GLP-1 oral medications mark a significant intervention in the pharmaceutical market, offering relief to patients who previously faced prohibitive costs for these widely used therapies.
The event underscored Trump’s ongoing focus on healthcare policy and his willingness to leverage relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers to deliver tangible results for Americans, even as unexpected disruptions briefly captured the spotlight.
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