STAT+: Democrats press White House on who got special access to Eli Lilly’s new obesity drug

Democratic lawmakers are questioning the White House regarding special access granted in April to Eli Lilly's experimental obesity drug, retatrutide. The lawmakers are seeking to determine if the recipient of the drug, a 79-year-old patient with refractory obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and pulmonary hypertension, is President Trump or another prominent figure. STAT reported on Tuesday that both Eli Lilly and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided the drug to this patient through the FDA's "compassionate use" program. This program is designed to offer experimental treatments to patients facing serious and immediately life-threatening medical conditions. The specific details of the patient's identity and the circumstances surrounding their access to the drug are the focus of the lawmakers' inquiry, highlighting concerns about equitable access to novel medical therapies.