STAT: 79-year-old given special access to Eli Lilly obesity drug
STAT reports that Eli Lilly and the FDA granted compassionate-use access in April to retatrutide, the company’s experimental next-generation obesity drug, for a single 79-year-old patient. The application was arranged by a senior NIH physician and approved by the FDA to treat refractory obesity complicated by obstructive sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension. STAT did not identify the patient, and the one-off exemption spotlights questions about equity, regulatory oversight, and safety when powerful unapproved weight-loss therapies are provided outside clinical trials.
EXCLUSIVE: Eli Lilly gave compassionate use access to retatrutide, their unapproved powerful obesity drug, to a 79-year-old man in April. The application was arranged by a top doctor at NIH, and cleared by the FDA. www.statnews.com/2026/06/23/e...
Lizzy Lawrence1170Sources told STAT that application drew interest from top health officials. Given the demographics and the peculiar nature of the application, I asked the WH if this patient was President Trump, who turned 80 a week ago. I did not get a direct answer.
Mr. Skeets391C’monnnnn, previously unknown side effects
Douglas Natelson284Anyone want to bet that there will be another story about special access to unapproved Alzheimer’s treatments?
A humble marshmallow208The words “patients with serious and immediately life-threatening medical issues” in the article gives me hope 😊
Laminariales91Not that Trump would have to follow any rules in our stupid lawless John Roberts country, but sleep apnea is one of the conditions treated by retatruide/GLP-3, and Trump certainly seems like he has it.
Our Lady of Perpetual Disappointment61Compassionate use when there are other effective weight-loss drugs available? What else does it do?
Gutt “EPSTEIN” Levy50Everybody buy a lottery ticket, here’s the first time “Trump” and “compassionate” have ever appeared in the same story
Laura Kinsale48What, can’t he afford Zepbound?
Mary Kate Killilea45I support every experimental drug be tested by the President first.
Wesley32Could the "serious and immediately life-threatening medical issue" (legal requirement) be, by chance, an aortic aneurysm?
Dirk Straun30By chance are side effects bruised hands & swollen ankles?
Neelie27He’s not entitled to privacy around his health.
𝘚𝘒𝘐𝘗 𝘐𝘕𝘛𝘙𝘖26The White House physician confirmed in writing that Trump is 6’3” and 238 lbs which is 0.25 below the BMI of 30 for obesity. The physician’s report suggests Trump’s BMI is 29.75. Everything about this administration is either fake or criminal, or both.
Kristen Simplicio20There is ongoing research into whether GLP1s can prevent Alzheimer’s. Just saying.
Veronica R. MSW, LICSW18Well if he's taking it, it's not working.
POWERFUL CRAB FART🦀16Congrats to our very special, very dying president
bewareofthephog.bsky.social15I don’t think it’s working.
Wes Allen15Trump talks constantly about "his friend" who is taking "the fat drug".
Apparently, a major side effect is that the gastrointestinal side effects disappear when nearby decorative objects are painted gold.
Mo Latno Bill Phelan12Is it administered through the back of the hand?
casssax.bsky.social10Is it injected in the back of the hand?🤚
lurkerbluesky.bsky.social9Hilarious...he got Regeneron and now this drug first...but hey vaccines don't work.... What a complete joke...more corruption
Anonymous Canadian 🇨🇦8What, it’s not just sauerkraut? They told everyone they were just eating a lot of sauerkraut.
erinsheehyhunt.bsky.social7Hmmm..would that 79-year-old man now be an 80-year-old man??
Domenica7Well that’s one way of testing it’s effectiveness. Which we can conclusively say is none.
klynnc.bsky.social5It doesn't appear to be working.
PolittleCat 🐸5"Compassionate use is “usually reserved for terminal illness,” said Ard, who has consulted with drug companies, including Lilly. ...Angela Fitch, chief medical officer of the obesity clinic knownwell, also said she’d never heard of Lilly offering its obesity drugs early via compassionate use."
Plain White Rapper5Family member works for Lilly - the GLP-1s cannibalize fat AND muscle. But this one supposedly BUILDS MUSCLE, which will make this drug a next-level block buster. Compassionate use means FREE. It can be approved w the right signatures. Lilly is a flat org, no one has decision power except the CEO.
sassiesmom.bsky.social5Side effects include sleeping in meetings more than usual
luigivercotti.bsky.social5That’s…weird. Trump isn’t that obese, Retatrutide can take almost 30% of body weight. That kind of weight loss in an 80 year old ain’t great.
D Gulley 💙🇺🇸🇺🇦4Seriously why can’t all over age of 65 or covered by Medicare be considered for compassionate use? Medicare does not cover any treatment for weight loss. ZERO! All the hype of lowering cost doesn’t help if your insurance doesn’t cover the treatment. People on fixed income can’t afford $100+\mo.
marty2025.bsky.social4Doesn't he have congestive heart failure or some such thing? Reta has some pretty well documented cardiac effects, including increased HR and arrythmia. That'd be a high risk RX for him
Special K4What is the president’s "serious or immediately life-threatening disease or condition,” which is the only available reason for compassionate use according to the FDA?
Newt4Eli Lilly? Compassion? The company that applies roughly a 1000% markup on the insulin they manufacture? Compassion?
Barbara Banfield4Trump could have easily obtained Zepbound without this “compassionate use” bs. He could afford to pay whatever it costs. But clearly he isn’t currently taking it.
Anthony Citrano3Wow 👀 - I hope STAT has great web infra because this story is probably going to get the Drudge/Reddit “hug of death”. What a scoop. (Yes, I realize we don’t know who it was, but the totality of the circumstances does make it seem likely.)
PolittleCat 🐸3"Drugmakers are required to publicly announce the existence of a compassionate use program. They will often do so by issuing press releases or posting descriptions on their website. "
🦊 🩵🐦⬛ Fox & Crow, for Bartleby Endeavors 🎥3To the world’s biggest compassionate man, known worldwide for his compassion, goes a compassionate use exemption for a drug pending approval.
L3Boy that name is a minefield if you try to say it fast, can't wait for Trump to start fielding questions about it.
spartychemist.bsky.social3as someone who works in clin supply and trials these requests are common. What is not cool is trying to identify the patient even if it may be president
JudithFlanders3OMG: look at the URL: www.statnews.com/2026/06/23/e...
LymeScience3Don’t existing GLP-1s work pretty well already?
dougstevelass.bsky.social3I certainly hope this has a very negative side effect for that particular user (a positive effect for the rest of us)
Suzanne🗽🕊️⚖️ 🇺🇸🇺🇦✍🏻🎵🎶⚾️🏴☠️🟧♊️2"compassionate use access ... to a 79-year-old-man"
vadaga.bsky.social2That may explain his hair yesterday
Brian Standard, PharmD2That is a very interesting application of compassionate use… would trizepatide not have done exactly the same thing here?
Jumulo Jimbus2If it is the Pres one wonders if this is an attempt to limit impulsive and erratic behavior.
Randy-B-lusky2Is one of the myriad of side effects accelerating existing dementia? If so we have our confirmation because grandpa has gone 'round the bend and he ain't coming back.
moosky2The Special Sauce Must Flow
Alfalphamale2A paywall blocks it, But I'm guessing Trump
dianecheyanne.bsky.social2The guy who name called Chris Christie fat is in fact fat himself.
jim0novak.bsky.social2Once again: HIPAA should be amended to require complete and timely public disclosure of all medical information about presidents.
You have to be realistic about these things.2I don't understand. At 6'3", 238 lbs. Trump isn't obese. Why would he need an anti-obesity drug?
Ari is logged out mentally for good2Ok but, not everyone is a medical professional so paywalling this feels crazy?
Scotty Taylor2Trump talking about GLP-1s in April at an EO signing for mental health. Dude’s brain is leakier than a sieve, so I’m gonna guess GLP-1s were on his mind bsky.app/profile/atru...
baja-hacker.bsky.social2I would have figured raw milk, tanning his balls, ivermectin and swimming in raw sewage would have been enough . . .
STAT News asked whether Trump is the single then-79 year old patient who got privileged access to an Eli Lilly obesity drug. No one would deny it. www.statnews.com/2026/06/23/e...
mscottpaper.bsky.social78Hmm, why would the most physically fit president ever need an obesity drug??
so-what-who-cares.bsky.social34Do the adverse side effects include rambling nonsense, operating outside of norms, inability to walk straight lines? Just curious…
jerbrad288228Hey heart disease, blood pressure and obstructive sleep apnea -- you have one job! C'mon!
thecosmokramer.bsky.social11If it is Trump, I wonder if he has long COVID, which can cause pulmonary hypertension as well as cardiovascular issues.
Holli Winters8Could be why he has 22 doctors examing him. He could have heard about it and thought it would make him look younger and live longer. It isn't working from what I've seen of him lately. Most weight loss requires a change in your diet too.
Mark G7Be still my heart. Note to Secret Service, I said MY heart, not his.
Omney (They/Them)🌈🏳️⚧️6I did notice in around april-may that it seemed like he had lost weight, you could especially see it in his face. But now he's back to " normal" so I guess the drug didn't work well enough or there were many side effects.
Soulshine076316I can personally attest to the fact that about half the people with obstructive sleep apnea develop diabetes. Factoring in his obesity and congestive heart failure makes the A1c results reported in that most recent doctors visit as believable as he weights 215 lbs. and is 6'3".
traciew.bsky.social5Always special, never to blame.
BonaireVolt4Obese? I thought he was in the "best shape of any president" and he was 6' 3" and 225 lbs. Or was that kg?
Warfare_Class4But HIPAA bla, bla. We will never know.
Dorri4If he started in April, wouldn’t there be visible evidence?
johniwaniszek.bsky.social3Did you happen to notice when the compassionate use was authorized? I am not a subscriber. Thanks
acabdriver3Sources close to the president denying that he's a "fat motherfucker"
Melina3I believe that this is what is called in the Peptide world, Reta. It is supposedly miraculous and Im sure Trump can get it. Look it up on Reddit, which is where all the interesting peptide stuff is going on. Im sure he has a stack as does RFK Jr. I can send you my notes if you want a dive.
Sarah and her cats2But he didn’t lose any weight.
jerbrad28822"ADHD is a highly prevalent condition in the severely obese population. Treatment of ADHD is associated with significant long-term weight loss in individuals with a lengthy history of weight loss...ADHD should be considered as a primary cause of weight loss failure in the obese."
Elliskatz2Makes me think about the recent video of him from the Knicks game where he was scarfing down fries and pizza!
mommak.bsky.social2Honestly, I don’t mind the president getting treatment if he needs it, even treatment others can’t get (ie, Covid treatment from Regeneron), but these are serious health issues about which the public should be told.
Wayne Gauthier🇨🇦🇰🇷2Anything to keep Filet-O-Fish in the White House meal rotation.
If I were in the White House press corps, the angle I’d take on the Eli Lilly weight-loss drug story wouldn’t be “why should POTUS get special treatment” but “why are you taking an obesity drug when your physical says you’re 6’3”, 220?”
Innocent🕷Abroad10He doesn’t handle questions well when they’re of the form, “Please reconcile your current version of reality with what you said previously.” Plus his vanity can’t stand being confronted with the fact that he’s very fat. So framing the question that way should lead to some entertainment, at least.
Special K2I would ask what the president’s "serious or immediately life-threatening disease or condition" is, which is the only available reason for compassionate use according to the FDA.
So, any guesses? “This person was a 79-year-old man at the time the request was made in April, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Those sources, who requested… said it drew the interest of top health officials, suggesting the person receiving this drug was well connected.”
Kathleen Bachynski20“A senior clinician at the National Institutes of Health named Ranganath Muniyappa requested the drug to treat the patient for refractory obesity with obstructive sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension, a severe version of the disease. Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the lungs”
Coily Sees All3shhhhh it's a big secret nobody is allowed to know but also TRANSPARENCY THE BIGGEST MOST AMAZING BEAUTIFUL TRANSPARENCY but also shhhhhhhhhh don't leak or you'll be prosecuted shhhhhhh
Blake2Is there a reason the orange menace can't just take an existing GLP-1 product?
