Unapproved Obesity Drug Access Sparks Health Concerns for Trump

WHO:

Alternet - The patient who requested access to the obesity drug is a "79-year-old man," speculated to be President Trump.

Alternet - Ranganath Muniyappa is a senior clinician at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who requested the drug for the patient.

Alternet - Kush Desai is a White House spokesperson who directed inquiries to the Health and Human Services Department.

WHAT:

Alternet - Journalist Lizzy Lawrence reported that "Millions of Americans with obesity are eagerly awaiting a powerful new drug from Eli Lilly called retatrutide."

Alternet - Jamy Ard, chief science officer at Advocate Health, stated that "compassionate use" requests are "usually reserved for terminal illness" and not for weight loss.

Alternet - Eli Lilly provided access to the obesity drug retatrutide through the FDA's "compassionate use" program.

Alternet - The drug retatrutide has demonstrated bariatric-surgery levels of weight loss.

Alternet - The patient was treated for refractory obesity with obstructive sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension.

WHERE:

Alternet - The request for the drug was made in the United States.

WHEN:

Alternet - The request for access to the drug was made in April.

Alternet - Trump turned 80 on June 14.

WHY:

Alternet - Emily C. Singer from Daily Kos argued that the reporting from STAT indicates that Trump is "lying about his health."

Alternet - The compassionate use program is typically reserved for patients with serious and immediately life-threatening medical issues, not for weight loss.

HOW:

Alternet - STAT News noted that the unusual nature of the application for the drug drew the interest of top health officials, suggesting the patient was well connected.

Alternet - The FDA's "compassionate use" program allows patients to gain access to experimental treatments under specific circumstances.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 21:31 UTC)

Millions of Americans struggling with obesity are looking forward to a new drug called retatrutide from Eli Lilly, according to journalist Lizzy Lawrence. However, Jamy Ard, chief science officer at Advocate Health, pointed out that "compassionate use" requests for such drugs are typically reserved for terminal illnesses, not for weight loss. Meanwhile, Emily C. Singer from Daily Kos highlighted that reporting from STAT suggests Trump may be misrepresenting his health, which has caught the attention of top health officials due to the unusual nature of the drug application.

--

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 19:43 UTC)

A 79-year-old man, speculated to be Trump, has requested access to the obesity drug retatrutide, which has shown significant weight loss results comparable to bariatric surgery. The request was made by senior clinician Ranganath Muniyappa at the National Institutes of Health, and the drug was provided by Eli Lilly through the FDA's compassionate use program, typically reserved for serious medical conditions. White House spokesperson Kush Desai directed inquiries about the matter to the Health and Human Services Department.