Trump unveils deals to lower costs of some weight-loss drugs

Washington: US President Donald Trump announced deals Thursday with pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the prices of some popular weight-loss drugs, in exchange for certainty around tariff issues and others benefits.

Both companies "have agreed to offer their most popular GLP-1 weight-loss drug," Trump said, "at drastic discounts."

"It's a triumph for American patients that will save lives and improve the health of millions and millions of Americans," he told reporters.

The new generation of appetite-suppressing drugs using GLP-1 agonists -- which include the brands Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro -- have exploded in popularity in recent times due to their ability to help people lose weight.

But the sky-high prices of such drugs, which can cost over $1,000 a month in the United States, have raised concerns.

The latest move is set to cut costs of starting oral doses of GLP-1s to as low as around $150 for certain groups of people, a figure that one senior US official touted as "roughly one-ninth of today's list price."

This price would apply to those on Medicare -- which is for seniors -- the safety net Medicaid, or via the direct-to-consumer website TrumpRx, the official added.

But the costs for injectables would be higher.

Trump has revived drug pricing efforts from his first presidential term, taking steps since returning to the White House to pressure pharmaceutical companies into voluntarily lowering their prices.