White House has denied reports that President Donald Trump was given access to an experimental weight-loss drug, retatrutide, under the FDA's "compassionate use program".
A STAT News report published Tuesday suggested that Trump had been given Eli Lilly and Co.'s (NYSE:LLY) weight-loss drug retatrutide, despite the treatment not yet having received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
Citing three anonymous sources, STAT News stated that the drug may have been administered to Trump, who recently turned 80.
The report based its claim on the approved patient being a 79-year-old seeking treatment for refractory obesity, a severe condition in which an individual is unable to lose and sustain at least 5% of body weight over six months despite trying multiple treatments, including intensive behavioral therapy, medications, and dietary interventions at their maximum tolerated levels.
However, White House senior deputy press secretary Kush Desai refuted these claims in an X post, criticizing the speculative reporting.
