America's waistline may shrink, but its national debt will swell.

The deal also means Medicare will start covering obesity drugs for some patients for the first time beginning next year.

The deals are among the most politically significant announcements to date in the Trump administration's efforts to rein in high U.S. drug costs.

US President Donald Trump announces agreements with drug makers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

America's waistline may shrink, but its national debt will swell.

Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk officials have agreed to lower the cost of GLP-1 obesity drugs for Medicaid and Medicare recipients and those who pay directly.

The deal, which includes Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, will slash prices for Medicare and Medicaid programme recipients.

Medicare will start covering obesity drugs for the first time, which could open access to millions of seniors and spur more private insurers to follow suit.

"Obesity is a disease of poverty," HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy said, ignoring data that shows it's mainly a middle-class ailment.

Metsera has no products on the market, but it is developing oral and injectable treatments.