A U.S. experimental weight-loss treatment given to an unnamed 79-year-old patient has triggered intense speculation in Washington, with some journalists convinced the patient is President Donald Trump. The White House has not directly denied that Trump is the person involved, and instead referred questions to the Department of Health and Human Services.
White House spokesman Kush Desai also avoided a straight answer, saying Trump’s latest health assessment already covers the matter. But the official medical memo for the president does not mention the complex illnesses described in the special treatment request, adding to the uncertainty around his condition.
The drug at the center of the case is retatrutide, an experimental obesity medication developed by Eli Lilly. Access was granted through the FDA’s compassionate use program for seriously ill patients. The request was filed in April by Rangnath Muniappa, a senior clinician at the National Institutes of Health, and immediately drew attention at the highest medical levels in the country.
The filing said the patient had treatment-resistant obesity, sleep apnea, and pulmonary hypertension, which is considered life-threatening. It also said he had previously tried other weight-loss drugs with only modest results. Doctors advised against bariatric surgery because of his advanced age and underlying conditions. HHS spokeswoman Emily Hilliard said the FDA supports expanded-access programs for serious or life-threatening cases when no comparable approved treatments are available, and that each request is reviewed individually.
