Eli Lilly CEO David A. Ricks was speaking about the deal when an unidentified man behind him, wearing a black suit, white shirt, and gray tie, started to sway back and forth.
Ricks noticed the man struggling and asked, “Are you OK?”
That’s when the man tipped over as a voice was heard asking, “Gordon, are you okay?”
Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, was standing steps away and quickly jumped into action to help the man as he apparently fainted.
President Donald Trump quickly stood and approached the man as the media was directed to leave the room.
A series of news organizations reported that the man was Novo Nordisk’s Global Brand Director Gordon Findlay, which the company denied in a statement to The Epoch Times.
“We can’t speculate on who was the man who fainted but can confirm he was not a Novo Nordisk employee,” media and stakeholder relations director Flavia Brakling said in the statement.
“The only two Novo Nordisk representatives in the Oval Office were CEO Mike Doustdar and EVP, US Operations, Dave Moore,” Brakling added.
A spokesperson for Eli Lilly confirmed that the man who fainted was a guest of the company but did not identify him.
“At the White House press conference, a guest of ours became faint due to standing for a long time and the warmth of the room,” a spokesperson for Eli Lilly wrote in a statement to the Epoch Times on Nov. 9. “He received immediate attention and care. We appreciate your concern.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt identified him only as “a representative with one of the companies.”
“The White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is OK,” Leavitt said.
The announcement was about the Trump administration reaching new deals with pharmaceutical manufacturers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to drop prices of widely used weight loss drugs by hundreds of dollars per month.
The price of Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 drugs, such as Zepbound (tirzepatide), will fall from $1,086 per month to an average of $346 when purchased through TrumpRx.
“Today marks a pivotal moment in U.S. health care policy and a defining milestone for Lilly, made possible through collaboration with the Trump administration,” Ricks said.
“As we expand access to obesity treatments for more Americans and advance one of the most innovative obesity pipelines, we remain focused on improving outcomes, strengthening the U.S. health care system, and contributing to the health of our nation for generations to come.”
The price of Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 drugs, including Wegovy and Ozempic, will fall from around $1,000 and $1,350 per month to $350 when purchased through the TrumpRx platform.
If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the Wegovy pill or a similar GLP-1 drug that can be taken orally as opposed to a jab, those drugs will be priced at $150 per month through TrumpRx.
