--- title: White House Deal Lowers Prices of Weight-Loss Drugs description: The White House announced reduced pricing for the popular weight-loss drugs made by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. canonical: https://time.com/7331880/white-house-deal-lowers-prices-weight-loss-drugs/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-11-06T21:51:50.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T08:12:47.520Z article:section: Health og:title: White House Deal Lowers Prices of Weight-Loss Drugs og:description: The White House announced reduced pricing for the popular weight-loss drugs made by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. og:url: https://time.com/7331880/white-house-deal-lowers-prices-weight-loss-drugs/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1804c6b366585a2f/6998cb7fa97fc0046ca74dc2/Trump-Weight-Loss-Drugs.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: Trump Weight Loss Drugs og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: White House Deal Lowers Prices of Weight-Loss Drugs twitter:description: The White House announced reduced pricing for the popular weight-loss drugs made by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1804c6b366585a2f/6998cb7fa97fc0046ca74dc2/Trump-Weight-Loss-Drugs.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # White House Deal Lowers Prices of Weight-Loss Drugs > Sponsored content. 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Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=7634b028-89be-439d-a66c-1f98d9418de6&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Trump Announces Deal to Expand Coverage and Lower Costs on Weight-Loss Drugs [Watch (HLS stream): Trump Announces Deal to Expand Coverage and Lower Costs on Weight-Loss Drugs](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Gjyb3mHz.m3u8) (3:12)  _Published 2025-11-06. President Donald Trump unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy. The drugs are part of a new generation of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity in recent years._  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Nov 6, 2025 9:51 PM UTC President Donald Trump unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy. The drugs are part of a new generation of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity in recent years.  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Nov 6, 2025 9:51 PM UTC President Trump announced on Nov. 6 that the manufacturers of popular weight-loss drugs have agreed to reduce prices that Americans pay. The announcement follows Trump’s [executive order](https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/president-trump-signs-executive-order-drug-prices-will-come-down/) from May when he ordered pharmaceutical companies to address the higher price of their drugs in the U.S. compared to other countries, and to charge Americans the lowest price worldwide. In the deal, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk agreed to drop prices of their injectable GLP-1-based drugs to $350 for a month’s supply, and to further reduce that cost to $245 over the next two years. The drugs currently cost about $1,000 for a month’s supply, or about half that amount if patients obtain them directly through the companies through newly launched direct-to-consumer programs. The pricing applies to a new version of Lilly's weight-loss drug, Zepbound, that could come in a single, multi-dose pen—it currently is sold in differently dosed vials as patients start at low doses and work their way up to higher doses. Both companies also have an oral GLP-1 based pill for weight loss; Novo Nordisk’s is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Lilly plans to submit a request for approval of its product by the end of the year. If approved, the pills would cost $149 for a month’s supply. The FDA also announced that [Lilly’s oral drug, orforglipron](https://time.com/7278429/weight-loss-obesity-pill-eli-lilly/), is part of a program in which certain drugs would receive priority vouchers that would entitle them to much shorter review periods for approval, on the order of weeks or months rather than a year or more. **Read More**: [_The Health Risks and Benefits of Weight-Loss Drugs_](https://time.com/7207986/health-risks-benefits-weight-loss-drugs-ozempic-wegovy/) Those prices are the out-of-pocket costs for patients getting them without insurance and through the government, using taxpayer funds. Because these prices will now be transparent and available to patients, commercial insurers and employer-based insurance plans are expected to follow suit and cover the drugs at the reduced prices. Lilly CEO David Ricks said during a Nov. 6 company press conference that currently, about six in 10 employers cover the company's weight loss drug for their workers, and hoped the announcement today would be a "triggering" event to incentivize more to do so. The decision is the first step toward the goal of equalizing drug prices so Americans aren’t paying more for the same drugs than people in other parts of the world. That gap is due to a complex drug-payment model that involves pharmacy benefit mangers who manage prescription drug benefits for insurance companies and employers, and have utilized their mass buying power to drive drug prices up. “Our expectation is that by making prices transparent and through government coverage of them in Medicare, it will make it increasingly uncomfortable for employers or pharmacy benefit managers who have chosen not to cover this important class of medicines,” Dr. Dan Skovronsky, chief scientific officer at Lilly, tells TIME. “I think the scale and effectiveness that a small molecule like orforglipron can achieve at a $149 per month price point will change the lives of many Americans.” **Read More**: [_The Heavy Cost of Using Weight-Loss Drugs to Get Skinny_](https://time.com/7311517/cost-weight-loss-drugs-skinny/) It’s not immediately clear how long the terms of the deal are. The agreement involves the pharmaceutical companies reducing prices to cash-paying and government programs for not just the weight-loss drugs but a portfolio of other products as well, and also providing certain new products to the American market at so-called most-favored nation status pricing, or the lowest price for which it sells its drug in the world. For the government's part, it would provide priority vouchers from the FDA for quicker review and potential approval of a selected group of new products. For Medicare beneficiaries, the deal with Lilly and Novo Nordisk expands coverage beyond diabetes to include obesity as well—which would cover an additional 10% or so of Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare would start to cover the drugs at $245 a month for both diabetes and obesity; currently, Medicare covers the drugs to treat diabetes but not for obesity. Beneficiaries would only be responsible for a $50 copay per month. The expanded coverage would not cost taxpayers, senior White House officials said, because the new cost to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services represents a savings on the diabetes indication; that savings will fund paying for coverage for obesity. They expected to roll out the new pricing in spring or mid 2026. Senior officials said that Medicare beneficiaries seeking coverage for GLP-1 drugs for obesity would have to meet strict eligibility criteria and that these would follow Make America Healthier Again principles to address chronic disease risk factors. The drugs would be covered for people with a body mass index (BMI) at or above 27, for example, if they also have other metabolic risk factors, such as prediabetes, since the medications could lower their risk of developing diabetes, stroke, heart attack, or peripheral artery disease. For those with a BMI over 30, the drugs would be covered if they also have serious kidney disease, heart failure, or uncontrolled high blood pressure. For people without any of these conditions, Medicare would cover the drugs for obesity if they have a BMI of 35 or greater. Medicaid beneficiaries would also receive reduced prices, but the timing of when these would be launched would depend on individual states. ## Transcript [00:00] Well, this is very exciting because again, [00:03] we'll bring drug prices down to as low as [00:06] possible and tremendous cuts, [00:10] 200%, 300%, 500%, 700% or even more than that. [00:16] So today, I'm thrilled to announce that [00:18] the two world's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, [00:22] Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, [00:26] have agreed to offer their most popular [00:28] GLP one weight loss drug. [00:31] I quote the faculty member [00:34] at drastic discounts and very effective drugs, [00:39] and so far I've never heard anything bad about them. [00:42] I only hear good about them. [00:44] Is there anything bad about them, Bob? [00:46] I haven't heard anything bad. [00:49] Someday, maybe it'll come out, [00:51] which will notify you immediately. [00:54] But so far I haven't heard that. [00:55] Including the drugs known as Zepbound and wegovy, [01:00] often called Ozempic, [01:03] Is it time for American patients that will [01:06] save lives and improve [01:09] the health of millions and millions of Americans? [01:12] Amazing thing. They are amazing. [01:14] I want to thank Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks, [01:18] a friend of mine. [01:19] We've worked long and hard. [01:21] He and I got this whole thing started in a way. [01:24] And Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Gustar for joining us today. [01:31] Great, talented people. [01:34] They make a lot of money. [01:36] I looked at the money, but they're entitled to [01:38] the money because the companies are doing very well. [01:41] Along with Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, [01:43] Secretary Howard Lutnick. [01:46] Do you take any of this stuff, Howard? [01:48] Not yet. Okay, good. [01:51] CMS administrator Mehmet Oz. [01:53] He doesn't take it. [01:55] But this is a great day for [01:57] American health and health care [01:59] and for all of American patients. [02:01] These are things that are miracles to have this happen. [02:04] And, you know, we're bringing [02:05] all our medicines again because of tariffs. [02:08] We're bringing all our medicines. [02:10] If you remember where [02:12] during Covid we made almost no medicine here. [02:15] We had to go to China. We had to go to Ireland. [02:17] We had to go to other places UK to get our medical. [02:21] We didn't make it here. Now we're making it. [02:23] We'll soon be making it all here again because [02:25] of tariffs and my election, [02:28] but because of tariffs much more. [02:30] For years politicians have [02:32] talked about making health care affordable, [02:34] but my administration is actually doing it. [02:37] Americans deserve the best health care in the world, [02:40] and we're now getting the best health care [02:42] at the lowest price. [02:43] President Trump is the friend of the forgotten American. [02:48] Obesity is a disease of poverty, overwhelmingly. [02:53] And this drug, these drugs have [02:56] only been available for people who have wealth. [03:00] If we want to solve the chronic disease crisis, [03:03] we have to tackle it. [03:05] Obesity. Obesity is [03:09] the number one driver of chronic disease. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7331880/white-house-deal-lowers-prices-weight-loss-drugs/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7331880/white-house-deal-lowers-prices-weight-loss-drugs/"},"headline":"White House Deal Lowers Prices of Weight-Loss Drugs","datePublished":"2025-11-06T21:51:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T08:12:47.520Z","description":"The White House announced reduced pricing for the popular weight-loss drugs made by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.","url":"https://time.com/7331880/white-house-deal-lowers-prices-weight-loss-drugs/","keywords":["Health Care"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1804c6b366585a2f/6998cb7fa97fc0046ca74dc2/Trump-Weight-Loss-Drugs.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alice Park","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/alice-park/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1804c6b366585a2f/6998cb7fa97fc0046ca74dc2/Trump-Weight-Loss-Drugs.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Trump Weight Loss Drugs","caption":"U.S. President Trump makes an announcement from the Oval Office, at the White House in Washington D.C.","creditText":"Jonathan Ernst—REUTERS","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/health-care/","name":"Health Care"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7331880/white-house-deal-lowers-prices-weight-loss-drugs/","name":"White House Deal Lowers Prices of Weight-Loss Drugs"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Trump Announces Deal to Expand Coverage and Lower Costs on Weight-Loss Drugs","description":"President Donald Trump unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy. 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