Mystery Patient, Age 79, Got Special Access to Weight Drug

One of the more intriguing stories of the day comes from STAT News, which reports that a well-connected patient received "extraordinary" early access to an experimental obesity drug from Eli Lilly. Speculation that it might be President Trump is part of the story. The access to retatrutide came last year when the patient was 79, and it was granted through the FDA's "compassionate use" pathway, which is typically reserved for people facing serious or life-threatening conditions with no good treatment options, per the New Republic. The request, filed in April by senior NIH clinician Dr. Ranganath Muniyappa, cited severe obesity, sleep apnea, and pulmonary hypertension.

STAT asked the White House if Trump was the patient, and a spokesperson did not explicitly say no, instead referring questions to the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency declined to address the patient's identity but said each such access request is reviewed individually. The mystery patient has reportedly tried other obesity drugs, including tirzepatide, with only modest success, and was deemed a poor candidate for weight-loss surgery.