Senator Hassan Presses for Answers After Reports That Trump May Have Received Special, Free Access to Medication as Prescription Costs Soar

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, pressed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for answers following reporting that the Trump Administration bent the rules of a federal program to provide a highly sought-after weight-loss drug, still in clinical trials, to a single VIP, potentially for free, while millions of Americans struggle to afford their prescriptions.

The experimental drug was provided in April to a 79-year-old person through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Expanded Access program, which is meant for patients with a serious or immediately life-threatening conditions. The report suggests that the application was posted in secret and in a manner that suggested "the person receiving the drug was well-connected." President Trump was 79 years old in April.

"As Americans across the country are struggling to afford their prescription drugs, I am deeply concerned by new reporting that suggests you may be bending the rules of a federal program, and exerting improper political pressure, in order to provide a well-connected individual with free access to an exclusive prescription drug," Senator Hassan wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "Your actions to provide the new weight-loss drug Retatrutide to one well-connected individual come as the Trump Administration has driven prescription drug costs for Americans through the roof."

"Reporting clearly suggests that this individual was the President or someone closely connected to him," Senator Hassan concluded. "If these reports are true, I have serious concerns about your actions to bend the rules in order to provide an expensive and exclusive medication to him for free."

The Department's decision comes one year after President Trump and congressional Republicans passed a bill that gives billionaires a tax break paid for in part by blocking Medicare from negotiating lower prices on some of the most expensive prescription drugs, making it harder for Americans to afford the medications they need.

Senator Hassan pressed for answers about whether President Trump received the drug, how much the VIP who received the drug paid, who approved the request, and what role the White House played in the decision.

Click here to read Senator Hassan's letter to Secretary Kennedy or see below.

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

As Americans across the country are struggling to afford their prescription drugs, I am deeply concerned by new reporting that suggests you may be bending the rules of a federal program, and exerting improper political pressure, in order to provide a well-connected individual with free access to an exclusive prescription drug.

Your actions to provide the new weight-loss drug Retatrutide to one well-connected individual come as the Trump Administration has driven prescription drug costs for Americans through the roof. Nearly one year ago, President Trump and congressional Republicans provided a $9 billion giveaway to Big Pharma, shielding some of the most expensive prescription drugs from having lower prices negotiated by Medicare. This decision will result in higher prices for cancer medications and other specialty drugs over the next decade.

The Food and Drug Administration's Expanded Access program is meant to provide access to experimental medications for patients "with a serious or immediately life-threatening disease or condition...for treatment outside of clinical trials when no comparable or satisfactory alternative therapy options are available." However, reporting suggests that you have used this pathway to provide a highly anticipated medication for obesity to a single VIP individual for free, without providing that opportunity to other Americans.

A report from STAT News today suggests that this special application for access to the drug was essentially made in secret - a "sparse post on the government's clinical trials website" which did not specify either what conditions the drug was meant to treat or who might qualify. This secret application resulted in one man, who was 79 years old in April, receiving special access to the medication and in the manner that suggested "the person receiving the drug was well-connected." President Trump was 79 years old in April. This decision to bend the rules comes as millions of Americans are clamoring for access to these kinds of life-changing drugs and are often struggling to pay for them.

Reporting clearly suggests that this individual was the President or someone closely connected to him. If these reports are true, I have serious concerns about your actions to bend the rules in order to provide an expensive and exclusive medication to him for free.

To aid the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care - Minority in understanding the factors that led to this decision, please provide responses to the following document and information requests:

1. Was it President Trump who received free Expanded Access to Retatrutide? If not, was it a senior Administration official, a political donor, or someone close to the Administration?
2. Was the Expanded Access drug provided for free, and if not, how much did the recipient pay for the medication?
3. Who at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided the approval for the Expanded Access application for Retatrutide?
4. What communication occurred between HHS and the White House regarding the decision to approve Expanded Access for Retatrutide for one individual? Please provide all communications and documents, including all communications and documents shared between HHS and the White House.
5. What communication occurred between any representative of HHS and Eli Lilly regarding the decision to approve Expanded Access for Retatrutide for one individual? Please provide all communications and documents, including all communications and documents shared between HHS and the White House.

###

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Tweet