science
Democratic lawmakers seek details on patient given early access to Eli Lilly obesity drug
Two Democratic members of Congress are asking the Trump administration for more information about a 79-year-old patient approved in April for compassionate-use access to an experimental obesity treatment. The lawmakers want to know whether the patient is a high-profile individual.
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Democratic lawmakers have asked the Trump administration for more information about a 79-year-old patient who received special access in April to an experimental obesity drug developed by Eli Lilly. The patient, who has refractory obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and pulmonary hypertension, was approved through the Food and Drug Administration’s compassionate-use program.
That program allows patients with serious or immediately life-threatening conditions to receive investigational treatments outside of clinical trials.
Lawmakers request details Senators and representatives have written to the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services seeking confirmation of the patient’s identity and the reasons for the expedited approval. The lawmakers did not name any specific individual in their inquiry.
The administration has not yet responded to the request for information. Eli Lilly and the FDA have not issued public statements about the case. The compassionate-use pathway requires review by both the drug manufacturer and the FDA before an experimental medicine can be provided to an individual patient.
