Weight-loss craze sparks a DC lobbying bonanza [View all]

Source: Politico

04/27/2025 06:25 PM EDT


The future of the weight-loss industry is now in President Donald Trump’s hands — and pharma companies are mobilizing to ensure the craze for highly effective anti-obesity drugs keeps spreading.

The Trump administration is under heavy pressure to decide how widely available the medications should be and whether Medicare should cover them. So far, it has sided against the makers of the weight-loss medications, but the issue is far from settled.

The political battle over the anti-obesity drugs is reaching a crescendo in Washington after a yearslong supply shortage sparked by historic demand. From 2022 to 2024, cheaper copycat versions filled the void. But now that supplies have recovered, brand-name companies are pressing federal officials to clamp down on those less expensive versions, known as compounded drugs.

Separately, the drug industry is lobbying to repeal a 20-year-old law prohibiting Medicare from covering weight-loss drugs. Trump administration officials have cited cost concerns in opposing such a move so far. But proponents say billions in upfront expenses would be more than offset over time as fewer Americans face chronic conditions exacerbated by obesity. The high stakes surrounding these issues are generating a lobbying bonanza.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/27/weight-loss-lobbying-trump-00303817