--- title: "Man Collapses During Oval Office Event on Drug Prices" description: "A man [collapsed]() during an event where president Donald Trump announced a new initiative to offer subsidized prescriptions to weight loss drugs." date: "2025-11-06" modified: "2025-11-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/health-medicine/pharma-exec-collapses-white-house-event-drug-prices" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Treatments" --- # Man Collapses During Oval Office Event on Drug Prices ![A pharmaceutical executive collapsed during an event where president Donald Trump announced a new initiative for subsidized weight-loss drugs.]() *ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images* A man [collapsed]() during an event where president Donald Trump announced a new initiative to offer subsidized prescriptions to weight loss drugs. Live TV coverage of the event shows a man — initially identified as Novo Nordisk exec Gordon Findlay, a claim that was later disputed — slumping to the floor inside the Oval Office, with several men nearby helping to guide his body safely to the ground. Medicare and Medicaid administrator Mehmet Oz grabbed the man under the shoulders to help him to the ground. Trump stands up from behind his desk in the Oval Office, but doesn't intervene. Health secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. can be seen walking briskly away. Convened press were asked to leave the room by a White House staffer. https://twitter.com/JeffreyGuterman/status/1986490696702840973 "During the Most Favored Nations Oval Office Announcement, a representative with one of the companies fainted," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. "The White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is okay. The Press Conference will resume shortly." The event was announcing a deal in which drug makers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk would significantly bring down the prices of Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 agonists. The drugs, sold under names including Wegovy and Zepbound, are weight-loss medications that [have been shown to be highly effective](). According to [recent Gallup data](), obesity rates in the United States fell back down to 37 percent this year, from hitting a peak of 39.9 percent in 2022. It's unclear how much of this change can be attributed to the widespread adoption of GLP-1 agonist medications; however, it likely played a significant role. Despite their effectiveness, the drugs have proven [prohibitively expensive]() for many Americans, especially for those who don't have access to health insurance. *Updated to reflect that the man has not been identified.* **More on GLP-1:** [*Doctors Just Found Something Fascinating About What Happens When You Drink on Ozempic*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()