A man collapsed in the White House on Thursday during President Donald Trump‘s announcement on lowering weight loss drug prices.
Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks was speaking when the man dropped, according to a video that circulated on social media. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator, approached the man and asked him, “Gordon, are you OK?” The man was lying on the floor.
Many speculated online that the man was Gordon Findlay, an executive at pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. However, the company told the Washington Examiner that Findlay was not present at the press conference.
“CEO Mike Doustdar and EVP, US Operations, Dave Moore were the only two Novo Nordisk representatives in the Oval Office,” a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical giant said.
The Washington Examiner contacted the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services for confirmation on the man’s identity and status.
Eli Lilly also received a request for comment.
“During the Most Favored Nations Oval Office Announcement, a representative with one of the companies fainted,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the press pool. “The White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is okay. The Press Conference will resume shortly.”
After the press conference resumed, Trump said one of the pharmaceutical executives felt a “little bit lightheaded” but was ultimately “fine.”
TRUMP MAKES DEAL TO LOWER PRICES OF OBESITY DRUGS FROM ELI LILLY AND NOVO NORDISK
Trump struck a deal between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk on selling their obesity drugs at discounted prices.
Before the health scare, Trump said the deal would lower the prices of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound, with patients expected to see lower prices next year. The new agreement applies to anti-obesity and diabetes medications in the GLP-1 drug class.
