79-year-old gets experimental obesity drug via FDA

A 79-year-old patient with severe obesity and related health complications was granted access to an unapproved weight-loss drug through a special government program in April, an arrangement that has drawn scrutiny due to the patient's undisclosed identity and the high-level attention the request received.

The patient received the experimental drug retatrutide from pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly via the Food and Drug Administration's "compassionate use" or "expanded access" program. This pathway is typically reserved for patients with serious or immediately life-threatening conditions who lack comparable treatment options. Retatrutide is not yet FDA-approved, though late-stage trial data has shown it can produce weight loss comparable to bariatric surgery.

The access request was filed in April by Dr. Ranganath Muniyappa, a senior clinician at the National Institutes of Health. The application cited a diagnosis of refractory obesity accompanied by obstructive sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension, a potentially life-threatening condition involving high blood pressure in the lungs. According to sources familiar with the matter, the unusual nature of the request drew the...